Hal Holbrook still shines in That Evening Sun
April 16, 2009 at 9:30 am by Curt Holman in movies & tv
In 2008, 82-year-old Hal Holbrook set the record as the oldest male actor to be nominated for an Academy Award. Holbrook follows his Oscar-nominated supporting turn in Into the Wild with a leading role in the Southern indie drama That Evening Sun, playing April 19 and 21 at the Atlanta Film Festival.
This guy’s career could really take off.
As retired farmer Abner Meecham, Holbrook combines a minimal performance style with a maximum amount of taciturn screen presence. In his first scene, he glowers out of a window while wearing a sleeveless white T-shirt, and his eyes gleam with an anger straight out of Dylan Thomas’ “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night.” When he escapes from a shabby Tennessee eldercare facility, he discovers something that really ticks him off. His white-collar son (Walton Goggins) leased Abner’s lifelong farm to Lonzo Choat (Ray McKinnon), a hard-drinking no-account who’s moved in with his weary wife (Carrie Preston) and nubile daughter (Mia Wasikowska).
Continue reading the review of That Evening Sun.
(Photo courtesy Atlanta Film Fest)
October 27th, 2009 at 7:25 pm
So glad I was able to see this film at SXSW. Fingers crossed for nominations on the horizon for Mr. Holbrook.
October 30th, 2009 at 6:20 pm
I was lucky enough to see this movie in the ATL film festival and it’s an instant classic. Hal Holbrook’s performance is epic!