Torn Apart. Drive Together.

Starring: Robert Duvall, John Hurt, Billy Bob Thornton, Kevin Bacon, Robert Patrick, Ray Stevenson, Frances O'Connor, Katherine LaNasa, Marshall Allman, Shawnee Smith, Ron White

DML Rating: ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ - above average

"You know, people say they don't like to talk about war because it brings up the bad memories and nightmares and everything. I don't believe that. I believe they don't talk about it because nobody wants to hear it." – Skip Caldwell

Why watch this? It's a Southern family, dysfunctional because of a past littered with pain.

Plot Summary: Set in 1969 Alabama, the film follows an estranged American family forced to confront their past when their former matriarch dies in England and her new husband brings her body home for burial. The meeting sparks cultural clashes and intergenerational conflicts between the patriarchs and their adult children, highlighting the long-term psychological effects of war on families. As the two families navigate their differences, they explore themes of grief, resentment, and unexpected connection.
 

Dad's Preview: It really is inconceivable that this cast could star in a film that is merely 'above average'... I personally can sit and listen to Robert Duvall and Billy Bob Thornton talk all day, but that's me. This film, at times, meanders a bit, and doesn't answer all your questions. In a film like Solaris (1972), that is considered genius. Here, the narrative drags, especially when there are so many sub-plots at play. What worked for me were the superb performances by an incredible actors. This is a character study about how divorce and men damaged by war can royally screw up a family. At times I laughed, and at times I immersed myself into the players, and just listened.  I found it very watchable and even enjoyable.

AR Films, Aldamisa Entertainment, Media Talent Group;
Anchor Bay Films, Aldamisa Releasing