DVD Review - American Gun
American Gun is not a bad film but it could have been so much more than it is. The film, directed by Aric Avelino and written by him and Steven Bagatourian, at times seems like it is underwritten and a bit thin.
The film intertwines three stories, all of which have guns in common. One story is about Janet (Marcia Gay Harden), the mother of a boy who killed, along with another boy, a number of people at his high school. He was also shot dead. She tries her best to get on with her life as does her younger son, but that is easier said then done. The same story features a cop (Tony Goldwyn) who is accused of not doing enough at the time of the shooting.
The second story features a man named Carter (Forest Whitaker - who is one of the producers) who moves his wife and young son to Chicago so that he can take a position as the principal of a tough school where the students regularly carry guns. He is so involved with the school that he barely has time for his own son.
The last tale, and the least developed, is the story of Carl Wilk (Donald Sutherland), who owns a gun shop, and his granddaughter Mary Ann (Linda Cardellini) who is staying with him (while she goes to college) and is opposed to guns. Something happens to make Mary Ann take shooting lessons.
The wonderful Sutherland is totally wasted in his role. But Goldwyn, Whitaker and the remarkable Gay Harden all turn in wonderful performances. American Gun wants to be more than it turns out to be. And that is too bad because I applaud its anti-gun stance (I, personally, don't see why anyone should own a gun). But if you want to see a much better film that explores some similar (but not identical) themes then rent last year's Oscar winning film Crash.
The film intertwines three stories, all of which have guns in common. One story is about Janet (Marcia Gay Harden), the mother of a boy who killed, along with another boy, a number of people at his high school. He was also shot dead. She tries her best to get on with her life as does her younger son, but that is easier said then done. The same story features a cop (Tony Goldwyn) who is accused of not doing enough at the time of the shooting.
The second story features a man named Carter (Forest Whitaker - who is one of the producers) who moves his wife and young son to Chicago so that he can take a position as the principal of a tough school where the students regularly carry guns. He is so involved with the school that he barely has time for his own son.
The last tale, and the least developed, is the story of Carl Wilk (Donald Sutherland), who owns a gun shop, and his granddaughter Mary Ann (Linda Cardellini) who is staying with him (while she goes to college) and is opposed to guns. Something happens to make Mary Ann take shooting lessons.
The wonderful Sutherland is totally wasted in his role. But Goldwyn, Whitaker and the remarkable Gay Harden all turn in wonderful performances. American Gun wants to be more than it turns out to be. And that is too bad because I applaud its anti-gun stance (I, personally, don't see why anyone should own a gun). But if you want to see a much better film that explores some similar (but not identical) themes then rent last year's Oscar winning film Crash.
posted by Film Fanatic | 6:52 AM
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