“Adam’s Fire” follows Adam, a young boy who discovers the power of forgiveness in the mountains of West Virginia.
At any age, the loss of a loved one is tragic. Adults have life experience and developed minds to help them navigate the difficult times that follow, and even then, sometimes the grief feels insurmountable. For children, those emotions are even more challenging to process. That’s where “Adam’s Fire” begins. Following the death of his mother, Adam must go through stages of trauma, sorrow and acceptance while learning how to live again.
Within the overarching journey of healing are a variety of themes. These include military PTSD alongside racial and religious discrimination. And inside of each of these is one common factor — connection. Veterans often don’t receive the support that they need after combat exposure. Those who spew hatred toward those of different skin colors or beliefs often don’t care to actually speak to them. Rather than a straightforward, traditional narrative, writer-director Bob Ahmed examines these ideas through fragments of time. Because of this, certain segments of the 85-minute runtime feel more messy than others. But this is much like life itself.
Faith is also integral to “Adam’s Fire.” Adam asks a recurring question throughout: Why did God let it happen? Just because religion is featured in the film doesn’t mean that it’s only relevant to believers. After any accident, the question “why?” often follows. As a big piece of Adam’s life and the connection he had with his mom, it fits seamlessly in the story.
Much like the multitude of subjects explored, there is also a group of characters looked at. Starring are Hudson Barry (Adam), Chris Alvarez (Dan), Jennifer Marshall (Jackie), Eileen Grubba (Dr. Liz), Aizzah Alvarez (Amina) and Zahra Jamal (Mariam). Barry delivers an impressive performance that ranges from anger to unhappiness to pure joy. His presence changes throughout the course of the movie, making Adam feel like a real child with real feelings rather than just one-note. Alvarez plays the “tough dad,” but adds flashes of minimalistic emotion. His connection with Barry creates a believable father-son relationship.
While Adam’s arc is certainly the focus, each individual is dissected in a different way. Dan learns to accept others’ differences. Jackie deals with mental health struggles while attempting to forgive herself. Dr. Liz tries to help others because of her past shortcomings. Amina becomes less protective of her daughter and more open to connection. Jamal uses her martial arts skills to spread kindness rather than violence. There is a different storyline for each character, yet they blend together surprisingly well — complementing Adam’s story in the process. Still, there are instances where focus isn’t retained in the screenplay. Especially with such a short runtime, “Adam’s Fire” tends to shift through moments in rapid fashion. Some are cut short while others are too long, leaving certain aspects of the story feeling inconsistent. Despite this, it’s likely that tears will still be flowing for many viewers by the time the film reaches its end.
The rural West Virginia environment is a part of the movie’s identity. Director of photography TinNgai Chan contrasts close-up handheld shots of characters with wide-ranging drone footage of the mountainous, green terrain. Despite its intimate scope, these stunning shots give “Adam’s Fire” a cinematic look. The musical score from Hays Holladay and Kenneth Lampl aids in this as well, hitting notes of positivity and sadness at just the right moments to emphasize the emotion behind it all.
“Adam’s Fire” doesn’t shy away from discomfort. It also doesn’t shy away from hope. There’s a story of positivity trapped inside a world with so much hurt.
Rating: 4 out of 5
