by Ed Travis
There’s frankly not a lot to Maggie, which might be precisely what makes it so effective.
Zombie cinema worth its salt is always about something more, and Maggie proves its worth by being almost entirely about slowly losing a loved one, whether it be through cancer or any other type of degenerative or incurable disease. And when it’s not about that, it’s simply about a father connecting with his daughter. The fact that the story takes place during a quelled zombie apocalypse amidst a world that has reverted to a kind of pre-electricity stasis is just background detail that gives an otherwise gut-wrenching drama a genre edge.
So slight are the genre trappings, that I could see many folks feeling misled by Maggie. After all, here’s a film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger set during the zombie apocalypse! Arnold is going to cave in some zombie skulls and ask questions later! Right? Actually Arnold’s casting in this role is a remarkable fit, taking advantage of the entire world’s expectations and turning them on their head to create something that feels new. Okay, no, a doting father wracked with pain over the inevitable loss of his childrens’ innocence isn’t new to cinema… but a character like that IS new to Arnold. Which is why his presence here in Maggie isn’t so much stunt casting as a genuine collaboration on the part of Arnold and director Henry Hobson. Arnold’s Wade Vogel does utilize some of his real world baggage, and the expectations we carry in as an audience, but he’s also fully realized and dimensionally rich. Wade has a certain standing in his community, and is clearly seen as a strong man and a leader. But when his daughter Maggie (Abigail Breslin) is bitten by a zombie and sent home to live out her final weeks under her father’s roof before turning, the community isn’t quite sure how to respond to this former pillar who is now cut low. Is this not how we’re collectively trying to grapple with 2015’s Arnold Schwarzenegger? Here’s a man who was a symbol of peak physical perfection, who ascended to a governorship in California… and who is now old and attempting to emerge from a recent legacy of tough economic times in California, as well as a perceived moral failure with his family. What do we do with this Arnold Schwarzenegger? How do we respond to him? The box office has not been lit on fire by many of his post-governorship roles. But Maggie is exactly the type of role that will not only keep Arnold relevant, but may offer him a ripe direction to head down in this twilight phase of his career. Because Arnold is pretty fantastic in Maggie. He sheds tears, on screen, in close up. And while I guess it is possible that this is merely a performance that is really good “for Arnold”, I’d venture to say it is simply a good performance, period. And with all the real world baggage Arnold brings, the magic of casting works its charms to fill in any gaps.
Breslin is typically great and does an admirable job as the titular condemned teenager. There’s a certain amount of dimensionality afforded her character as well, such as a strained relationship with her stepmother (Joely Richardson), a teenage love interest with whom her time is cut tragically short (he’s infected, too, which is interesting), and whatever lingering issues there are to resolve with her father before she starts perceiving everyone around her as meat.
As I mentioned, the film is slight. And aside from the somewhat high concept of a world that allows zombie-infected people to live out their final days in a sort of makeshift Hospice fashion, this is really about a dying daughter and a father grappling with how to bring about the end. Naturally, as a new parent myself, the father of a daughter, there was a certain weight that this basic story hefted upon me. It affected me. That same weight might not translate to everyone. But it isn’t about all that much more than these two characters and the question of how Maggie’s end will come. Will Wade send her to quarantine like the law requires? Will he be forced to take his own daughter’s life in an attempt to offer her swift mercy? How many final moments can he enjoy with his little girl before the disease takes over? And how much risk is he willing to expose the rest of his family to in favor of his firstborn? Everything is building towards that resolution, and the finale is fittingly weighty and somber and true to its characters.
Maggie will likely be too slight for many. Or too relentlessly dour. There are moments of levity and laughter as Maggie and Wade and family attempt to enjoy their last days together, but the pall of death is cast over even these moments. So with little humor, little action, and pondorous camerawork Lukas Ettlin as well as reflective ambient music from frequent David Gordon Green collaborator David Wingo… Maggie is so committed to what it is that many who expected more will not respond to it. I found it to be effective and satisfying as a film, but elevated by Arnold’s presence in it and the real-world complexity he brought to the role.
The Package
I only casually mentioned the camera work from Lukas Ettlin in the body of my review, but perhaps the visuals of Maggie elevated Arnold’s performance and the overall tone and mood more than many of the other potential details did. The camera follows Wade around as he wrestles with what to do and brings a raw feeling, which is effective. The film looks great on Blu-ray, even if it takes place in a dead and dying world filled with burning crops and decaying people. There’s an Americana gone rotten vibe to the whole thing.
So yes, the film itself looks and sounds quite nice as far as high definition presentation goes.
I only had a chance to listen to a portion of the director’s commentary from Henry Hobson, but it was the kind of commentary I quite like, filled with insight into the filmmaking process, from discussion of the art direction and set design, all the way to in depth analysis of Arnold’s character and casting. It’s a rock solid commentary, especially for a single person track with no one for Hobson to bounce off of.
There’s also a deleted scene which offers a little bit more tension and relationship between Wade and his wife, as well as some fairly flat interviews with many of the key talents. The interview footage is all woven into a “making of” featurette which renders the longer interview segments pretty bland.
Overall, the disc features the standard array of expected bonus features, all of which are appreciated, but beyond the commentary itself and the pretty effective trailer, the bonus features are nothing to write home about.
Whether or not you’ll want to own this disc will all come down to how frequently you’d want to watch a film like Maggie. It is a treat for Arnold fans and Breslin fans alike, not to mention zombie aficionados. But it is a bleak and somber film as well. Lionsgate put out a solid release here for a film that’ll have a limited but dedicated audience.
And I’m Out.
Maggie is now available on Blu-ray from Lionsgate Home Entertainment