Julianne Moore (left) and Sydney Sweeney (right) star in “Echo Valley,” streaming on Apple TV+.
(“Echo Valley” trailer courtesy of Apple TV)
In 1978, R&B singer Bobby Caldwell sang, “What you won’t do for love. You’ve tried everything, but you don’t give up.”
Although Caldwell sang about romantic love, his lyrics apply to all forms of love.
And in “Echo Valley,” Kate (Julianne Moore) proves that there is nothing a loving parent will not do for their troubled child, even if it ventures into criminality.
Unfortunately, elements of “Echo Valley” resonate loudly in the lives of many otherwise stable families.
Many successful and affluent families are hiding something behind the façade of an influential family.
Numerous families have big houses, big bank accounts and big and positive reputations.
The parents work hard.
They do their best to raise their children.
Unfortunately, their children still stray from the straight and narrow.
In “Echo Valley,” the Garretson family has endured its share of problems from divorce to death.
But the biggest stress in their lives is the shenanigans of Kate and Richard’s (Kyle MacLachlan) daughter, Claire (Sydney Sweeney).
Claire has a huge drug abuse problem.
Richard has written off his daughter.
Although Richard still loves Claire, he openly admits that his adult daughter has a sickness.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, Kate is not prepared to give up on her addicted daughter.
Because of Claire’s drug dependency, Kate has fallen into extremely difficult times.
She lives on a sprawling farm, giving horse riding lessons to the area children.
However, after the death of her wife, she has not found the strength to carry on with her day-to-day affairs.
Her farm has fallen into such disrepair that her ex-husband Richard begs her to sell the property so that she can stop coming to him begging for money.
The roof of her barn requires repairs, which are expected to cost around $9,000.
That should be a manageable price.
However, much of Kate’s money has gone to help her daughter Claire kick her drug habit.
Many mothers of drug addicts know what Kate is experiencing.
Not giving them money for rehab might cost them their life.
Not giving them money, which they know will go to their habit, might make them do something else criminal, which could land them in prison for life.
And not giving them money might add more stress to a mother’s life because an addict will not stop until they get their next fix.
Having a drug addict for a child means accepting their “friends” and lovers who contribute to their downfall.
Having a drug addict for a child means owing exorbitant amounts of money to their drug dealer when the child cannot pay.
Additionally, it could mean having to pay up or witnessing their child six feet under in a grave.
But what if your child’s habit caused you to participate in criminal activity just to keep them out of trouble?
When Claire shows up on Kate’s doorstep bloody and disheveled, Kate must make a quick decision to help her daughter one last time or lose her for good.
But when things go awry, Kate might find herself deeper in the muck than she ever thought possible.
As a result, Kate might have to save herself from self-destruction, not just her daughter.
“Echo Valley” starts extremely slowly.
Screenwriter Brad Ingelsby methodically introduces Apple TV+ streamers to each character and their plight.
That might turn off many streamers before “Echo Valley” comes out of the valley and into the light.
But that would be unfortunate because “Echo Valley” is a story about the human condition.
More importantly, “Echo Valley” is about how unconditional love for a person might lead one down a rabbit hole that they cannot claw their way out of.
Kate has nothing left in this world after her divorce from Richard, the death of her new wife and the slow collapse of her business and farm.
Therefore, it is understandable that she would do anything to save her relationship with Claire and prevent her from throwing her life away.
Streamers must use empathy to understand how a parent would risk life and limb even though they may know that their child is wrong.
Furthermore, “Echo Valley” highlights something often overlooked in society.
Many people believe that their decisions will only impact them.
If a person abuses drugs or alcohol, the impact will be felt by them alone, many assume.
“Echo Valley” shows that belief is far from the truth.
In “Echo Valley,” Claire’s bad decisions have ruined her life and her future.
Will her actions create the same fate for her mother?
While “Echo Valley” highlights a mother’s love, the movie also highlights a mother’s denial.
Many mothers of addicts, sometimes falsely, believe that their child will one day get it together.
Those mothers often believe that their child is one more rehab stint away from recovery.
Those mothers believe that their child is one tragic event away from realizing their mistakes.
But often those mothers are left with disappointment and heartbreak because their child cares more about their habit than their health.
Appropriately, “Echo Valley” is dark in hue to depict the dark subject matter.
Sunny days and birds chirping do not quite fit the serious theme of the movie.
But what stands out the most about “Echo Valley” is the character arc of Kate.
While she may seem like a square with an addict for a daughter, do not underestimate the heart of an unassuming lady who street dudes might want to take advantage of.
As Caldwell would say, “And though I only want the best, it’s true. I can’t believe the things I do for you.”
And for Claire, Kate would do just about any and everything!
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