Dream State

In this introspective drama from Puchner (Model Home), two families’ entwined fates are set in stark relief against harsh changes to the climate in near-future Montana. It begins in summer 2004, when medical school dropout Cece Calhoun travels by herself from Los Angeles to Salish, Mont., to begin preparations for her wedding to anesthesiologist Charlie Margolis, which will be held at his family’s summer home. Charlie, concerned she’ll feel isolated, sends his best friend and their officiant, Garrett Meek, to check on her. Cece and Garrett form a strong and unexpected connection, and they end up running away together shortly after the wedding. Nine years later, Charlie, now married with two children and still summering in Montana, invites Cece, Garrett, and their daughter, Lana, back into his life. Puchner’s immersive narrative often has the feel of flipbook animation as it glides across the ensuing decades, highlighting Cece’s struggles with running a bookstore, Garrett’s fixation on tracking wolverines, and Lana’s connection with Charlie’s troubled son, Jasper, who later struggles with heroin addiction and is drawn to a dangerous cult. In the meantime, the nearby lake dries up and wildfire smoke becomes ever present, a subtle rebuke to choices made by the characters decades earlier. Puchner’s expansive yet nuanced storytelling has much to offer. Agent: Dorian Karchmar, WME. (Feb.)