NR | 1h 45m | Drama | 2025
Farming requires a lot of hard work and considerable faith. Buck (Craig T. Nelson) and his family always had plenty of both. Unfortunately, money is in short supply. In the early 1990s, low milk prices hit Buck and his fellow Wisconsin dairy farmers hard.
However, on Sundays, the closest thing to their day of rest, Buck’s beloved football team, the Green Bay Packers, were finally showing signs of resurgence. Perhaps football will save the fan, when Buck’s banker, Jerry Moncton (Tim Frank) offers him an unlikely wager. If the Packers triumph at the Super Bowl, Buck wins an additional year to pay off his mortgage.
Buck is not a betting man, but he faces desperate times in director and co-screenwriter Anders Lindwall’s “Green and Gold.”
Buck is the kind of farmer who demonstrates the link between cultural (but not explicitly political) conservatism and conservation. He scorns many modern farming techniques, because of the long-term damage they cause to the soil. Consequently, the idea of selling out to an agribusiness conglomerate appalls him. He sees that happening with increasing frequency in his rural Wisconsin county, near the Michigan border.
A Musician Granddaughter
Even though he fell far behind on his mortgage, Buck still hopes to pass his family farm down to his granddaughter Jenny (Madison Lawlor). He and his wife Margaret (Annabel Armour) raised her since she was a little girl, following the untimely death of their daughter.
Despite her lifelong agricultural training, Jenny dreams of making music her career. Currently, she gigs in small Milwaukee clubs, performing a sort of country-flavored folk-pop. Her aspirations take a serious turn when she gives a tape to Billy Reed (Brandon Sklenar), one of her favorite recording artists, who happens to be vacationing in the county in hopes of finding inspiration from nature.
Meanwhile, the Packers suffered frustrating early losses, even though the promising team boasts several future Hall of Famers, including Brett Favre and Reggie White (as viewers see from the archival footage, courtesy of NFL Films).
As a loyal fan, Buck always hopes each new season could be his team’s year. However, betting on the team would conflict with his values, because he believes money should be earned. As Buck rather eloquently explains to Jenny: “Things that come easy don’t teach you anything. They’re a gift and gifts are nice, but a kid don’t learn anything on his birthday except how to eat his cake.”
American Values
However, they really do not have many options left, so they shame Moncton by accepting his taunting bet. Packers fans probably remember the ups and downs of the dramatic 1993–1994 season, but for those who only generally recognize names like Favre, there will be a good deal more suspense.In many ways, the screenplay (credited to Lindwall, Steven Shafer, Michael Graf, and Missy Mareau Garcia) vindicates Buck’s values. The events that unfold clearly illustrate the virtues of hard work, faith, and community. Throughout their stressful labors, Buck, Jenny, and Margaret remain regular churchgoers and good neighbors. In fact, one of the film’s most powerful scenes depicts Buck and Jenny offering comfort to Brozo (Bill Kalinak), a nearby farmer in even more dire financial straits than themselves.
A Real Family
The film connects on a surprisingly deep level, thanks in large measure to Nelson’s starring turn. The warmth and gravity of his performance elevates Buck well beyond a mere grouchy grandpa. Lawlor matches his on-screen grittiness as the tough, but somewhat insecure Jenny. When she and Nelson argue, they truly sound like family.
Armour adds a lot of earthy charm as Margaret, their pragmatic mediator. Plus, it is a pleasure for movie fans to see the late character actor, M. Emmet Walsh, bringing sly, upbeat energy in his final role, as Buck’s good-natured buddy, Scotty.
“Green and Gold” is a fictional drama, but it captures the real-life struggles of family farming that persist today. The authenticity of these characters is a major reason that this film is so compelling. The relatively small cast look comfortably at home in Door County, Wisconsin, where the film was shot (with many locals appearing as extras). Frankly, that is especially true of the more famous Nelson and Walsh.
This film’s hardy spirit just might convert a lot of viewers into Packers fans (but there is no such guarantee in Chicago, given their long-standing rivalry with the Bears).
“Green and Gold” is highly recommended for its earnest family drama and its appreciation of the embattled agriculturally based way of life.
