East of Wall intrigued me because of the story of Tabatha Zimiga and her family. The film stars Tabatha Zimiga as herself and Portia Zimiga playing herself as well. Given that it’s unusual for the subject of a film to play themselves, I wondered how that would impact the story and the acting. Rather than detract, the acting and story was authentic and gritty. 

East of Wall is a drama film written and directed by Kate Beecroft in her directorial debut and inspired by Tabatha Zimiga’s life. In this biographical drama, a horse trainer, Tabatha, wrestles with financial issues and unresolved grief while hosting a group of wayward teenagers at her ranch in the badlands of South Dakota. Her daughter Portia blames her for the death of her stepfather John and her son Stetson has delayed speech. Tabatha’s mother Tracey (Jennifer Ehle) is protective but also adds to Tabatha’s stress by promoting bad behavior in the children. When Tabatha is approached by rich rancher Roy Waters (Scoot McNairy) to buy the land and have her work as a trainer, Tabatha must decide which is more important, money or the freedom to continue running her ranch and caring for her children in the manner she feels is best. 

I think what makes East of Wall so interesting is that it reveals a way of life that is growing rarer. I know I grew up in the city and so most of the things Tabby struggles with aren’t issues that most of my friends and family dealt with but they are very real. A lot of people struggle financially and deal with loss. In exploring Tabby’s life, we get to see both the similarities and the differences. It is also easy to see just how charismatic and intelligent Tabby is from the manner in which she trains the horses. This might be a woman struggling but she is smart and hardworking. It is her life that is compelling.

As we watch Tabby and her daughter try to resolve the grief and anger that they both deal with over the death of Tabby’s husband John, we also see the power and emotion of both woman and girl. The truth of Tabby’s life, how she cares about the teenagers that come live with her, the manner in which she trains horses (gentle and firm), and the fierce way she handles her mother as well as Portia. Tabby might not have all the money in the world but what comes through clearly is that she does have a lot of love to give her family. 

It is intriguing to see how Roy Waters comes in and wants to help Portia. He’s lost his own daughter and it is clear that he sees helping Portia as a way to a second chance. He also sees how intelligent Tabby is and wants to see her succeed. But he sees the way for her to do that is with his help. Tabby must figure out if that is true or whether she has the power to run her business on her own. 

The acting is not perfect but it is real and authentic. The emotions are believable because Tabby is showing us her life. The same with Portia. The bond between the pair is emotional because of the real life bond between mother and daughter. The actors enhance that bond with their performances. Jennifer Ehle feels like Tabby’s mother and the interactions between them are raw and impactful. Scoot McNairy plays Roy as tough but caring. The dynamic between him and Tabby is powerful. His connection with Portia is emotional. The cast is a mix of the real life people in Tabby’s life and actors and the blend works well, creating a sense of reality to the film. It does not feel like a movie but more like a documentary.

What distracted me at the beginning of the movie was not understanding what was going on.  There was a lack of sense to the narrative or a direction. When we finally are introduced to Roy, the film starts making more sense but the film is also slow. It is truly a modern day cowboy film about a real family in the Badlands of South Dakota and that reality is compelling even when the movie is moving at a slower pace.

If you like modern day cowboy films that are about a real person, a biographical drama that stars the very person it is about, then you will enjoy this movie. Tabitha and Portia Zimiga are both excellent, showing us a world that is authentic and gritty, real and emotional. The drama is all in the challenges that Tabby faces day to day in taking care of teenagers no one else has time or money for and in keeping her ranch running despite the lack of money. It might be a slow film but it is a powerful movie that packs an emotional punch. It is all about family, love and being true to yourself, even when it’s hard.

Rating: 3.5 horses out of 5.

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