Ghosts of the Heartland (2009)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:5
Fresh:1
Rotten:4
Average Rating:4/10
Theatrical Release:May 22, 2009 Limited
Synopsis:
It is the summer of 1952. We are at war with China and Chinese Americans are ill at ease, as they know what happened to Japanese Americans a few years before. As the 'red scare' of the McCarthy...
It is the summer of 1952. We are at war with China and Chinese Americans are ill at ease, as they know what happened to Japanese Americans a few years before. As the 'red scare' of the McCarthy era gains momentum, people are worried and they don't feel safe. As this oppressive atmosphere permeates the country, Chinese American reporter, Roland Lu, returns to his hometown of Millville. Things are not as he remembers. Millville is now a scary place.
As Roland strolls down Main Street on his first night in town, a Chinese man shoots himself in front of city hall. Roland smells a story and seems a lot more concerned about that story than he is about the dead man. He soon learns that below the surface, Millville is full of interracial relationships that could tear the lid off the town. Roland also learns the Chinese are gradually being fired from their jobs.
Roland suspects that his old nemesis, Mayor Frank Dugan, is plotting to take the Chinese' property from them... Why? Frank is a bully, a thief, a McCarthyite thug, the editor of the Millville Chronicle and the mayor of the town. The only thing Frank hates more than communists is Chinese reporters.
To add to his problems, Roland’s old girl friend, Liz, thinks Roland wants to be a success, so he can be accepted into white society. She fears that Roland will sell out her family and all of the Chinese for a shot at the Pulitzer. --© Official Site
Starring: Phil Moon, Michael Santoro, Rachel Lu, Marcus Ho
Starring: Phil Moon, Michael Santoro, Rachel Lu, Marcus Ho, Bill Cain, Rosanne Ma, James Saito, Michelle Peters, Karen Tsen Lee, Jamie McAllister, David Midthunder, Kelly Aucoin, Jeff Jerome
Director: Allen Blumberg
Director: Allen Blumberg
Producer: Allen Blumberg
Composer: Tom Hiel
Reviews for Ghosts of the Heartland
| Tomatometer | Critic | Review | Category |
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Despite some forgivably mediocre performances,...[it's] a visually stylish noir film that's often intriguing, suspenseful and provocative. Full Review |
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Except for Santoro, the acting and the movie itself lack much of a sense of urgency. But it gets the look right on a microscopic budget, and its heart is in the right place. Full Review |
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Might have been more effective with a little more honey and a lot less vinegar. Full Review |
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The ambience may be right, but the film lacks what makes actual midcentury middle-American noir so effective: subtext. Full Review |
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Blumberg's point is that racism was/is bad -- hard to argue with that. It's equally hard to argue that the classic noirs would've been better off had they taken frequent time-outs for lectures on racial justice. Full Review |
Latest News for Ghosts of the Heartland
May 10, 2009:
Trailer & Poster review ![]()
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