Little Accidents

I appreciated this little film, good atmosphere and acting too. But in the genre I preferred STEEL COUNTRY, also set in a small town where every one knows each other, also with a gripping characters symphony. But I could never dive deep enough in this story, I still wonder exactly why. something, a little, tiny link is missing; maybe it is just before my nose. Maybe because of the nowhere ending, maybe...But I recommend it.

Greetings again from the darkness. You know how we always hear that there are no secrets in a small town – how everyone knows your business? This first feature film from writer/director Sara Colangelo exposes the fallacy of that notion. It seems all residents of this small mining community are carrying secrets, and some are whoppers!

The story picks up about a year after a horrible coal mining accident killed ten local miners. The lone survivor was Amos (Boyd Holbrook) who is struggling with physical limitations resulting from the incident. However, generating more pain for Amos than his withered arm and leg is the internal battle the ongoing investigation is causing him. Should he expose the known safety issues that caused his co-workers to die? If he does, those 10 families probably get justice and a financial reward, but the mine likely shuts down - crippling the local economy and throwing much of the town out of work. If keeps quiet, those families get nothing and it's business as usual for everyone else.

Amos is joined in a daily conundrum of secrets by: Owen (Jacob Lofland), who is much too young to handle the situation an accident has placed him; Owen's brother James (Beau Wright) who has Down Syndrome and is even less equipped to keep his secret; the mine's supervisor Bill (Josh Lucas) who defends his poor decisions by saying he only did what the company forced him to do; and Diane (Elizabeth Banks) who is Bill's wife and reacts to the disappearance of her son and lack of respect for her husband in a manner that can't possibly end well.

As is common in poverty-stricken communities, there is even more to add. Owen's father was one of the miners killed in the accident, and Owen was among the group who last saw Bill and Diane's son alive. Also, Amos is living with his father who is paying the health price for a lifetime of coal mining. The film is bookended by Amos' testimony regarding the accident, and in between we see these intertwined lives and much soul-suffering and personal stock-taking. It's a reminder of how powerful grief can be, especially after such an instantaneous tragedy.

Boyd Holbrook and Jacob Lofland deliver outstanding performances. Mr. Holbrook's career is in skyrocket mode as he appeared in 8 projects during 2013-14 (including Gone Girl, The Skeleton Twins), and has 5 more for 2015 (including Terrence Malick's next film). Young Mr. Lofland was a standout in both Mud (2012) and his recent recurring role on TV's Justified. Also of note is one of the few dramatic turns for Elizabeth Banks. We have come to expect comedy excellence from her (even as Effie in The Hunger Games), but we have rarely seen the emotional depth she portrays here.

The movie is beautifully shot by Rachel Morrison, and the film stock provides the grainy look that adds to the realistic feel necessary for us to be absorbed into this isolated world. Comparisons to other mining movies are expected, and North Country (2005) and Matewan (1987) come to mind, however, those were centered on mistreatment in the workplace and labor issues, respectively. This movie is much more concerned with grief, and for some reason The Stone Boy (1984) comes to mind. Dealing with tragedy does not become easier with age, financial status or social standing. Ms. Colangelo's film provides an intimate look at this.

This film tells the story of a mining town struck by a tragic mining accident. The after effects have far racing consequences to the residents in the whole town.

"Little Accidents" is a very dark film, so dark that it dragged my mood down within minutes of watching it. It captures hopelessness, helplessness and desperation of many individuals in the town, no matter what social stratum they belong to. The sadness lingers on throughout the film, because of unfinished businesses which should provide suspense but instead gives a haunting atmosphere. The ending gives a little closure to some of the subplots but not all, leaving businesses unfinished. I am so saddened by the film, it's very powerful.

Dramas are normally not the kind of movie I'm going for so I was not expecting much before watching this movie. After seeing it I must say I'm not disappointed at all. It's certainly worth a watch. It's a movie about all kinds of accidents, guilt and remorse, coping with losses. I thought all the actors gave a good performance. The filming was not bad either, I thought it was enjoyable to watch. The storyline is entertaining enough to not get bored. It is kind of slow with not much action but that's why it's a drama and not an action movie. Nothing wrong with that if you like that genre of movie. I probably won't watch it a second time but I certainly don't regret watching it.

"What do you think it's like to die?" Owen (Jacob Lofland)

It's a given that tragic death in a small town stays forever, impinging on virtually every life now and hereafter. First-time writer-director Sara Colangelo's Little Accidents, set in a coal town, echoes The Sweet Hereafter's frozen aftermath of children's deaths aboard a bus plunging into a pond. Both involve decisions to reveal or not the culpable parties; both intercut among those players who are most affected by the tragedy.

Young Owen (Jacob Lofland) witnesses the death of JT (Travis Tope) and hides the truth. JT is the son of manager Bill Doyle (Josh Lucas) and Owen is a deceased coal miner's son. The accident that killed his dad and nine others is under investigation as the union fights to suppress testimony from conflicted survivor Amos (Boyd Holbrook, who reminds me of Keith Carradine) that would incriminate the coal company and shut down the mine.

You can see the inter-connections, as is true in any small town, and the inherent conflicts, exacerbated by the closeness and the sometimes illicit connections, such as JT's mom, Diana Doyle (Elizabeth Banks), and Amos. Colangelo keeps the plot slowly moving ahead while some characters and events border on the formulaic. When Owen helps Diana with her garden, the plot takes an unfortunate contrivance tack. Yet the drama is still effectively bound to us as figurative for communal responsibility and domino-effect relationships and tragedies.

Cinematographer Rachel Morrison effectively creates the working-class milieu, much as in Out of the furnace, in part because she uses a great deal of natural light reinforced by old-fashioned 35mm film. It's not a gloomy world, just one dominated by grey skies and dim futures. No sunshine can mitigate the sense of loss pervading the town. These Accidents are hardly little.