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American Gun (2006)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:29
Fresh:11
Rotten:18
Average Rating:5.4/10
Consensus: Despite its intriguing premise, this earnest anti-gun polemic is too melodramatic to resonate.
Theatrical Release:2006
Synopsis: AMERICAN GUN is a powerful series of interwoven storylines that bring to light how the proliferation of guns in America dramatically affect and shape the every day lives of its citizens. The film... AMERICAN GUN is a powerful series of interwoven storylines that bring to light how the proliferation of guns in America dramatically affect and shape the every day lives of its citizens. The film opens at the start of another day in a Virginia gun store, where owner Carl (Donald Sutherland), continues to sidestep controversy while running the shop he loves. His newest employee is his granddaughter Mary Ann (Linda Cardellini), a college student pressured to spend a semester in the family business. Despite her misgivings, curiosity overcomes her as she is slowly seduced by the weapons she sells. Across the country in Oregon, Janet (Marcia Gay Harden) is suffering through a television interview marking the third anniversary of her older son's high school shooting rampage and suicide. As a single mother, she worries for her younger son David (Christopher Marquette) who is now the same age his brother was when he committed the terrible acts. While dealing with his own rage and grief, David quietly falls for Tally (Nikki Reed), the new girl in town. Meanwhile, Frank, a middle-aged deputy, watches the interview intently; still haunted by vicious accusations that he could have prevented the tragedy. On Chicago's gritty west side, principal Carl (Forest Whitaker) struggles to keep his violent inner-city high school from self destructing. His wife Sara (Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon) desperately fears for the safety of their young son. When ace student Jay (Arlen Escarpeta) is caught hiding a handgun, both principal and student find themselves facing decisions they never wanted to make. --© IFC Films [More]
Starring: Donald Sutherland, Forest Whitaker, Nikki Reed, Marcia Gay Harden
Starring: Donald Sutherland, Forest Whitaker, Nikki Reed, Marcia Gay Harden, Linda Cardellini, Tony Goldwyn, Christopher George Marquette, Arlen Escarpeta, Charles Duckworth, Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon, Amanda Seyfried, Melissa Chessington Leo, Schuyler Fisk
Director: Aric Avelino
Director: Aric Avelino
Studio: IFC Films
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Reviews for American Gun
A moving morality play indicting America for its ongoing love affair with the Second Amendment.
It isn't trite or strident - it doesn't shout or pound the desk - and, in a way, its own thoughtfulness is its worst enemy.
American Gun arrives in theaters too late to really make a difference or say anything new on the subject of school shootings.
[T]his is no bit of cheap exploitation created merely to rake in some dough. But purity of motives aside, the film simply isn't very good.
It's a bit like watching a weaker version of Crash, with fewer coincidences.
Despite a few effective moments, Gun ... never makes the big statement it seems to be reaching for.
What we're left with after watching "American Gun" isn't a sense of who's right or who's wrong, but more of a sadness that so many people feel so powerless and afraid that they think owning a gun will set things right.
Rather than blast us with a strong polemic, Avelino chooses to trace what are often the everyday ramifications of living in an armed society.
The guns seem to have been shoved in various characters' pockets as afterthought, and Avelino's interlocking stories never click.
[Avelino] shows an almost tender restraint in his story-telling, not pounding us with a message but simply looking steadily at how guns have made these lives difficult.
While not a perfect movie by any means -- a few scenes feel forced -- there is plenty to recommend it, even beyond the truly great performances.
...more like talking points for a film than a finished product. The effects of violence and the gun trade are examined, but little light is shed.
Aside from a few moments of quiet pathos that ring true, Avelino's directorial debut is a calculated piece of cinematic outrage marred by on-the-nose dialogue and melodramatic contrivance.
While this is not exactly a hopeful movie, it's a polished exercise in the kind of social commentary that can wake people up.
Latest News for American Gun
November 28, 2006:
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