If That Evening Sun had come out 10 or 15 years ago it feels like the kind of small regional film that would have come through Sundance to become an indie cause celebre and maybe achieve some minor awards season glory. Indie may not mean much anymore, but the sheer volume of small films in the marketplace (most of which the typical viewer will engage with on DVD) means that it's harder for an understated film starring an actor in his 80's to get noticed. In a stroke of additional bad luck, Hal Holbrook's rigorously angry turn as displaced Tennessee farmer Abner Meecham would in many years be a strong contender for one of those "you've been doing this well for a long time" Oscars the Academy likes to award occasionally, but Jeff Bridges is getting that particular honor this year.
That Evening Sun, written and directed by Scott Teems from a William Gay short story, couldn't take place anywhere else in America other than where it does; how many films can we say that about these days? (Vancouver can't double for Tennessee farm country) The story is soaked in specifically Southern notions of class and the meaning that owning property gives a man's life. When Abner breaks out of a retirement home to return to his farm, he discovers on arrival that the place has been rented to Lonzo Choat (Ray McKinnon) and his family. Choat knows that Abner considers him white trash and he won't leave, setting up a series of decisions that manage to avoid a few cliches I thought the movie might be unable to steer clear of. McKinnon, who also produced, is a familiar face whose lengthy credits include the befuddled coach in The Blind Side and a haunting turn as a dying preacher in the first season of Deadwood. The film belongs to Holbrook, but McKinnon absolutely nails Choat's barely concealed desperation and compensating anger. No one thinks Choat can is worth a damn and he isn't sure they're wrong. Mia Wasikowska (that's "Alice In Wonderland" to you) is exceptionally guileless in the role of Choat's daughter, who seems destined for better things by film's end.
But then there's Hal Holbrook. Abner doesn't have any illusions about being able to work his farm anymore, he simply wants what belongs to him. Holbrook's performance is equally direct; Abner doesn't want his son (Walton Goggins of The Shield,also a producer) or anyone else to feel sorry for him. There is an awareness of the time running out behind Abner's eyes which the film confronts very honestly. Abner is last seen in a hospital bed where he speaks of dreams of his "forgiving" late wife (Dixie Carter). Holbrook underplays this scene to perfection and adds an extra layer of tragedy; Abner wants his land back but really needs something deeper and unreachable. This is one of the best performances of the year. That Evening Sun is a clean and sharp piece of storytelling that is a triumph of regional cinema, and a beautiful button to the career of an underappreciated actor.
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