It’s good, mmmm-hmmmm
Karl is a very reserved man who committed a terrible crime when he was younger. After serving his time, in a way, he is released back into his hometown. There he tries to live a quiet, reserved life without any trouble. When Karl befriends a young boy named Frank (and his mother) his life begins to brighten a bit. Then Karl meets Frank’s mom’s boyfriend named Doyle who is extremely abusive to not only Frank and his mother, but also to others outside of the family. Everything comes to a head as Karl must decide what is right and what is wrong, and if he wants to continue to live his quiet life.
When I first saw this film it was a bit slow to me. I understood what was going on and I appreciated Billy Bob Thorton’s Karl. He was a slow man who just wanted to live quietly doing a job and eating fries. While riveting as Thorton was in the film, and extremely ranged for an actor as Karl, he was completely out-shined by Dwight Yoakam’s Doyle. Yoakam played one of the worst characters in my film history. He was a drunk, he was mean, he was verbally and physically abusive, but like everyone else in the film you just wanted to see more of him. It was certainly a sick character that needed to be dealt with. Yoakam, who is mainly known for singing, really established himself as a serious actor after this role.
With that said, I have to give some props to John Ritter. This is one of his last roles in a film before he passed on and it was one of the more genuine and heartfelt that he did. I know his character certainly wasn’t a major one, but it was refreshing to remember that he contributed to the film and that his character was fun to watch. It was a serious role for him and one that he certainly looked like he took great pride in.
Alright, back to the review.
The writing wasn’t too overly complicated for this film. You have an anti-hero who you can’t fully trust until the end. You have a kid and a mom that are in a terribly situation. You have a town that realizes what Doyle is doing, but no one can stop him. Finally, you have a conclusion that couldn’t be avoided any other way. Karl must do what he has to at the end because it calls for it. He understands, even as one of the dimmest in the group, that he must give up everything so that he can save this boy (and his mom) and save himself at the same time. The story is touching because you know it’s the end for Karl and you know it’s the end for Doyle, but what comes out of that is that it’s the beginning for everyone else. Thorton certainly knew this when he wrote it and it’s a refreshing conclusion to an otherwise dark story.
Speaking of Thorton, he did nothing short of amazing when it came to creating the character, the story and the film itself. He doesn’t overindulge himself (as most creators do), but rather seems to keep everything quiet and bring all the characters in the story to life. He also has fantastic direction as the movie is even paced and overall just slowly keeps moving forward at a quiet speed. The characters are surprisingly normal as you’ll be able to point out someone you know or know of that falls into the same time persona as those on the screen. Thorton’s ability to keep all of these elements healthy and going is truly spectacular on so many levels.
I like blu-ray
Most of the scenery of the film is set in a country setting. It looks gorgeous in HD. This is one of the better looking blu-rays out there that got a very detailed upgrade when Miramax decided to push it out on the format. As one of finer films in the studio’s history, it’s treated with the respect that it deserves. The soundtrack, while simple, sounds gorgeous as well. So, if you’re looking for a good drama that has both visuals and audio remastered for your blu-ray pleasure, you’re in the right place.
As for features, it’s freakin’ loaded:
-Audio Commentary by Writer/Director/Actor Billy Bob Thornton
-Mr. Thornton Goes To Hollywood
-Bravo Profiles: Billy Bob Thornton
-A Roundtable Discussion with Billy Bob Thornton, Dwight Yoakam, Mickey Jones and Producer David Bushell
-A Conversation with Billy Bob Thornton and Robert Duvall
-A Conversation with Robert Duvall
-A Conversation with Billy Bob Thornton and Composer Daniel Lanois
-The Return of Karl
-On the Set:
Billy Bob at Work
Doyle’s Band: The Johnsons
Doyle Gets Pummeled
-“Doyle’s Dead” with Introduction by Billy Bob Thornton