The Trail (2013)

Jasmin Jandreau is Amelia a young bride convinced to leave her home and family behind for a new life in California. Levi, her husband, has heard a tale about gold being found there. He promises her a brighter future awaits if they just head West.

Several weeks into the trip, he decides to veer away from the wagon train and take a route sure to shave a month off their journey and get them to the promised land earlier. Then Indians attack, killing Levi and stealing the horses pulling their wagon, but leaving Amelia unscathed.

But finding her way out of the harsh wilderness will be anything but easy for a god-fearing woman who’s been brought up to be a good housewife, but has few survival skills, very few rations and keeps stumbling across warnings of just how difficult her lone journey will be.

Then she comes across a young Indian boy, also seemingly lost, who follows her on the journey, giving her a new reason not to give up hope.

Jasmin Jandreau as Amelia, left alone in the wilderness to fend for herself in The Trail (2013)

Shannon Brown as the young Indian boy Amelia stumbles across in her journey for survival in The Trail (2013)

Review:

An acting tour de force for Jandreau, who is on screen nearly 100 percent of the time and has to carry what turns into a heart-touching film.

Just be aware of what you’re sitting down to watch. There’s no dialogue for the first nine minutes, just four characters and just one focus – Amelia’s attempt to survive long enough to reach civilization. If you’re looking for an action filled shoot-‘em-up, look elsewhere.

This is also a religious film. Amelia is a devout Christian. When she’s deciding what to take with her on her journey, she can’t stand to leave her Bible behind. Her faith wavers from time to time. At one point, she lays down to die, certain she can’t go on.

But God has hardly abandoned her. If anything, he’s given her a guardian angel to assist on her journey. There’s a seriously misplaced “God is everywhere” soliloquy near the end of the film. Otherwise, the religious overtones help rather than hinder the story.

Tommy Nash as Levi, telling Amelia gold has been discover in the West in The Trail (2013)

Brianna Oppenheimer as Christina, about to learn of her friend’s plans to head West in The Trail (2013)

Directed by:
William Parker

Cast:
Jasmin Jandreau … Amelia
Shannon Brown … Indian boy
Tommy Nash … Levi
Brianna Oppenheimer … Christina

Runtime: 92 min.
aka: Let God

Jasmin Jandreau as Amelia hides during the Indian attack on her wagon in The Trail (2013)

Jasmin Jandreau as Amelia, frightened by a noise in the forest in The Trail (2013)

Memorable lines:

Levi to Amelia: “This is our destiny. There’s something out there for you and me. For us as a family.”

Amelia, kneeling by Levi’s grave: “How could you let this happen?”

Jasmin Jandreau as Amelia, signaling for the Indian boy to be quiet, fearful she’ll be discovered by others in The Trail (2013)

Jasmin Jandreau as Amelia, beginning to communicate with the young Indian boy over a campfire in The Trail (2013)

Jasmin Jandreau as Amelia, coming across an abandoned wagon and wondering where the owners are in The Trail (2013)

Jasmin Jandreau as Amelia, hopeful a frontier guide she’s found will lead her to a town in The Trail (2013)