Individual brilliance, recognition, self-worth—these factors are not enough to foster artistic expression, but something honest from the cumulative essence of one’s life, from the core of one’s being, allows one to tap into their true potential. Nicole Riegel’s Dandelion is a moody, resplendent articulation of this very idea, which is expanded through the personal journey of Theresa, an aspiring singer. As an evocative drama, Dandelion captures the organic connection of the protagonist’s emotional tribulations and the process of creation while set against a backdrop of the natural world acting as a classical inspiration motif. Although the final act of the movie took a contrived and cliched route, that doesn’t take away anything from the character-driven, muted beauty of the narrative at all.
Spoilers Ahead
Theresa’s Struggle To Find Her Tune
Theresa, aka Dandelion, her stage name, is a talented singer-guitarist from Cincinnati who dreams of making it big by following her passion, but time and again fate proves to be the biggest impediment in her way. Theresa had her first cross-country tour lined up when her mother fell ill, an unfortunate event that changed the course of her life, as she was stuck singing at a hotel bar to make ends meet. Theresa is devoted to her music, always trying to improve her craft by composing new songs, doing everything that could bring her even a little bit of acknowledgement—but the negligent attitude of the listeners in the bar or seeing that talentless hacks are climbing up the ladder thanks to negative popularity makes her feel increasingly dejected. The Situation becomes bad enough that Theresa has to sell her electric guitar to take care of her mother’s medical expenses—only to find her mother disgruntled about the fact that she is wasting her life away taking care of her and remaining obsessed with her music. Taking her mother’s advice, an angry Theresa storms out of her house and decides to try her luck singing in a bike rally in South Dakota, of which she had learned about from the bartender at the hotel.
Theresa Meets Casey, And Both Dare to Dream Again
At the rally, Theresa comes across a captivating, reserved Casey, lead singer of his band, who is now past his prime and is on his way to attend a concert. Casey is revealed to be on the tail of a failing marriage and coupled with a feeling of having lost touch with his craft, he is in a diffident mental state as a whole. Leaving his family back in his country, Scotland, Casey is in a vain search of a checkpoint to start his life anew and finds something worth hoping for after meeting Theresa. In Theresa’s melancholic longing for the past reflected in her music, Casey finds a spark of raw talent, something that can ignite the spirit of an artist within her if harnessed properly. Theresa finds comfort, recognition, an escape, and assurance in the presence of Casey, something she had hankered for all her life. As the duo bond while searching for their tunes within each other, they start to live—dare to dream again.
After initial hesitation, Theresa opens up to Casey’s romantic approach and accepts him in her life without getting burdened by trappings of the past or future. Casey convinces her to stay and perform along with the band in their concert—a much-deserved platform for Theresa. Composing songs and writing lyrics, the couple ventures into the picturesque settings of Black Hills—and against the idyllic backdrop of ridges, creeks, and pines, Theresa and Casey’s love blooms with nature’s symphony. Their relationship also hit some rough patches, as occasional uncertainty about Casey’s life and past started hovering in Theresa’s mind. The argument the couple goes through is shown beautifully as they compose a song together in a candlelit night inside a cavern—Theresa’s frustration and pent-up emotions emerge through her faster beats and high pitches, whereas Casey’s defeatist, morose demeanor produces pensive notes. The song is completed as they reconcile with passionate lovemaking, reaching perfect harmony by balancing the surge of the feelings they failed to express for so long. In fact, in the second part of the movie, the majority of their conversations move forward through the songs, which makes for a unique experience as a whole.
Was Theresa Able to Live Her Dreams?
A day before the concert, Casey takes Theresa to a studio to have her first song officially recorded, and Theresa pours her heart and soul into weaving the tunes of her first single, “Ghost of Cincinnati.” Theresa spends the rest of the day venturing off on her own in the tranquility of nature, and the majestic sunset of Black Hills acknowledges her accomplishment. For the first time in a long while, she knows she will make it and is confident enough to conquer her future.
On the day of the concert, Casey fails to arrive on time, and despite his band members asking Theresa to continue with the gig nevertheless, Theresa decides to check up on him. Her heart breaks into pieces after she sees that Casey’s family—his wife and child—has arrived from Scotland, presumably to take him back to his old life. Theresa isn’t able to perform, and after the concert is over, crestfallen, she mopes on the empty stage. What was supposed to be a new beginning for her turned out to be a rude awakening—and eventually she returns to Cincinnati to her mother. As is common with artists, without pain, their transformation remains incomplete—something that was needed for Theresa as well. On the other hand, Casey, whose dreams of a new beginning have been shattered as well, has no option except to go with the flow.
In Dandelion’s ending, Theresa tries desperately to rekindle the spark inside her; memories of her childhood—her first steps into music—come flooding in her mind, and she mingles the emotions with her memories of the time spent with Casey. She struggles to compose new songs, and tries to dig deeper to find a source of inspiration. However, with a final recognition of her true self, Theresa seemingly strikes gold—as Dandelion ends, she is seen singing as an established, eminent singer, amidst a crowd of aristocrats—finally having her dreams come true. Although the ending leaves viewers speculating as to whether Theresa is experiencing a dream or her reality, the choice of interpretation shapes up our perception of the entire narrative.
