An aging farmer fights to keep the home that is rightfully his after fleeing from a nursing home and discovering that his son has leased the family farm to his old nemesis. Placed in a nursing home by his son and promptly forgotten, Abner Meecham (Hal Holbrook) realized that waiting to die was no way to live. Determined to enjoy his last days, Abner packed his bags and set his sights on the family farm. At least there he could die on his own land, in familiar surroundings. But Abner is in for a
rude awakening, because upon returning home he discovers that his son has leased the farm to Lonzo Choat. Abner never cared much for Lonzo, and when Lonzo refuses to leave, Abner takes up residence in an old tenant shack on the property. Before long, their dispute becomes volatile, each man believing himself to be in the right, and refusing to back down from his position. Betrayed by his son and haunted by dreams of his beloved deceased wife, Abner draws a line in the sand in an attempt to reclaim his life. As threats are made and tension begins to brew, it's only a matter of time before the situation turns savage. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Hal Holbrook's performance in "That Evening Sun" is a piece of work like Jeff Bridges' turn in Crazy Heart -- a veteran actor who knows all the moves, taking a fine little movie and making it great.
Though the movie is filled with complex emotions and a powerful poignancy, it often manages to be darkly funny, thanks to Holbrook's wily, unsentimental portrayal under Teems' smartly calibrated hand.
As lovely as it is to see the veteran actor Holbrook working his craft as the lead actor in this Southern-fried drama, it's not enough to lift the movie from its sodden melodramatic roots.
Throughout the film Holbrook does nothing to soften his potentially unlikable character and winds up earning respect, and even a little affection in the process.
A tough, borderline unpleasant movie that keeps us on edge and waiting for something awful to happen. It may be honest, but, like its protagonist, it isn't likable.
Giving one of the best performances of his career, veteran actor Hal Holbrook gracefully epitomizes the cantankerous curmudgeon in this richly complex human drama.
Still worth watching because of the fine performances by the actors. Just beware, it is very grim and the two main characters really are very obnoxious.
A good, simple film whose reach doesn't exceed its grasp; it feels a bit like an artificially constructed awards-grab flick, yes, but That Evening Sun has an easy, unforced sense of authenticity that takes it a long way.
The ending was disappointing to me. I understand that every movie can't have a happy ending, and it shouldn't determine the quality of the movie, but i really thought the movie ran out of gas. I loved the scenery, and holbrook was awesome. It just seems that more attention was paid to the beginning of the film. Decent,
but by the end I felt it lost something...
With the captions on.... when the music starts, the captions read, "slow sad music". This is pretty much descriptive of the movie as well but it would need to be VERY SLOW. This is a movie you can multitask while watching. No real point to the movie other than some nice scenery shots!
No quotes approved yet for That Evening Sun. Logged in users can submit quotes.
Submit a Quote from 'That Evening Sun'
A quote can be a single line from one character or a memorable dialog between several characters. Please make your quotes accurate. Quotes will be submitted for approval by the RT staff.
Example:
Luke: Alright. I'll give it a try. Yoda: No. Try not. Do or do not. There is no try.
Top Critic
