HOLY DAYS played at SBIFF (Santa Barbara International Film Festival), and I had the opportunity to see it while attending. Hereโs my spoiler-free take:
HOLY DAYS is a zany road trip gone awry involving three free-spirited nuns and an adorable, heartbreaking, lost little boy. Their car mustโve been God-powered because there was no way they couldโve completed their crazy course of events without divine intervention. Predictableโฆ yes, but a delightful, humorous journey that continually made me shed tears and giggles.ย ย
The three nuns were a force to be reckoned with, to be sure. Sister Luke (Miriam Margolyes), Sister Mary Clare (Jacki Weaver), and Sister Agnes (Judy Davis) were rollicking, religious scamps. In a very simple way, they showed how life is filled with surprises, and all anyone can do is have faith while rolling with the punches and potholes. These are difficult lessons, but through excellent writing and the power of a fruitcake, anything is possible, even when dealing with profound grief, forgiveness, and a winning race ticket. New Zealand definitely follows the English adage, โKeep calm andย carry on.โ Their mission was beautifully crafted, heart-warming, and very entertaining.ย
Brian (Elijah Collins) stole my soul. His moments of devastating sadness will be triggering for anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one. Sometimes it is easy to forget how differently the young or old handle death. Elijah demonstrated far more emotional highs and lows than expected for someone so young. Kudos.ย
The director, Nat Bolt (RIVERDALE, DISTRICT 9) kept a tight rein on the shenanigans while giving audiences a stunning view of New Zealand. It was almost as if the exquisite backcountry portrayed was another major character inย HOLY DAYS. It was a good mix of what could have been a very heavy film. Joy and light were smartly entwinedย throughout many dark scenes. Nicely done.ย
HOLY DAYS gave me hope and filled me with gratitude for family and a caring community. It is a sweet pause between what is going on in our world today.
