Pratik Handore
Directed by debutant Lila Neugebauer, Apple TV+’s ‘Causeway’ is a psychological drama movie starring Jennifer Lawrence as Lynsey, a soldier. After she is injured during an explosion while working in Afghanistan, she is discharged from the army. As a result, Lynsey returns to her hometown and must battle several internal emotional issues to forge a path forward.
The sublimely shot movie is emotionally charged and deals with soldiers rehabilitating into society and their traumas. Therefore, viewers must wonder whether ‘Causeway’ is based on true incidents.
Causeway is an Original Story
No, ‘Causeway’ is not based on a true story. The film adapts an original screenplay by Elizabeth Sanders, Luke Goebel, and Ottessa Moshfegh. The premise follows a recently discharged soldier recovering from the trauma of her service in Afghanistan. It has a grounded tone and is an intimate character study that slowly explores the realistic internal conflicts of its main characters. Given the movie’s lifelike military service and corresponding trauma elements, it is natural for viewers to feel like the narrative is inspired by actual events.
However, the film tells a fictional story, and none of the characters are directly based on a real person. Director Lila Neugebauer shared that despite not coming from a military background, she felt emotionally connected to the story because of the script’s focus on exploring Lynsey’s humanity and interpersonal relationships. In an interview with Metro Philadelphia, she opened up about the movie’s primary theme.
“Causeway from beginning to end is a journey. But it’s not just a showcase of the tenacity of the human spirit for Lynsey, James, or anyone in a similar situation. It’s for people who go through the raw, sometimes brutal, and sometimes beautiful moments in life. And everything in between,” Neugebauer said, describing the basic thematic principles behind the movie. The director also revealed that when working on the movie’s script, she consulted several real military veterans to ensure the portrayal of Lynsey’s trauma was realistic.
“Working on that script was hugely informed by the consultation I was able to have with the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs medical professionals—so people with expertise in traumatic brain injury: occupational therapists, physiotherapists, neurologists,” Neugebauer stated. Moreover, the director employed real professionals on the film’s set to ensure authenticity; some even appear as extras in the final cut. Apart from exploring the traumas that soldiers experience during military service, ‘Causeway’ touches upon the inner life of Lynsey and other characters, such as James.
The movie comments on how trauma can hold back a person and highlights the small steps one has to take while overcoming deeply rooted emotional and psychological issues. Furthermore, it examines the feeling of displacement from home that people experience during adulthood. Hence, the emotional depth allows viewers to connect with the material and empathize with its characters by understanding their flaws.
Ultimately, ‘Causeway’ is a deeply emotional film that highlights several complex themes such as trauma, emotional co-dependency, friendships, and homecoming. While it draws heavily from the hardships of military veterans and the issues they face when reintegrating into the civilian lifestyle, the characters’ internal conflicts are universal and resonant for all viewers. Therefore, the story is firmly rooted in reality and makes viewers empathize and relate with the characters and their humanity.
Read More: Causeway Ending, Explained
