A Husband and Wife Build a Farm on a Promise and a Dream

John Chester and Emma the Pig in "The Biggest Little Farm"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

It’s amazing what one can do when they have a dream in mind.  The courage that it takes to make it come true is essential, and once you find yourself overcoming hurdles and achieving your goal, you look back and wonder what was holding you back in the first place.

Director John Chester shares his and his wife’s, Molly, story of chasing their seemingly impossible dream in the documentary, “The Biggest Little Farm,” an inspiring movie about taking a dream and running with it, no matter how crazy it may seem to others.

In 2010, John and Molly decide to move from their Los Angeles apartment to Apricot Lane Farms in Moorpark, California, in order to restore it and make a new living.  While they encounter as many problems as successes, they will do whatever they can to keep their farm in thriving condition.

We’re introduced to John and Molly in such a way that provides us with an idea of how much they care for animals, and this is where they talk about their dog, Todd, who’s a rescue.  They mention how they promised Todd that their home would be his last because he was going to be with them for as long as possible.  When they’re told to either comply with an eviction notice because of Todd’s constant barking or give him up, this drives them to start their own farm.  From this act of kindness, we can ascertain that their love for animals is going to be one of the main forces behind the success of the farm.  It’s a heartwarming notion that leads into many others, and seeing how a promise made to their dog turns into John and Molly’s dream farm shows the things that impact your future can come from unexpected places.

Throughout the movie, John and Molly provide in-depth explanations as to how their farm works, what they plan to cultivate, and the animals for which they care.  This shows us the tremendous undertaking that’s going to change their lives, and it’s this thought-provoking account that makes you feel lucky to go on this journey with them as you discover the numerous intricacies of nature that can be found on their farm.  They pour their hearts into the farm, and the love that they display for what they’re trying to accomplish creates something that’s as uplifting as it is beautiful.

John, as the film’s narrator, dives into the complexities concerning nature on the farm by explaining the connections between every living thing that can be found at Apricot Lane.  It’s an ecosystem that has many functions at play in order to keep everything in a delicate balance.  We see how hard John and Molly work to maintain that stability and how they overcome the issues that arise when trying to make sure that the farm runs as smoothly as possible.

The farm is sometimes described by John and Molly as something out of a storybook.  This is complimented by the occasional use of animated sequences that detail the initial thought process and beginning of John and Molly’s journey about how they plan on constructing their farm.  These scenes add to the vibrancy of the documentary by immersing us in the plans to which John and Molly have chosen to dedicate their lives.  The title of the movie alone sounds like the that of a story that you would find on your bookshelf as a child, one that you could read many times because of how uplifting the story is and how timeless its message is.

The cinematography by John Chester, Benji Lanpher, Mallory Cunningham, Chris Martin, and Kyle Romanek captures all of the big and small details of the intricacies of nature within the farm.  Whether it be something as minor as insect eggs on the vegetation, or the grand aerial shots of the farmland, the camerawork shows everything that’s involved in this dream of John and Molly’s.  As we go from shots of desolate property at the start to flourishing grass and tress, we see the commitment that the two have put into making their dream become a reality.

“The Biggest Little Farm” is an exemplification of the power of hard work and how dreams can be achieved when you’re willing to put a great deal of time and effort into them, with John and Molly’s dedication encouraging us to do the same with whatever we might like to pursue.  Just like the plants and food that emerge from John and Molly’s farm, our dreams require a seed to give it a start, and when they have our devotion to seeing it through, they can grow, and grow, and grow.

Grade: A