Shotgun Stories (2007)

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Directed by: Jeff Nichols
Starring: Michael Shannon, Douglas Ligon, Barlow Jacobs and Natalie Canerday

With a film like Shotgun Stories it's kind of difficult to know where to begin a review. I could start with an attempt at a whitty comment, or make a statement about how I can sympathize with the main characters of this film having grown up in semi-similar circumstances but I think things would be best served if I just got right down to it. Shotgun Stories is a dark tale about two sets of half-brothers who all share the same father... but a completely different man. The older set, Son(Shannon), Boy(Ligon) and Kid(Jacobs) Hayes had a father who was a mean, drunked, violent man that left his sons to be raised by a mean and hateful mother. The second set of boys, Stephen, Cleaman, John and Mark Hayes, had a father who was sober, kind and actually gave them all real names. Son, Boy and Kid live in utter poverty, Son being the only brother with a house while Kid lives in a tent in Son's back yard and Boy living in his van. Their half-brothers however seem to live a much better life thanks to their reformed father which only adds to the resentment directed towards them from the less fortunate brothers.

The film begins with Son's mother showing up on his doorstep to tell him and his brothers that their father was dead. This was the trigger that set all things to come in motion. When Son shows up at his father's funeral and announces to all attendees that his father is not the good man they all believe him to be and that he was, in fact, pretty horrible to his first three children before leaving them forever. Needless to say, this didn't go over too well with his newer family who feel that their father was a very good man. Son's comments set off a series of exchanges between the two groups that quickly escalates in violence.

After a first, interrupted encounter, Mark Hayes ups the ante by killing Boy's dog with a well placed poinsonous snake. Once Kid learns that the snake in the dog's kennel was not an accident he goes to confront Mark in a showdown that leaves both men dead. Their deaths, though, do not slow the tension down one bit as Son and Boy learn that two of the other brothers were also involved in the fight that left Kid and Mark dead. Things continue to build until you just can not tell if ANY of them will survive with both sides arming themselves with the very weapons that gives the film it's name.

Shotgun Stories is an interesting, albeit slow and long film(it clocks in at nearly 2 1/2 hours) that takes an intimate look at a poor Arkansas family and it's attempt to deal with loss, abuse, grief and resentment. It is a good story that could have benefited more from stronger acting(most of the actors are complete unknowns) but that still manages to tell a very compelling story. It shows the anger and resentment that can often occur when these sorts of dual families develope this sort of hate for each other.

One of the interesting elements of the film that I do not think works quite as effectively as writer/director Jeff Nichols wishes it would is the scars on Son Hayes' back. Scars caused by a shotgun blast from his father years earlier. Since Son refuses to talk about the scars they become a source of a lot of rumors around town with theories ranging from being shot while trying to rob someone to being teh victim of a jealous husband whose wife Son was sleeping with. The simple fact is that Son was shot by his father while trying to protect his brothers. The only problem with the scars being used as a main plot element is that honestly, they just don't serve any real purpose other than to show how far Son will go to protect his family. That in itself would work but it seems that Nichols tried to put too much emphasis on the scars in making them such a talking point several times in the film.

In the end though, Shotgun Stories works well for what it is and I really enjoyed the film. Though slightly flawed in a few ways, it mostly works and tells a good story... though it might have been told in a shorter time frame. It is a low budget indie film so as long as you don't go into it expecting it to be a Tom Cruise helmed blockbuster then you should enjoy it too so check it out if you get the opportunity. It is always good to try something different.




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