If my life were a movie, it would feature a lot of dramatic wide shots—a lone figure (me) striding across a sunlit Montana prairie while a melancholy fiddle whines in the background. Think of it as a mix between Dances with Wolves and a Hallmark Channel original, complete with awkward romantic subplots and heartfelt moments where the protagonist realizes she might just be her own worst enemy. Of course, part of the fun of imagining my life on the big screen is casting the characters and deciding how it all plays out—humorous twists, bittersweet lessons, and all.

But if we dive deeper (and add a pinch of exaggerated Hollywood pizazz), there’s also something revealing about the people and experiences we choose to highlight. What would my life’s movie say about me? Who would play the people closest to me? Most importantly, how much of it would make the cutting room floor?

Cue the theme music — here’s how it all goes down.

The Leading Lady: Me (But Make It A-Lister)

Though I don’t wake up looking like a movie star (or, let’s be honest, an organized human most mornings), I’d want Brie Larson to play me. Why her? Because she nails the quiet strength thing without veering into melodrama. Plus, she’s got this grounded relatability that feels right for a character whose hobbies include writing poetry in old fleece pullovers and Googling fun facts about pronghorn antelope.

Montana-meets-Hollywood would also require an actress who could handle the contrast of ranch grit and big-hearted vulnerability. Picture her feeding horses in the morning and then overanalyzing a half-written text to a crush in the afternoon—both with equal finesse. It’s complicated being a woman who’s just as comfortable mucking stalls as she is getting lost in her feelings, but Brie has the chops to balance my emotional range.

Scene Stealers: My Parents, The Unintended Comic Relief

My parents are the backbone of who I am (and also my main source of unsolicited advice). For my dad, I’d cast Sam Elliott—obviously. If anyone can bring the gruff, subtly hilarious wisdom of a Montana rancher to life, it’s Sam. He’d grumble something gravelly like, “Life’s about the ride, not the finish,” while fixing a tractor, and everyone in the theater would cry into their popcorn. It’s the role he was born for.

On the other hand, my mom would need someone like Frances McDormand. Frances could capture her unstoppable energy and no-nonsense optimism. Picture her reminding everyone that life is too short to hold grudges while expertly decorating a cake or inexplicably wrangling a loose goat—some things that have literally happened in my family.

These two would bring warmth and levity to the film, trading meaningful banter about raising their daughter to have the courage to leave, but also the good sense to know when to come back.

Supporting Cast: Ranch Meets Rom-Com

Let’s talk friends, flings, and close calls. Every movie needs an ensemble to keep things interesting, and my life’s no different.

  • The Wise Best Friend: Someone has to play my childhood friend Megan, who’s known me since the days when I thought denim-on-denim was suitable formalwear. Enter Zoë Kravitz. Megan has this uncanny ability to balance calm wisdom with just enough sarcasm to let me know I’m being ridiculous without making me feel bad about it. Zoë would nail this dynamic, dishing out advice like, “You don’t really need a romantic partner, but if you find one who can back a trailer without panicking, maybe don’t let him go.”

  • The Unexpected Crush: Every movie needs romantic tension, and while growing up in the middle of nowhere doesn’t lend itself to sweeping love stories, there were plenty of innocent flirtations—all of them awkward. For the sake of drama, let’s combine every ranch hand, fishing guide, and outdoorsy poet I’ve ever been smitten with into one character. We’ll call him Luke. He’s rugged but surprisingly well-read, carries a dog-eared copy of Leaves of Grass in his jacket, and is played by Dev Patel (because why not mix things up?).

  • The Nemesis: Every movie needs a little drama, and my life did include the occasional bout of hometown rivalry. In high school, there was a girl—let’s call her Emily—who somehow managed to be better at barrel racing and flirting with the local boys all at once. Dakota Johnson could bring just the right blend of charm and cunning to this role. No hard feelings, Emily—I’m just salty you beat me to prom king Luke.

The Setting Steals The Show

It wouldn’t be a movie about me without Montana playing its part. The backdrop is all sweeping skies, golden fields, and dramatic mountains that seem to shift moods with the weather. The audience would feel the solitude of winter nights when the wind howls louder than your thoughts and the joy of sun-soaked mornings spent galloping through summer pastures.

If anything, the setting becomes its own character—a quiet reminder that life out here isn’t for the faint of heart, but also that wide-open spaces are a perfect antidote to the chaos in your mind. Let’s be real: this film’s cinematography would win all the Oscars.

Key Plot Points

Hollywood loves a good narrative arc, so here are the moments our fictionalized version of my life would hit:

  1. Act I: The Early Years
    Young Willow, played by a precocious newcomer, learns to ride horses and write poems by lamplight. She looks out at cloudless skies and wonders what’s waiting for her beyond the ranch gate.

  2. Act II: Big(ger) City, Big(ger) Dreams
    Cut to adult Willow struggling to balance academia, dating, and existential questions while pretending she’s got it all together at Montana State University. Cue lots of awkward first dates and heartfelt moments where Zoë Kravitz tells me to stop doubting myself.

  3. Act III: Finding a Voice
    Against the backdrop of stunning Montana sunsets, Willow discovers that connecting with others—through writing and relationships—isn’t about perfection. She trips (a lot), stumbles through heartbreak, and sometimes says the wrong thing, but along the way, she figures out who she is.

Lessons From The Screenplay

Turns out, imagining your life as a movie is a great way to take stock of where you’ve been and who you’ve become. It’s easy to romanticize the past (especially when you’re casting everyone to perfection), but what strikes me most is this: My life movie wouldn’t be about grand gestures and major successes. It would be about moments—both small and profound—where I learned to trust myself and the people who mean the most to me.

So, to my readers, I’ll leave you with this: Who would star in the movie of your life? What stories would you make sure didn’t get left on the cutting room floor? And would your casting choices reflect your actual journey—or the one you secretly dream of living?

You don’t have to live in Montana to chase after an unforgettable narrative. And you don’t have to be perfect to deserve a happy ending. After all, even the most unpolished life makes for a beautiful story.