Sadly Over-hyped

recommended

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Ivanhoe is my home town and I grew up in that farm house. Fun fact: I hunt out the bedroom window and I killed my first deer out of it. I will always live in Ivanhoe and still do a hog killing every year. It is awesome that people have filmed a movie in Ivanhoe. My papa currently owns the land that the farmhouse is on because it has been passed down through the generations. Ivanhoe is mostly family and my Uncle owns Ivanhoe Blueberries. In the woods in the back of the field my papa has a lot of junk trucks and a saw mill. I still plant corn and beans in the field and I had to remove my chair from the bedroom before they could film.

This story takes place in a beautiful country setting somewhere in Tennessee. It revolves around a young man whose family was splintered apart by his grandfather's (Kris Kristofferson) departure long before he was born. Grandpa Bloodworth left behind boys that grew up carrying the pain of their father's departure, and we watch how it all manifest upon his return.This is an excellent piece of storytelling using a rural setting to tell a story from a part of America that the movie explores without any condemning bias about the South or Southerners. This movie simply tells a story from a corner of America that anyone can relate to if you pay attention to what's being said.Some say it moved along slowly, but I thought the pace completely appropriate with the story being told. The movie keeps you glued wanting to know the "why's and what's" of upcoming events, while the ending will certainly pull your heartstrings.Outstanding acting by great performers, a great story, and definitely worth a watch.

E.F. Bloodworth (Kristofferson) comes back to his old home in Tennessee after 40-years on the road. He left to pursue a musical career and virtually abandoned his young family. All are up in arms about his return. This is misleading because you think the story is all about E.F. Well, it's not. It's really about his nephew Fleming (Thompson) who wants to leave the homestead too, but is trying to do it the right way, and not the way E.F. did, but to be fair, Fleming is not that conscious about it all. He just wants to do the right thing. He just wants out from a very dysfunctional family who stayed. E.F. is the background, Fleming is the real story and his story should have been developed more. Wasted in here is Val Kilmer. Kilmer needs to find a vehicle to shine once more, but he seems content with small roles that go nowhere. Hillary Duff is a breath of fresh air, but it is Brady (Brown) who ignites (sorry for the pun, which you will understand if you see this movie) the story. His character's delivery is different, unique and solid. To be honest we don't really get to know any of the characters. We get bits and pieces and we are left to read into things. And, because of that, we don't really care one way or the other what happens to any of them, including Fleming. We don't feel anyone's pain. And, being honest again, the story should not have shown E.F. as coming back. Just saying he came back would have been good enough as the family and others bad mouthed him anyway. We would have gotten the point. Why do I say that? Because we expected more from the Kristofferson (E.F.) character and didn't get it. Like I said, this was misleading. Violence: Yes. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Language: Yes.

Whether or not you are a country fan-or not,this movie is outstanding with great acting and performances from the whole cast. We had to watch it twice to pick up a few hard to catch details, but overall,-Kristofferson, Kilmer ,Duff and Dwight yoakam did justice to this film. Very Dramatic and the story is very well put together. Some nice country music and also some very nice scenes. It tells the story of the 3 sons who all live different lives. Hillary Duff is exceptional in her part. val Kilmer also very good.It is a movie that perhaps needs to be watched twice if you do not grasp the beginning. I highly recommend this movie as a must to watch. Kris kristofferson is a great actor here and deserves all for his efforts. Also loved the songs in the end credits. A great family treat. Sit back and enjoy it like i did.