Overview
After seven months have passed without a culprit in her daughter's murder case, Mildred Hayes makes a bold move, painting three signs leading into her town with a controversial message directed at Bill Willoughby, the town's revered chief of police. When his second-in-command Officer Jason Dixon, an immature mother's boy with a penchant for violence, gets involved, the battle between Mildred and Ebbing's law enforcement is only exacerbated.
Details
Movie Media
VoD
Movie Status
Available
Movie Rating
Very good
Actors
Starring:
Frances McDormand,
Sam Rockwell,
Woody Harrelson,
Abbie Cornish,
Lucas Hedges,
Caleb Landry Jones,
Peter Dinklage,
John Hawkes,
Samara Weaving,
Zeljko Ivanek,
Clarke Peters,
Amanda Warren,
Kerry Condon,
Darrell Britt-Gibson,
Kathryn Newton,
Sandy Martin,
Riya May Atwood,
Selah Atwood,
Malaya Rivera Drew,
Christopher Berry,
Jerry Winsett,
Brendan Sexton III,
Alejandro Barrios,
Jason Ledford,
Gregory Nassif St. John,
Allyssa Barley,
William J. Harrison,
Eleanor Threatt,
Michael Aaron Milligan,
Nick Searcy
If I had to use just one word to describe this movie, it’d be “sorrowful”. The film is very much a black comedy, but there are segments where it leans a lot more towards “black” than “comedy”. The premise is pretty simple; this woman’s daughter was raped & murdered, the cops didn’t catch whoever did it, and that is destroying her. It’s pretty obvious from the get-go that Frances McDormand’s character Mildred does not take shit from people. But at the same time, she feels powerless in so many ways and it’s hard to watch all the struggles happening to this woman and the people around her all stemming from this one horrific act of violence.
The performances here are amazing. Just about every time Mildred opens her mouth, you can feel the anger and resolve of her words in the air. But we also see her moments of grief; she is a very 3D character. One moment you’re laughing at how she’s made some bastard feel like a fool and the next you’re sucker-punched in the gut by seeing her vulnerable. And it all just feels…real. Movie characters can be pretty 2D and simplistic, but everyone knows that real life is a swirl of emotions. Horrible things like this actually happen, all the time, and even fictional stories like this one (built with a grain of truth, mind you) can hurt even while being entertaining once you remember that.
Now, I have seen a couple of other reviews that complain about the portrayal of racism in this film. On one hand, I definitely agree that the racist characters turning over a new leaf and all is forgiven is bullshit. On the other hand, this movie takes place in rural Missouri. It would be weird if there weren’t any racist characters. I say that as someone who lives in Missouri, born and raised. You get more than a couple of miles from the major city limits around here and you start to hear banjos.
This is definitely one of the emotionally strongest films I’ve seen, ever. Everybody goes through some form of pain and loss in their life, but my god, I cannot imagine what it would be like to lose a child. Most people can’t, thankfully. But this film comes shockingly close to giving audiences a taste of what those emotions can do to people. And despite all the plot holes…well, it’s still a movie. Suspension of disbelief is a thing, use it and just enjoy the film.
A murdered wife. A one-armed man. An obsessed detective. The chase begins.
19932 h 11 min
Overview
Wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife and sentenced to death, Richard Kimble escapes from the law in an attempt to find her killer and clear his name. Pursuing him is a team of U.S. marshals led by Deputy Samuel Gerard, a determined detective who will not rest until Richard is captured. As Kimble leads the marshals through a series of intricate chases, he uncovers the secret behind his wife's death and struggles to expose the killer before he is recaptured, or killed.
Details
Movie Media
DVD
Movie Status
Available
Movie Rating
Very good
Actors
Starring:
Harrison Ford,
Tommy Lee Jones,
Joe Pantoliano,
Daniel Roebuck,
Jeroen Krabbé,
L. Scott Caldwell,
Tom Wood,
Ron Dean,
Joseph F. Kosala,
Andreas Katsulas,
Sela Ward,
Eddie Bo Smith Jr.,
Richard Riehle,
Pancho Demmings,
Nick Searcy,
Danny Goldring,
Johnny Lee Davenport,
Dick Cusack,
Julianne Moore,
Jane Lynch,
David Darlow,
Andy Romano,
Miguel Nino,
John Drummond,
Neil Flynn,
Kevin Crowley,
Mark D. Espinoza,
Gene Barge,
Joe Guzaldo,
Nicholas Kusenko,
Joan Kohn,
Joe Guastaferro,
Thom Vernon,
Ken Moreno,
Frank Ray Perilli,
Jim Wilkey,
Michael James,
Michael Skewes,
Cody Glenn,
Cynthia Baker,
Mike Bacarella,
Bill Cusack,
Tighe Barry,
Afram Bill Williams,
Noelle Bou-Sliman,
Greg Hollimon,
Cheryl Lynn Bruce,
Ann Whitney,
Turk Muller,
Eugene F. Crededio,
Pam Zekman,
David Pasquesi,
Dru Anne Carlson,
Kirsten Nelson,
Juan Ramírez,
Allen Hamilton,
Lester Holt,
Suzy Brack,
Darren W. Conrad,
Kevin Mukherji,
Sal Richards,
John-Clay Scott,
B.J. Jones
The Fugitive stars Harrison Ford playing Dr. Richard Kimble, a man falsely accused of murdering his wife struggling to prove his innocence. Pursuing him is US Marshall Samuel Gerard, played by Tommy Lee Jones. That premise alone makes this film fantastic. What a great pair of actors to put against each other in an action-thriller. The plot, in and of itself, is simple. But the execution is top notch. Both Ford and Jones settle into their roles well in what is a peak performance for both actors.
Even though Kimble and Gerard are against each other, the film does not make Gerard feel like a true antagonist. He has nothing personal against Kimble. He is a US Marshall; chasing after criminals like Kimble is his job. What makes it work is that both characters are smart. It quickly becomes a game of cat-and-mouse with Gerard chasing Kimble, who himself chases his wife’s murderer. And it really works because Kimble has the benefit of a head start and is skilled enough to stay there. Kimble is just slightly more capable than Gerard, which is offset by Gerard’s better resources and experience.
As fantastic as the actors are, the film’s writing and direction is just as powerful. Granted, The Fugitive does have the benefit of being a big budget movie ($44 million). One of the big things here is that the action sequences are not overused. When they happen they are intense, but the movie is not one giant gunfight. There is not even that much fighting; the action more comes from chase sequences. Definitely more “thriller” than “action”. And these scenes are paced well enough that the movie has room for good, significant plot between them.
I was not aware that this film was based on a TV show until after watching it. Several changes were made, such as the events taking place over a few months instead of several years and Gerard’s character being a US Marshall instead of a police lieutenant. Despite the characters having more of a larger than life presence, my understanding is that the film is still pretty faithful to the source material. It ultimately relies on its characters and their interactions to make the film good. Rather than overused action sequences, which many action movies (even good ones) are often guilty of. This all makes The Fugitive a very rewatchable film, even more than 25 years later.
