Review: ‘Higher Ground’

It's become far too common for American indies to be set amidst subsections of the country that are meant to be easy targets for the audience's mocking. Whether it's "Cedar Rapids" or "Terri," there's always a slight undercurrent of derision that's detectable: We're supposed to pat ourselves on the back because we're not like those losers up there on the screen. That may be why "Higher Ground" is so welcome. The directing debut of actress Vera Farmiga is a bit uneven and overly precious, but it's incredibly empathetic and moving. This is even more impressive considering the terrain it covers, that of a close-knit, deeply conservative religious community.

Based on a memoir by Carolyn S. Briggs, "Higher Ground" tells the lifelong struggle of Corinne (Farmiga) to find her place in the world. In her childhood, she goes to Bible camp, but her spiritual conversion only happens in earnest after marrying a sensitive guitarist named Ethan (Joshua Leonard), who becomes convinced that God intervened to save their baby daughter from drowning. The two embrace a group of Christian evangelicals who shape their lives in every detail. But is Corinne's transformation permanent, or just the latest stab at contentment?

In a short time, Farmiga has proved herself to be quite a dexterous actress, capable of both the gritty desperation of her role in "Down to the Bone" and the working-class authenticity of "The Departed." She calls on both sides of her personality, plus the saucy charm of her Alex Goran from "Up in the Air," to make Corinne a superbly real, layered person. Whether consumed by her faith or beset with doubt, Corinne remains an uncertain soul, and Farmiga does a good job hinting at what in her childhood contributed to that sense of permanent isolation and insecurity -- including, most intriguingly, a niggling sexual curiosity.

But "Higher Ground" is at its best in chronicling how a search for spiritual enlightenment -- like love or financial success -- is a transitory, frustratingly unreliable tonic. Other art-house and indie films ("The Apostle," "Breaking the Waves," "The Rapture," "Junebug") have examined faith, but none of them have tackled the religious mindset with the deep, evenhanded fairness that "Higher Ground" achieves. This is not to say that the movie doesn't criticize the religious worldview -- especially how conservative churches can treat women like second-class citizens -- but it's to Farmiga's eternal credit that she also goes out of her way to understand why the institution can be so welcoming, especially for those who are hopelessly adrift.

Farmiga can be criticized for falling into typical first-film traps -- she sometimes indulges her actors too much, and her symbolic gestures are a bit creaky and obvious -- but on the whole "Higher Ground" is surprisingly subtle and patient, slowly revealing its nuanced character turns in ways that aren't always expected. And she's surrounded herself with a great cast. As with "Humpday," Leonard here is an incredibly expressive, natural presence, playing Ethan with an endless sweetness that doesn't entirely hide his growing disconnection from his wife as he becomes more engrossed by his faith. John Hawkes delivers his most effortless performance as Corinne's drinking, remorseful father. Bill Irwin is another complicated figure as the religious community's leader, but Dagmara Dominczyk is perhaps the real revelation as Corinne's best friend, offering her respite from the group's more extreme attitudes.

For a film that treats faith as seriously and straight-faced as "Higher Ground" does, there's a concern that audiences, more conditioned to operate through irony, won't know what to make of Farmiga's nonjudgmental treatment of this world. But she betrays not an ounce of condescension, probably recognizing that Corinne's quest for spiritual contentment isn't that much different than all the external comforts the rest of us cling to on a daily basis. Like the rest of the characters in their own ways, Corinne is looking for something to believe in. What makes the film so heartbreaking that, even at the end, it's still not clear if any of them will ever find it.

Grade: A-