Stillwater - What We Know So Far

To most people, Stillwater is one of two things: a rock band from the 1970s or a city resting neatly in the heart of Northern Oklahoma. But in the coming weeks that list is bound to change for moviegoers, as a new film starring Matt Damon that bears the city's namesake hits theatres. This summer, "Stillwater" hopes to make waves with its intense drama focusing on the struggles of one well-meaning Oklahoman father.

While the brunt of "Stillwater" is meant to focus on a single character, the plot is fairly complex. Placed in dire straits, Matt Damon's character must navigate the twists and turns of a land very unlike his hometown in order to solve a seemingly unsolvable murder. Packed with intrigue and conflict, "Stillwater" has much to uncover (much of which won't be revealed until the movie actually comes out). With that in mind, here is what we know so far about "Stillwater," such as the release date, cast and plot.

"Stillwater" has had a shaky production process, to say the least. Like with many other projects of the past year or so, the COVID-19 pandemic established itself as a firm roadblock in the path to the film's release. According to Entertainment Weekly, "Stillwater" was supposed to come out in theatres in the fall of 2020 but was quickly shelved once quarantine became the international standard. Since then, it's undergone several more phases of post-production that left Oscar-winning director Tom McCarthy with a positive outlook on the film's future.

"Whenever you can get away from a film like that, and you approach it with fresh eyes, you have the ability to make positive changes to it," McCarthy told EW. Now that the pandemic has seemed to settle down and vaccines have begun to roll out, "Stillwater's" production company, Focus Features, has announced an official release date of July 30, 2021 (via Deadline).

One of the biggest draws of "Stillwater" might be its leading role. In this film, Matt Damon plays Bill Baker, a blue-collar American roughneck (a common name for an oil rig worker) who becomes a fish out of water when he travels to Marseilles, France, in order to visit his college-aged daughter. The daughter in question is played by Abigail Breslin, and the movie includes supporting roles from Camille Cottin and Deanna Dunagan (via IMDb).

Much like the film's setting, which takes the viewers on a journey from Oklahoma to France, the film's cast is equally multicultural. With a cast and crew hailing from the U.S., Canada, and France, the entire production team brings authenticity to a story centered around the clash between American and European cultures.

"...I think we all learned a lot from each other," McCarthy told EW. "We all really united behind the movie, and behind Matt's performance, which is, I think, stunning."

Put simply, "Stillwater" is the story of an Oklahoman roughneck who travels to Marseilles after his daughter, Allison is (supposedly) wrongfully accused of murdering another girl while studying abroad. Now stranded in a foreign land with a different culture, laws, and language, Bill Baker must somehow prove his daughter's innocence while navigating the unknowns of French society. This combination of a culture clash and a murder mystery makes for an interesting plot cocktail, one that only gets deeper as Baker earns allies and enemies in Marseilles.

Along the way, Baker becomes involved with Virginie (Dunagan) and a young girl named Maya, both of whom eventually join him in his endeavors to free his daughter. At the same time, Baker is faced with challenges from both Marseilles locals and legal figures. The trailer shows Baker being beaten by thugs and rebuffed by officials. With what seems like a strong premise, plot, setting, and characters, "Stillwater" is shaping up to be the complete package for a drama film.