A woman has to listen to her own voice

Writer/director John Hanson’s independent film about life in a northern mining town is nothing if not sincere, and tackles its serious subjects — blue collar work security, male chauvinism, and spousal abuse — with sensitivity. It’s refreshing to see an entire world so authentically portrayed; these people (including the leads) look like they belong in their setting. Unfortunately, the film’s documentary-like pacing doesn’t always jive with its dramatic arc, and certain crucial tensions are resolved far too neatly; however, there are enough scenes that work — including those depicting the sweetly unfolding romance between Bower and Eichhorn — to recommend this film for a single viewing.
P.S. Wildrose bears many similarities to independent filmmaker Victor Nunez’s Ruby in Paradise (1993): both deal with blue-collar females struggling to maintain financial autonomy while making healthy choices about work and love.

Perennial second lead Lisa Eichhorn is afforded a starring role in the independently produced Wildrose. Shedding her abusive husband, Eicchorn starts life anew by taking a job as a heavy-machinery operator in an otherwise all-male Minnesota iron mine. Relentless harrassed by her sexist coworkers, Eichhorn finds a friend in strip-miner Tom Bower. Their casual relationship develops into romance, while Eichhorn questions the wisdom of entering into another love affair so quickly after her disastrous marriage. Wildrose was magnificently photographed on location in Minnesota and Wisconsin