A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

Blistering performances.

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

"His insides will petrify and his stool will turn to concrete." With that piece of Walt Whitman style poetry, this film expresses its desire to be profound art. This is another "slice of life" drama about one member of a family's desire to get away as another one returns, surrounding these two total strangers in spite of the direct lineage, becoming close as the desires of a younger family member are related to by the returning member and opening up advice, whether wanted or not. I can understand the desire of bright young Reece Thompson to get away from his constantly at each other's throats family (and neighbors), and if somebody tried to pay me for painting with a fat old hog, I'd be out of there on the first greyhound.Kris Kristofferson is the aging prodigal, returning home and creating all sorts of conflict. His children with let him see their mother, and unfinished business with him among the townsfolk creates even more conflict. Idealistic Thompson must deal with his girlfriend's obnoxious man hating mother, while the uninformed family matriarch (a subtle and warmhearted Frances Conroy) thinks she's going crazy because she keeps hearing her ex's guitar. Other than Thompson, the only family member who seems to be somewhat happy over Kristofferson's return is black sheep son Val Kilmer, underacting and likable (somewhat) for a change, showing up unexpectedly for the fishing trip his dad promised but never took him on.With thousands of films on dysfunctional families coming out both in the theater and on TV, they take away from the impact of the issues that surround real families. Much of the time, they focus on rural families, giving good reason why many people leave these communities, head for a big city and rarely, if ever, visit. Fortunately, there's a few characters here who have integrity and aren't embittered clichés, relatable for their dreams and ones whose stories should involve less standard circumstances and predictable situations. Thompson is likable enough to win sympathy, and his performance is outstanding. This just doesn't fully involve you because key pieces are missing in the details, especially concerning Kristofferson's nightmares. A horrifying twist at the end brings out the ugliness in one of the family members (only hinted at through their bitterness), and it moves to a very depressing observation about blood relations. When this works, it strikes a solid cord, but for most of the time, it's just drab and unhopeful.

Fleming Bloodworth (Reece Thompson) is desperate to leave his small town life. His uncle Warren (Val Kilmer) is a wild man with Hazel (Hilarie Burton) in his car. He's too drunk to drive. He pushes underage Fleming to drive him and passed out Hazel to Louise Halfacre (Sheila Kelley). This leads to a drunken fight between Hazel and Louise. The good part is that Fleming connects with Louise's daughter Raven Lee Halfacre (Hilary Duff). His grandfather E. F. Bloodworth (Kris Kristofferson) returns after 40 years on the road as a traveling singer. He had abandoned his wife (Frances Conroy) and his 3 sons. The Bloodworth men are all broken and bitter.The problem seems to be that the characters are all random wild southern screw ups. The script is a mess of characters going every which way. Things happen that I'm uncertain about. A pig shows up in the middle for some reason. I'm fine with Reece Thompson but Hilary Duff leaves me with concerns. She has this bubbly personality that can't be restraint but her character needs to be darker. Her mother is such a mess that it has to show up in her performance. At first glance, the problem basically boils down to director Shane Dax Taylor in his second movie and screenwriter W. Earl Brown on his first film script. The inexperience really shows.

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.

I love Val and Kris. And recently, Dwight has shown his acting chops so I had to see this. This is a slow moving story with mostly great acting so it was able to maintain my interest. The Brady Bloodworth character (W. Earl Brown) is over-acted in my opinion but the rest of the characters can hold your interest. You want to see what ultimately happens so you keep watching.Watch this if you are willing to give it time but don't watch if you need car chases, or something to blow up. Mostly great cast and a few classic lines from some Hollywood legends. Beautiful scenery is just a bonus to this film. Bright, vibrant scenery adds to the overall experience of this down home Americana type film.For better or worse, this story is very believable on many levels. Relax, turn off the phone and enjoy."I'm Warren, your son. When I was a boy you said you'd take me fishin, you never did. C'mon."