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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
'American Gun' takes the wise step of looking not at a particular school massacre, but at those intimately affected.
Rather than blast us with a strong polemic, Avelino chooses to trace what are often the everyday ramifications of living in an armed society.
While this is not exactly a hopeful movie, it's a polished exercise in the kind of social commentary that can wake people up.
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.
A moving morality play indicting America for its ongoing love affair with the Second Amendment.
Many guns litter this multicharacter examination of the insidious ways firearms have become a fixture in American life, but only one is ever fired and with devastating results.
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.
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.
[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.
...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.
Avelino's message about America's gun-happy culture is so foursquare and what-you-see-is-what-you-get that it's possible to walk out of the film wondering if you missed the point.
American Gun arrives in theaters too late to really make a difference or say anything new on the subject of school shootings.
It's a bit like watching a weaker version of Crash, with fewer coincidences.
Handy rule of thumb for first- time filmmakers: No more than one crying scene per film, please. Like any other commodity, tears aren't worth much if they're overstocked.
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