‘National Anthem’: Charlie Plummer Hits Poetic Notes in Luke Gilford’s Queer Rodeo Romance About Awakenings

Alci Rengifo

A film like “National Anthem” leaves you grateful for the continuing existence of independent cinema. There are still theaters and streaming avenues to avoid the big Hollywood fads and provide films that are more personal and about the human condition. Luke Gilford’s tender, at times stark, drama, eloquently explores discovering one’s identity. On that level it is very much a universal film. On another note, it is almost a poetic stance against a moment in time where the queer community has become a target of right-wing fanaticism. Gilford doesn’t have to make this film into an outright political manifesto. By using a setting regularly associated with rugged masculinity, and by crafting characters that feel true to life, all that needs to be said is there on the screen.

Charlie Plummer is perfectly cast as Dylan, a 21-year-old in New Mexico who spends his days looking for work to provide for a sparse home. It is just him and his younger brother living with Fiona (Robyn Lively), a single mother who spends her time drinking with the wrong kind of boyfriends. Along with some of the local Latino migrants, Dylan is picked up by Pepe (Rene Rosado) to work at a distant ranch, House of Splendor, for two weeks. The moment they enter the property, it is clear that this is not the stereotypical Southwestern compound. Dylan instantly locks eyes with a gorgeous trans woman on horseback, Sky (Eve Lindley), who happens to be Pepe’s girlfriend. The place is like a picturesque refuge for a tight queer community that runs the local Queer Rodeo. The ranch’s den mother, nonbinary Carrie (Mason Alexander Park), instantly accepts Dylan into the circle. As he discovers a new freedom in drag culture, Dylan also falls hard for Sky.

There is an enveloping, exhilarating feel to “National Anthem” because it captures that special sensation of finding a community. Plummer is a wonderful actor who is great at low notes. There is some of the same tone here as his work in the evocative 2018 film, “Lean on Pete.” In many stories of this type, where someone begins to experience a sexual awakening within a community they have never inhabited, there tends to be a trend of playing with unease, even shock. Dylan already feels like an outsider, as a white guy looking for work among migrants, without speaking any Spanish, that entering House of Splendor is almost a relief. Because his sexuality was already within him, Dylan subconsciously eases into the environment. Liking Sky is probably his first truly organic experience with desire in his life. 

Gilford is making his feature directorial debut here, after having done shorts and music videos. The screenplay has all the hallmarks of a filmmaker choosing something personal to announce their voice. Gilford was raised in a conservative Southwest environment, where he would attend rodeos with his dad and later realized their misogynistic undertones. This fictional tale is clearly inspired by real-life queer organizations like the International Gay Rodeo Association. With cinematographer Katelin Arizmendi, Gilford frames “National Anthem” in the textures of an indie Western romance. The denizens of House of Splendor are good riders, lasso throwers, and love the place where they live. They also bask in the freedom of who they are. When Dylan attends a drag show, it is a revelation akin to when someone discovers music. He begins to take part because it is a part of him that was never allowed to grow, yet he retains his cowboy hat and boots, and House of Splendor throws parties with country dancing.

There is also romance and heartbreak, as many good Western dramas must have. Though, “National Anthem” is more sexually charged and has more of an edge. Dylan has dreamlike fantasies of Skyler while walking around a store, or feels compelled to masturbate to feverish fantasies of her in the desert. Dylan eventually has a threesome with Pepe and Sky during an orgiastic hangout under the stars. Alas, the rules of an open relationship can only go so far. Pepe becomes clearly jealous and uncomfortable with the bond forming between Dylan and Sky. And, while House of Splendor is a refuge, outside there is still the wider American landscape of rigid conservatism. Carrie shares about running away from a fundamentalist Christian family. Fiona is quick to give herself to losers and steal from Dylan while acting out homophobic wiring towards his new friends. Fear is one of the fuels of prejudice. Tragically, the worst prejudices can emerge from the simple fear of accepting other human beings. Everyone has their flaws, including Pepe, who wants to control Sky despite the supposedly free love environment of the ranch.

“National Anthem” never turns into bombastic melodrama. Gilford culminates the story with quiet, tender and reflective exchanges between people simply opening up. Refreshingly, instead of turning the final moments into tear-jerker clichés, there is a twist with Skyler that becomes one of Dylan’s first lessons in the real nature of love. It’s not like the movies because every individual carries their own experiences and baggage. Even if the feelings are mutual, sometimes there is no fairy tale ending. Gilford nods at the film’s title with an evocative moment on a field, where D’Angelo Lacy sings “The Star-Bangled Banner” in elegant Western drag for the Queer Rodeo. It is a brilliant way to capture the subtext of this film. “National Anthem” is a true portrait of Americans who rarely get screen time. It is a marriage of the roots one carries from the land where they live and who they are as human beings. Maybe, when this country finally accepts itself as it truly is in all its shades, we will feel as free as Dylan, even if it still comes with a bit of love sickness.

“National Anthem” releases July 12 in select theaters.