by Milly West
A month ago, I had not heard of Dabney Day, Greenville, Mississippi native, writer, and filmmaker. Today, I feel close enough to her and her story of perseverance that I can write with enthusiasm and excitement about what she has accomplished!
The Gardener is a beautifully filmed movie. It revolves around Sabena, a woman determined to stubbornly hold on to what she knows and controls, in this case, a thriving cosmetic business inherited from her late father. We see early on that she is not well, still smoking, and from her first ride into the city with her beloved driver George, it’s easy to recognize that she is not happy. She can’t even acknowledge the “hellos” from the people who are supporting her and her business as she ascends to a board meeting in the lofty tower that is her headquarters.
One day, as George drives her home, something changes. She tells him to follow the flight of a raven she sees from the car window. The road they follow leads to a hidden property for sale. She soon leaves her family estate to live in an unfinished cottage surrounded by the wild, natural world. She trusts her instincts, which still include loyalty to her business, but now starts the rocky journey to discover life’s other possibilities. Exploring her new surroundings, she meets her elusive new neighbor Walter, a simple Gardener, who happens to have a beautiful, magical garden. And so, a transformation begins.
The seed for The Gardener was planted in Dabney Day’s heart 35 years ago, and it has finally come to fruition. The film had successful pre-release screenings in Los Angeles and Ojai, California, but nothing is more important to Dabney Day than this debut in Mississippi. She believes the Universe says when the time is right, and with all the turmoil and stress that envelopes us these days, the time is definitely right for The Gardener.
Dabney’s Greenville and Mississippi roots here are deep, and with the support Oxford gives to art and artists, she knew that this would be the right place for the Mississippi debut. Greenville native and songwriter Steve Azar’s music is a major part of the soundtrack; his song One Mississippi is Mississippi’s official song. It was through a mutual friend, Susan Gore, also from Greenville, that I was introduced to Dabney. We then called on Wayne Andrews, our wonderful Yoknapatawpha Arts Council Executive Director, whose wife Mary Margaret, I was reminded, is also from Greenville!
Wayne checked his calendar, and we found the perfect night for the Mississippi Debut—Tuesday, April 28. Wayne and Dabney will both be on hand at the Malco to watch with the rest of us, and Dabney will introduce the film.
Once you see The Gardener, you may, as I did, begin to think more intently about your own life and what you can do to make it truly enjoyable and meaningful. Sabena finds out that transformation is possible, but it isn’t always easy. I didn’t exactly think about what kind of garden I could create, at least not literally, but I realized that time is the most valuable gift we have, and how we spend it matters. This film might speak to you as it has to me.
The Gardener will be here for one night only. So, after a busy Double Decker weekend, why not relax and go to the movies?! The Gardener might be just what you need.
Showtime is 7 pm, Tuesday, April 28 at the Malco in the Oxford Commons.
About the Author
