“Tender” Asks if the American Dream is Enough
The reason people play the lottery is because, for many folks, a windfall of cash could solve a world of problems. Student loans, medical bills, and any other kind of debt could be wiped out with one lucky scratch-off. Adam Hoelzel’s Tender is the story of two people who are down on their luck and down to their last dime, but it’s not a lottery ticket that swoops in to save the day. There’s something hidden in the walls that, once revealed, has the power to save them or destroy them.
There comes a time in the lives of city-dwelling couples when they have to decide whether or not they’re going to move to the suburbs. It’s not a choice Mick (Jesse Garcia) and Billie (Jess Weixler) jump at, but it seems to be the only way out of the problems they’re having. Not just interpersonal relationship woes, but financial and career-related troubles as well. Mick has inherited a house in a small town, so they pack up everything they own and leave the big city. For a while, the change of pace is nice and it brings them back together. When the novelty wears off, the reality of their new life is hard to swallow. Then a surprise discovery of millions of dollars’ worth of gold bars hidden in the walls of their new home presents a way out.
Shot by Antonio Cisneros
The conflict in Tender is the classic monkey paw situation. The gold gives them the answer to their problems, but it also creates more. How exactly does one offload millions of dollars of gold? It’s not like you could show up at the local bank as if you’re cashing a check. Much like the inherited home, the gold is a bandaid for problems that are deeply embedded into the relationship. The only way the couple can move forward is through an honest conversation about what’s working and what’s not. It’s much easier, though, to wish and hope that a house or gold can fix it all.
Tender is Hoelzel’s directorial debut from his own script. Another version of the film would have kept the premise fairly surface-level or even gone the comedic route. The possible effects of a windfall of gold on the lives of a couple are endless, but Hoelzel is focused. With Tender, he has created an inflection point. An intersection of relationship, gender dynamics, socioeconomic standing, homeownership, and more keep Tender from feeling far-fetched. Hoelzel’s direction is so grounded and intimate that the audience feels like they’re in the home, part of the relationship. The montage early in the film, where Mick and Billie are moving in, getting settled, and making friends, sells Hoelzel’s story. The way the camera dances through the house, around this couple finding themselves again, is incredibly inspired in its choreography and offers a taste of what these characters are after.
Shot by Antonio Cisneros
“Gold has value because we say it has value. The fantasy is the value.” Tender is about the fantasy of the American Dream. A house in the suburbs is supposed to be the goal, the finish line for working hard and putting in the hours, something millennials were raised to believe is on the horizon. In Tender, Mick and Billie are given the fast track to the grand prize, but it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. With the current state of the world, this idealistic suburban life isn’t attainable. A home is not just a shelter or a gathering place, it’s now a burden that’s harder to carry, given how little wages have increased. A fantasy works because it never comes true. It’s something to imagine, to hold onto, but it will always be sweeter in imagination than reality. Tender is about getting what you want and still being forced to wonder, is this enough?
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