Peak Season Parent Guide

It’s supposed to be a relaxing getaway for supply chain guru Max (Ben Coleman) and his fiancée, Amy (Claudia Restrepo). They’ve come to Jackson, Wyoming to rest and recharge in the Tetons. Amy’s a burned-out management consultant and Max is encouraging her to jump back into the job market while also polishing the details of their very sumptuous wedding.

In Jackson, their lives intersect with Loren (Derrick Joseph DeBlasis), a fishing guide who juggles other jobs and sleeps in his car. A family friend hired him to provide a fly fishing lesson to Max and Amy, but when a business emergency keeps Max tied to his phone, Amy has a solo session in the river. She hits it off with Loren, and when Max is unexpectedly called back to New York for a few days, Amy finds herself spending more time with the free-spirited nature guide.

Peak Season is not the romantic movie I expected. Love stories on film tend to be sweet and sentimental or steamy and sizzling. Peak Season is neither. Yes, there’s a love story but it takes a back seat to Loren and Amy’s angst as they try to figure out who they are and what they want out of life. Loren’s trapped in a job he likes, but which doesn’t provide a living wage. Living in your car all summer and a backyard yurt all winter isn’t a long-term sustainable lifestyle. Amy’s life is far more comfortable on the surface, but she’s enmeshed in people’s expectations. Her immigrant parents expect her to succeed and her fiancé encourages her to look at more consulting jobs, even though she’s sick of the field. (“Humans are like sharks”, he tells her. “If we stop moving, we die.”) On top of everything else, Max and his mother are planning a lavish wedding that feels too extravagant for her.

The relationships in this film might be a bit thin but that’s because the real love affair is with the Wyoming wilderness. The scenery is jaw-dropping as Loren and Amy fish in the river or hike up mountain tops to view glorious vistas. Seriously, this movie is a dream come true for anyone working in tourism in Wyoming. I live in Rocky Mountain country and I was impressed by the cinematography in this production.

Less impressive is the movie’s negative content. Violence is nil and sexual content is minor but the script features over 20 sexual expletives, which feel completely unnecessary. There are also frequent scenes of adults drinking alcohol (sometimes to excess) and there’s a weird moment where Loren and Amy chew tobacco. Peak Season isn’t rated but the profanity gives it an automatic Restricted rating.

The R-rating isn’t going to pose much of a problem for the film – this isn’t a mass audience offering. The action is slow (paradoxically since the story clocks in under 90 minutes) and there are no big dramatic moments. The cast do a fine job and are obviously delivering the zen-vibed film the directors want. You are more likely to enjoy this movie if you can keep in mind Loren’s advice to Amy as she steps into the river, “The point isn’t to catch anything. Don’t be so results oriented.” This movie’s all about the journey: don’t get too caught up in where it lands or whether it ticks all your boxes.