The film “Green and Gold” is a heartwarming tale set in America’s Heartland. It tells the story of a farm family struggling to maintain their way of life with a special emphasis on farmers’ relationship with their soil. It depicts a community that prioritizes Faith, Family, and Football. Hard work and concern for your neighbors are still important here, even if that means helping others in the midst of your own crisis.
The creators of “Green and Gold,” Anders and Davin Lindwall, grew up in Iron River in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The brothers were raised in a similar community to the one portrayed in the film. Early in life, they learned the importance of community involvement and volunteerism. They listened to stories of their grandfather’s dairy farm and his efforts to maintain his chosen life.
It Starts on the Family Farm
“Green and Gold” is set on a Door County, Wisconsin, dairy farm in 1993 and examines the life of Buck (masterfully played by Craig T. Nelson) and Margaret Strom (Annabel Armour), fourth-generation farmers. Helping the aging couple tend the farm is their granddaughter Jenny (wonderfully played by Madison Lawlor) and their earnest farmhand Aaron (Ashton Molo).
Buck has always believed that hard work is the key to all success, and he and Margaret toil day and night, trying to maintain their humble existence. But Jenny dreams of being a singer and occasionally heads to Milwaukee to earn money playing in a club. Buck does not understand her vision and is stubborn in his belief that working the land is the only honorable way to make a living.
The only thing that unites them is their love of the Green Bay Packers. This passion leads them to skip out of church early to watch the game and to name their cows after players from the 1967 Packers Super Bowl winning team, including Max McGee, Bart Starr, and Willie Davis.
But outside events seek to disrupt their simple lives. First, Buck is served foreclosure papers, putting even more pressure on him until he makes a deal with a local banker, which could be boom or bust. And Jenny meets a rising star country singer, Billy Reed (Brandon Sklenar) who fuels her desire to pursue her musical career. A career her late mother was denied due to her responsibilities on the farm. In the meantime, Jenny and Aaron start a budding relationship amid all the chaos around them.
Problems Abound in “Green and Gold”
“Green and Gold” takes a dark turn when Buck and Jenny are called to save a distraught neighbor going through a foreclosure of his own. Margaret has a serious fall and is hospitalized with an uncertain fate. Billy contacts Jenny with a chance to pursue her dreams, but she once again faces career disappointment. Fortunately, Aaron is there to help her pick up the pieces, and she realizes that maybe her destiny is to remain a farmer.
Margaret remains in a coma in the hospital, and all appears lost for the Strom family. That is, until some late-night arrivals to the farm shower Buck with a miracle that he could never dream of. Meanwhile, his beloved Packers lose their Divisional Playoff Game to the hated Dallas Cowboys, forcing Green Bay fans to once again wait until next year.
“Green and Gold” Highlights and True Meaning
‘Green and Gold” has beautiful cinemaphotography capturing the beauty of Door County, including Lake Michigan, running deer, and plentiful birds in the air. The cast led by Nelson, Lawlor, and the late great M. Emmet Walsh (in his final film appearance) captures the spirit and despair of this proud but shaken community. I have read reviews that label “Green and Gold” as predictable and Hallmark-like in its presentation. I believe these reviewers miss the point that even though these are fictitious characters in the movie, this scenario is being played out in communities across the United States.
U.S. farmland declined by nearly 20 million acres between 2017 and 2022. That’s according to the latest census by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). As of 2022, 880.1 million acres of land were dedicated to farming, compared to 900.1 million in 2017. There are now slightly more than 1.9 million farms in this country. This is 142,000 fewer farms than reported in the previous survey, which is equal to all current farms in New England, excluding Connecticut.
These are real people that everyday face this impending crisis on land that has been in their families for generations. And what are their farms replaced with? Corporate farms that spew excessive methane, pollute our waters with their chemical runoff, and fill our milk with growth hormones. These are not numbers. These are real people who helped create, build, and defend this country. Their loss is ultimately a loss for all of us.
The article is dedicated to my Wisconsin relatives, the Romportl’s, who exemplify the strength and compassion of our rural communities as depicted in “Green and Gold.”
