American Gun

2006

American Gun

Critics Consensus

Despite its intriguing premise, this earnest anti-gun polemic is too melodramatic to resonate.

39%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 31

43%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 3,606
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Movie Info

Three stories of how America's obsession with firearms impacts its citizens are explored in this independent drama. Carl Wilk (Donald Sutherland) runs a gun shop in Virginia that has been owned and operated by his family for generations. Carl sees the shop as his family's legacy without paying much mind to what happens with the weapons he sells. When his granddaughter Mary Ann (Linda Cardellini) needs money for college, Carl gives her a job in the store, and while she's hesitant at first, she becomes fascinated with the merchandise as time passes. On the West Side of Chicago, Carl Carter (Forest Whitaker) is the principal of a high school where violence has become a sad fact of life. As Carl and his wife, Sara (Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon), fear for their young son as they worry he could either fall prey to the violence of their community or embrace it himself, Carl receives a severe emotional blow when Jay (Arlen Escarpeta), one of his most promising students, is discovered carrying a pistol. And in Oregon, Janet (Marcia Gay Harden) is a single mother still troubled by the death of her teenaged son three years before, who took his own life after killing a handful of his classmates in a violent incident at a high school. As Janet deals with sharp words from the community, many of whom believe she should be held responsible for her late son's actions, she is unsure how to handle her surviving son, David (Christopher Marquette), who is now of high-school age. American Gun was the first feature film for writer and director Aric Avelino.

Cast

Donald Sutherland
as Carl Wilk
Forest Whitaker
as Carter
Marcia Gay Harden
as Janet Huttenson
Linda Cardellini
as Mary Ann Wilk
Tony Goldwyn
as Frank
Chris Marquette
as David Huttenson
Nikki Reed
as Tally
Arlen Escarpeta
as Jay
Garcelle Beauvais
as Sarah
Amanda Seyfried
as Mouse
Melissa Leo
as Louise
Schuyler Fisk
as Cicily
Lisa Long
as Sandra Cohen
Chris Warren Jr.
as Marcus
David Heymann
as Producer
Joseph Kell
as Security Guard
Kevin Phillips
as Reggie
Davenia McFadden
as Felicia
Michael J. Shannon
as Jerry
Charles Duckworth
as Connie
Todd Tesen
as Barry
Gary Paul Clark
as Supervisor
Terry Rhoads
as Ed Hogan
Michael Milhoan
as Victim's Father
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News & Interviews for American Gun

RTIndie: "Little Miss Sunshine," "Half Nelson" Lead Indie Spirit Award Noms
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Critic Reviews for American Gun

All Critics (31) | Top Critics (12) | Fresh (12) | Rotten (19)

View All Critic Reviews (31)

Audience Reviews for American Gun

  • Jun 12, 2007
    [font=Century Gothic]"American Gun" consists of three separate storylines:[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]1) In Ellisburgh, Oregon, the third anniversary of a high school massacre is fast approaching. The mother of one of the shooters, Janet Huttenson(Marcia Gay Harden), is stuggling to get by. Her younger son, David(Chris Marquette), is now the age of his older brother when he died.(But I don't understand why she never moved away to give her younger son a fresh start. Frankly, nobody can handle that much pain and torment.) [/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]2) On the south side of Chicago, a high school principal(Forest Whitaker, again proving that he is one of the best actors around) works everyday to make his school a safe place to learn.[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]3) In Charlottesville, Va, Mary Ann(Linda Cardellini) is attending the University of Virginia . She is uneasy about working in the gun store that her grandfather(Donald Sutherland) owns.[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]"American Gun" has an interesting set-up that promises a thorough examination of gun violence in America but the movie goes nowhere quickly and shamefully ducks out of the way of any politcs. Instead, it takes an ineffectual approach to the material that reeks of touchy-feely sentimentalism. Yes, families need to communicate better and we can all use a group hug from time to time but none of that does anything to address the urgent problem of the ready availability of guns in this country.[/font]
    Walter M Super Reviewer
  • Nov 30, 2006
    Not too trite, but not very original or effective, either.
    William G Super Reviewer
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