Hal Holbrook (All the President's Men, Into the Wild) stars as octogenarian Abner Meecham, a widowed farmer who has been confined to a nursing home by his lawyer son (played by Walton Goggins). When Meecham becomes fed up with the dull, meaningless life among aging strangers, he returns to his farm, only to find that it has been rented to a man he despises: Lonzo Choat (Raymond McKinnon), a disreputable "white trash" resident of the town who has unrealistic dreams of buying the farm and starting a new life for his wife (Carrie Preston) and daughter (Mia Wasikowska). Choat refuses to vacate the farm, Meecham moves into the sharecroppers' shed, and a battle of wills ensues.
Holbrook's performance is mesmerizing – the audience drawn into his battle for the farm he built and tended for half a century, and despite the problems his age presents in managing the land, we want to know that he will succeed in achieving his goal of spending his last years at home. While other characters in the film see Meecham as stubborn, bitter, mean and just a little crazy, Holbrook's portrayal helps us see him as clever, wily and all-too-human as he not only battles for his independence but lives with age-old regrets.
Each of the films main characters demonstrate for the viewer what can happen when compromise and communication are eliminated as elements in achieving a solution. Meecham understandably wants to go home, but cannot acknowledge that there is physical risk and financial concern in such a move; Choat wants a new life, but cannot see that such a goal will require more determination and planning than he is able to achieve; and Paul has little sympathy for his father and is locked into a sensible, cost-efficient solution in tending to his aging parent. We watch and hope for cooperation to take place; we think of options that never present themselves, and we wonder if we could do better if faced with similar circumstances.
Director Scott Teems' ability to draw the viewer into this southern drama of wills (based on a short story by William Gay) is enhanced through detailed cinematography – close-up shots of elements of decay on the farm make us long for a solution that will reverse the deterioration; interior shots are musty – one can almost smell the dust and wood-rot of aging structures; scenes filmed at night capture the isolation of a farm where threats can be acted upon without witness; and daylight scenes are rich with color and lush greenery, making us crave the beauty serenity of life in the farmlands of Tennessee. Character portrayals are supremely convincing, and while we are prone to side with Meecham, we can also understand the struggles and desires of those others who hope to start over or do what is best under difficult circumstances.
The winner of more than 40 awards and massive critical acclaim, That Evening Sun is a treasure among independent films that will linger in the hearts and minds of viewing audiences long after the films' end.
Holbrook's performance is mesmerizing – the audience drawn into his battle for the farm he built and tended for half a century, and despite the problems his age presents in managing the land, we want to know that he will succeed in achieving his goal of spending his last years at home. While other characters in the film see Meecham as stubborn, bitter, mean and just a little crazy, Holbrook's portrayal helps us see him as clever, wily and all-too-human as he not only battles for his independence but lives with age-old regrets.
Each of the films main characters demonstrate for the viewer what can happen when compromise and communication are eliminated as elements in achieving a solution. Meecham understandably wants to go home, but cannot acknowledge that there is physical risk and financial concern in such a move; Choat wants a new life, but cannot see that such a goal will require more determination and planning than he is able to achieve; and Paul has little sympathy for his father and is locked into a sensible, cost-efficient solution in tending to his aging parent. We watch and hope for cooperation to take place; we think of options that never present themselves, and we wonder if we could do better if faced with similar circumstances.
Director Scott Teems' ability to draw the viewer into this southern drama of wills (based on a short story by William Gay) is enhanced through detailed cinematography – close-up shots of elements of decay on the farm make us long for a solution that will reverse the deterioration; interior shots are musty – one can almost smell the dust and wood-rot of aging structures; scenes filmed at night capture the isolation of a farm where threats can be acted upon without witness; and daylight scenes are rich with color and lush greenery, making us crave the beauty serenity of life in the farmlands of Tennessee. Character portrayals are supremely convincing, and while we are prone to side with Meecham, we can also understand the struggles and desires of those others who hope to start over or do what is best under difficult circumstances.
The winner of more than 40 awards and massive critical acclaim, That Evening Sun is a treasure among independent films that will linger in the hearts and minds of viewing audiences long after the films' end.