That Evening Sun

That Evening Sun had a very successful run through the U.S. film festival circuit, winning 10 different awards. After watching it, I can see why it was so noteworthy.
It is based on a 2002 short story titled I Hate to See That Evening Sun Go Down written by William Gay. The screenplay is written by Scott Teems, who is also the film’s director. The cast includes Emmy and Tony award winning actor Hal Holbrook, talented actors Ray McKinnon (The Blind Side) and Walton Goggins (TV’s The Shield) along with promising young actress Mia Wasikowska (2010’s Alice in Wonderland).
Abner Meecham (Holbrook) has had it living in a nursing home and he decides one day that he is going to go back home to his farm in rural Tennessee. When he gets there, he finds a bunch of strangers living in his home.
Abner finds out that his son, Paul (Goggins), rented his farm to the Choat family, Lonzo (McKinnon), his wife Ludie (Carrie Preston, Doubt) and their 16-year old daughter Pamela (Wasikowska).
Abner and Lonzo have a bit of bad history together that makes the whole situation just a little volatile. Abner wants Lonzo out of his house as quick as possible, but he refuses because he has a legally-binding 3-month rental lease with the option to buy with Abner’s son, Paul.
What ensues is a battle of wills between Abner and Lonzo with the tension between the two reaching to very dangerous levels.
The best thing about That Evening Sun is the terrific acting by the whole cast. Hal Holbrook has been acting for over 50 years and he uses that experience to create a captivating performance. Abner Meecham may seem like a gruff old-timer, but he is really a man with a lot of love inside of him. Abner shows his soft side when he has his heart-to-heart talks with his dog.
I became a fan of Ray McKinnon after watching him on the HBO TV series Deadwood. He does such a tremendous job of acting here that he was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for best supporting actor. Lonzo Choat has long been considered the town loser. Now, he is trying to change that image by running a successful farm, but the only person who has any confidence in him is his wife and even she seems a little unsure.
Mia Wasikowska was also nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for best supporting actress for her role as Pamela. Mia gives a very realistic performance as an innocent girl growing up in a rural community, who has probably not seen anything of the outside world.
In a small role, Barry Corbin (No Country for Old Men) is very entertaining as Abner’s neighbor and good friend Thurl Chessor.
That Evening Sun is also the last on-screen performance for veteran actress and Hal Holbrook’s wife in real life, Dixie Carter. She may be known best for her role as the sassy-southern interior decorator Julia Sugarbaker in the popular ’80’s TV series Designing Women. She has a very small role in this film appearing in a few flashbacks as Abner’s wife, Ellen. She passed away in April 2010 due to cancer. She was married to Hal Holbrook for 26 years.
Scott Teems does a fine job of bringing William Gay’s short story from the bookshelf to the bring screen. As the hostility between Abner and Lonzo continues to build and build, you’re not sure to what extreme one of them might go to, so that he can be the winner of this bitter standoff.
That Evening Sun gives us a good example of how great independent films can be and why they should not be ignored.
That Evening Sun will be available on DVD September 7, 2010.