Have you ever been to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina? I’ve gone a few times over the year to not merely visit the Vanderbilt’s mansion, but to walk the grounds. There’s plenty of gardens and woods at the Estate. Flowers and topiary are everywhere. Down from the main house is the greenhouse complex. You can wander around and see the exquisite plants growing under glass roof. I often find myself wondering about what goes into working fulltime as a gardener at such a lavish estate. There’s so much going on beside mowing the lawn and planting a few tulips. Part of the allure to the place is that Hal Ashby shot Being There with Peter Sellers on the grounds. Sellers played the man-child Chance the Gardner who spoke in horticulture tips and quotes he heard on TV. While watching the beginning of Master Gardner, I was getting a Being There vibe with Narvel Roth (The Great Gatsby‘s Joel Edgerton) as a Chance-esque character. Narvel sits at a desk and writes his life story involving his life in the garden. Is this going to be like a HGTV gardening movie about toiling in the flowerbeds? Seeing how Master Gardner is written and directed by Paul Scharader (Hardcore & American Gigolo): the answer is nope.
Narvel Roth is the head gardener at Gracewood Gardens outside New Orleans. The property is owned by fabulously wealthy Mrs. Haverhill (Alien‘s Sigourney Weaver). Her big obsession is an upcoming charity event on the property with a few of her more prized flowers being part of the bidding. He and his tight crew are eager to make an impressive display. Narvel lives in a sparse cottage on the property. At night, he writes about plants and how they relate to his life so far. He has dedicated his life to this garden. His routine gets a bit of a change when Mrs. Haverhill has a request. Her estranged daughter has died and her granddaughter Maya (Black Adam‘s Quintessa Swindell) needs a bit of guidance. She wants Maya to work as an apprentice in the garden and learn from Narvel. She hadn’t been close to the now adult age grandchildren and doesn’t plan on being too grandmotherly to the child. You get a sense that this is because Maya’s father was black and Mrs. Haverhill didn’t approve of the relationship. Narvel doesn’t give any resistance to taking on another apprentice. He had started as one in her garden. He is eager to share his wisdom and passion for the place. Of course, being a Paul Schrader film, we learn there might be a problem in all of this when Narvel peels off his work shirt to show a troubling part of his past. This is not going to be a heartwarming teacher-student movie.
Master Gardner has a leading character that you expect out of a Paul Schrader movie. He’s a man who keeps to himself mostly and doesn’t overshare his life. We get glimpses of his life before the garden and they’re not environmentally safe. Having so much revealed when he takes off his shirt matches the tone of the film. For a few minutes, we have to reconsider everything that Schrader has shown us so far on the screen. Who else knows about Narvel’s past in his new life. Joel Edgerton pulls off both sides of Narvel’s life. You can sense he has a deep understanding of pruning. Weaver is wonderfully cold blooded as Mrs. Haverhill. She does a nice thing in looking out for her granddaughter but remains emotionally detached. Quintessa Swindell stands out for having a character whose true issues lurk beneath the skin. This is a great film about what goes into creating such a pretty garden.
The Video is 2.35:1 anamorphic. The 1080p resolution will let you appreciate all that grows on the screen. The audio is English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. It’s a rather quiet film so you’ll hear the nuances in the mix. The movie is subtitled in English.
Magnolia Home Entertainment presents Master Gardner. Directed by Paul Schrader. Screenplay by Paul Schrader. Starring Joel Edgerton, Sigourney Weaver, Quintessa Swindell & Esai Morales. Running Time: 107 minutes. Rating: Rated R. Release Date: September 5, 2023.
