Omaha is a very sad and disturbing movie. Dad (John Magaro) has lost his wife. The show opens with him losing his house as well. So he piles his kids, Ella and Charlie (Molly Belle Wright and Wyatt Solis) in the car for a road trip. They are leaving Utah and heading for Nebraska. They go the wrong way at first, to the salt flats to fly a kite. Dad is torn and never really does explain where they are going. Along the way he decides they cannot afford the dog so takes him to a Humane Society. This is a foreview of what father is doing with the kids. Nebraska has a Safe Haven law and father hopes to give his kids to the state because he cannot care for them. His daughter heard about the Omaha Doorly Zoo and so he determines to take them there, and then he leaves the kids at a hospital. He leaves the traumatized and in tears.
The next day he regrets what he did. He goes back to the hospital for the kids, but they are now with social services. Nurse Edie (Talia Balsam) explains it may be some time before he can see the kids.
This movie portrays the effects of poverty on a family. Throughout the movie the car is barely running, and has to be pushed to start. They are always close to collapse. It is also based on a temporary safe haven law in Nebraska from 2008. The law was short lived as it resulted in 35 children being left, none of them new borns, toddlers to 17. Five were from out of state. The law lasted only four months and then was modified. Today the law allows for surrender up to 90 days from birth.
This movie has Utah ties. The director Cole Webley is from Utah as is the writer, Robert Machoian. There was a 20-day film shoot in Utah, mostly rural counties.
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