Best Films of 2009: #25-21

#25: That Evening Sun

#24: 500 Days of Summer

#23: Julie & Julia

#22: The White Ribbon

#21: Whip It

Friday For Your Consideration: Hal Holbrook

Welcome to a new weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Friday For Your Consideration. As every year nears to a close, there are a number of actors nominated for Golden Globes, Oscars, and countless other awards. There are so many spots and there are so many deserving contenders, yet some inevitably get left out. Each week, I’ll be spotlighting one performance from this year which deserves a second look but might not get it. This doesn’t mean I don’t want Carey Mulligan and Christoph Waltz to get their first nominations. They don’t need my help. As luck would have it, these actors do. I’ll be running this feature until Oscar nominations are announced at the beginning of February, so leave your choices in the comments and I might feature them over the next couple of weeks! I’ve written at greater length about these performances in the reviews of the films, so make sure to read those for a more detailed look at why these actors deserve an Oscar nomination.

Hal Holbrook, “That Evening Sun”
Where you’ve seen him before: He’s been acting on television and in movies for fifty years. Most recently, he earned an Oscar nomination in 2007 for his supporting role in “Into the Wild.”

Why he deserves it: The 84-year-old Holbrook is nearly three times the age of some of his costars, and he delivers one of the sharpest and most moving performances in recent years. He instills Abner Meecham with an extraordinary sense of self, one that can’t be muted by debilitating faculties or the strong wits of others. He’s determined to live the rest of his life on his own terms, and he’s not going to let anyone else tell him what to do. It’s simply magnificent to watch this actor with over 100 performances in his belt deliver such an astonishing performance.

Standout scene: You can catch a piece of it starting at the 1:47 mark of the theatrical trailer. Holbrook starts singing the song from which the title is derived. He’s quiet, off-key, and couldn’t care less. He’s at home, and he’s going to do what he damn well pleases.

Why he won’t get it: The Best Actor race is pretty much set, with four actors locked for a nomination (Jeff Bridges, George Clooney, Colin Firth, and Morgan Freeman) and one other looking very good (Jeremy Renner). I thought for a while that Holbrook could take his spot (though Renner was excellent also), but his failure to earn a Best Independent Spirit Award nomination when two other actors in his film did wasn’t a good sign. No one has seen the film, and it seems those who have aren’t recognizing his incredible performance.

Read the review here, and come back next Friday for a look at an actress who deserves a shot at Oscar.

Wednesday Oscar Watch with Abe

Welcome to a new weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Wednesday Oscar Watch with Abe. It’s a bit early to be able to accurately predict the eventual Oscar nominees, but around this time, plenty of likely contenders are being released. I’ll be looking every Wednesday at the awards chances for all of the films released the previous week. Until I begin my official predictions, I’ll be adding and removing contenders as their popularity, buzz, or reviews rise and fall. Chime in with your thoughts on the Oscar chances for these films in the comments section.

Precious
This harrowing film is sure to attract Oscar attention; the only question is whether backlash will hurt it. The frank answer is probably not, and even if some voters are turned off by hype from Oprah and Tyler Perry that they feel isn’t deserved, the stars of the film are still likely to make it into their respective categories. The expansion of the Best Picture category to ten nominees makes this film a very strong contender to make it onto that list. Mo’Nique is probably a slam dunk in the Best Supporting Actress category, but buzz I’ve heard (and read in Entertainment Weekly) about Mariah Carey and Paula Patton is going too far. I realize that Best Supporting Actress is currently very up in the air, with Mo’Nique as the only solid contender, so I suppose anything is possible, but I still don’t think either of them can make it in. Gabourey Sidibe will probably make the cut, though she’ll have to beat out other breakout actresses like Abbie Cornish and Carey Mulligan and veterans like Helen Mirren and Meryl Streep (unless these five actresses make up the list). First-time actress Jennifer Hudson beat out Cate Blanchett for “Dreamgirls” a few years ago even when support for her film dwindled, and this performance probably has just as much enthusiastic support, even if people aren’t wowed by the film.

That Evening Sun
This tiny indie with an extraordinarily limited theatrical release isn’t going to place in any category except perhaps one. Hal Holbrook earned his first Oscar nomination two years ago at age 82 for his brief performance in “Into the Wild.” That film didn’t do well at the Oscars, earning only one other nomination, and clearly the seasoned Holbrook is respected and well-liked. Therefore, he should be considered a legitimate contender for this film, and if he can manage to edge out some of the younger, more popular actors in the lead actor category. Melissa Leo did it last year for “Frozen River,” so maybe Holbrook’s got a shot. Also, in 2007, young actor Emile Hirsch was headed for an Oscar nomination for “Into the Wild,” but lost out to veteran Tommy Lee Jones on announcement day. “In the Valley of Elah” was a more well-known film, but they’re still something about rewarding an actor who’s been working in the industry for a while (see also: Richard Jenkins for “The Visitor”).

A Christmas Carol
Disney’s latest animated adventure isn’t receiving terribly positive reviews, and its early release date doesn’t give it much buzz to coast on for the Oscars. This might have a decent shot at the Best Animated Feature race if there weren’t so many other big films this year (“Up,” “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs,” “The Princess and the Frog,” “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” “Coraline,” to name a few). In 2004, the similarly imaginative “The Polar Express” received 3 Oscar nods for didn’t make it in to the Best Animated Feature category. The November release, despite its confusing nature given the Christmas subject of the film, may not hurt it since early-in-the-year films have made it in before, but what’s troubling is that often smaller films eclipse larger ones (“Surf’s Up” over “The Simpsons Movie,” for instance). Even so, I don’t think this film has the support to take it very far, and maybe a technical nomination or a song nod, if there is one, is all that this movie should expect.

The Men Who Stare At Goats
This wacked-out film isn’t really Oscar material, but voters do love George Clooney, and past four-time nominee Jeff Bridges and two-time winner Kevin Spacey are also in the cast. Clooney’s Oscar buzz will be for “Up in the Air,” though if he’s considered a supporting actor in this movie, despite the fact that he’s not really, he might have a chance. I suspect his flashback haircut will do him in, and other performances will beat him out. Neither Bridges nor Spacey have the material to make it in, and this won’t be Ewan McGregor’s first shot at the Oscar race. It’s possible that voters may feel like laughing and nominate this in the Best Adapted Screenplay category, but I doubt it.

Supernatural thrillers The Box and The Fourth Kind haven’t been treated kindly by reviewers. Also out in theatres this week are non-starter indies like Collapse, Endgame, and Splinterheads.

Be sure to come back next Wednesday for a look at this Friday’s theatrical releases and their Oscar chances. And remember to offer your thoughts on the chances for these films in the comments!

Movie with Abe: That Evening Sun

That Evening Sun
Directed by Scott Teems
Released November 6, 2009

In the first few minutes of “That Evening Sun,” Michael Penn’s beautiful score plays as Abner Meecham (Hal Holbrook) stares blankly ahead, watching his life go by as he is forced to deal with the mundane, repetitive nature of his existence in a retirement home. Not a word is spoken before Meecham decides to pack up and hit the road, determined to seek some sort of meaning in his life. Meecham is a solitary man, and he’ll be damned if he’s going to live out the rest of his life on someone else’s terms. Meecham returns to the only place he has ever known as home – his farm – intent on reclaiming his land and enjoying whatever time he has left doing what he loves best. He’s shocked and dismayed to find that, in the short time he’s been gone, someone else has taken over his property, and they’re about as eager to give it up as he is.

Meecham is one stubborn old man, and he makes a marvelous protagonist. His distinct distaste for the change and youth is comparable to that of Clint Eastwood’s prejudice-prone Walt Kowalski in “Gran Torino,” and he possesses the same ageless charisma. Holbrook (“Into the Wild”) is simply astonishing in his performance as Meecham, imbuing him with an unwavering, angry stare and a subtle smile just as recognizable as Kowalski’s signature disdainful growl. The 84-year-old Holbrook is fully on his game and creates a wonderfully sympathetic character out of the grumpy farmer. There’s one mesmerizing scene in which he sings “I Hate to See That Evening Sun Go Down” in a quiet, off-key manner that just demonstrates his love for his property and the life he’s always led. It’s a magnificently powerful moment that’s perfectly underplayed by the terrific Holbrook.

It’s particularly breathtaking to see the elder veteran actor onscreen opposite 19-year-old newcomer Mia Wasikowska (“In Treatment”), who lights up the screen every time she appears. The two represent radically different generations, and seeing their characters bond is wondrous. The very chance for two such diverse performers to share scenes is excellent. This is essentially the culmination of Holbrook’s career while Wasikowska is just starting out, and it’s as if Holbrook has given Wasikowska unspoken advice and transferred his age-earned knowledge about the craft to inspire Wasikowska to a bright and beautiful future. They’re not the only superb talent among the cast. Two TV actors, Carrie Preston (“True Blood”) and Walton Goggins (“The Shield”) enhance the film, in addition to a volatile, self-destructive performance from Ray McKinnon and reliable support from Barry Corbin as Meecham’s only real friend. It’s a small, tight-knit ensemble that functions amazingly to create an extraordinarily real feel for the film.

“That Evening Sun” is, in essence, a film about one person’s struggle to retain a sense of what is his, and in that respect it’s a very singular, personal journey. There are several major supporting characters, played by the aforementioned performers, but it’s really Meecham’s story. Less than ten people even utter dialogue at any point throughout the film, and the result is a revelatory chance to get to know Meecham and see how his whole life has shaped the way he acts in his final years. The settings are also few since Meecham literally decides to walk back to his farm, miles away, from his retirement home. The haunting score represents Meecham’s lifelong journey, and it’s wonderfully matched to the nostalgic tone of the film. “That Evening Sun” is a meaningful experience that captures a Southern sensibility and the soul of one man, and it’s a great, gorgeous film.

B+