Much like in Maggie Greenwald's earlier triumph The Ballad of Little Jo, her 2000 film Songcatcher begins with a spurned young woman fleeing an oppressive misogynist by traveling to a remote community. Both also involve a specific shot of her walking down a country road. These films share a theme of feminine self-identity; of striking out on one's own (even if it's involuntarily) and redefining oneself in a foreign world. It's a shame that Songcatcher isn't nearly as good. I loved the parts involving the main character exploring Appalachian music. Truth be told, I wouldn't mind getting my hands on the soundtrack. But it can't decide if it wants to be a romance, a historical drama, a story about music, or a coming-of-middle-age story for the protagonist (if that's even a thing...). The LGBTQ+ subplot between the two schoolteachers also felt forced and out of place with the rest of the film.
6/10
