American Gun

"American Gun" is an amazing, quiet movie that packs so much into an hour and 37 minutes. It's about the lives, ones of desperation and defeat, that different people around the nation live with every day, ones affected by guns.

Marcia Gay Harden plays a single mother whose son participated in a shooting at his high school and was killed. Even though that was years ago, she lives trapped in that time, that single moment that shaped her life and her younger son's life forever. For anyone who heard about the tragedy at Columbine, saw the footage and were outraged, for anyone who thought, "What were the parents doing? Why didn't they stop those children from taking guns into that school?" this movie shows the other side. And will make you think.

Linda Cardellini is a college student who works in her grandfather's (played by Donald Sutherland) gun shop. She's uncomfortable around him, around the shop, but family obligation keep there day after day.

Arlen Escarpeta plays Jay, an African-American high school student who carries a gun to school. But he's also a straight A student and takes care of his mother and younger siblings.

At the heart of this movie is Carter (Forest Whitaker), a principal at Jay's high school, a man who is there to make a difference. He talks to those kids, he tries to make them understand there's more to life than guns and gangs. He's so dedicated that sometimes he neglects his own family to help others.

There are no easy stereotypes in this movie, no pat answers. No one is simply one thing. The main characters are real, sometimes unrelentingly horrible, sometimes kind to each other. Whether you are pro or anti-gun, this movie will make you question what you believe and give you something to think about.

It is no "bullet-shit" that the enthralling independent film "American Gun" does fire major points on the American gun control issue within its intertwining plot. However, it is also no "bullet-shit" that "American Gun" did misfire with one of its story lines. A la "Crash", "American Gun" includes various characters within several story lines that focus on a controversial social issue. What struck me about "Crash" was its creative precision to detail on how the social issue (in 'Crash"- racism) all interconnected. In "American Gun" there are separate situations that are "bullet-proof", but hold no fundamental connective qualities on the gun control issue.

Here are my on-target shots of "American Gun": 1) On target: Marcia Gay Harden was mesmerizing as a mother of a fallen youth assailant who murdered several students and teachers in school grounds three years ago. Her story focuses on how she combatively tries to overcome the tragedy , and her challenge to supersede the pain by avidly trying to support her other son. 2) On target: Forest Whitaker's captivating performance as a high school principal who is dealt with the challenge of a youth gun control problem at the school he pilots. In other words, "Run, Forest, Run" before your students run the asylum well-armed. 3) On target: Tony Goldwyn's golden acting duty portraying a police officer who is guilt-ridden that he could not be more proactive in preventing the aforementioned school violence tragedy. 4) On target: Novice Writer-Director Aric Avelino's film-making & screen writing machinery efforts in the School Gun Control and the Grieving Mother/Remorseful Officer story lines.

Here are the misfires of "American Gun": 1) Misfire: Donald Sutherland's phlegmatic performance as a gun owner who tries to connect with his alienated granddaughter. 2) Misfire: The aforementioned storyline which had no relevance or impact to the American gun control issue. In other words, it had me gunning for more.

OK, that's it! I am a gunner , I mean "goner" with this one! *** Average

The film American Gun seemed like it never started far after the end credits began running. It seemed like, what the director was trying to say, was never actually portrayed on screen. With the exception of a few sporadic and impressive performances, there is nothing American Gun really offers. After reading all the comparisons to Paul Haggis' Crash on the back of the DVD cover, I was very disappointed in the outcome of this film. Many may argue that this film shows the struggle that people go through, dealing with violence in America, but the film never actually gives us a solution. Obviously director Aric Avelino's debut tries to omit any solutions to the rapid gun craze in the United States. He even traps the audience inside of a gun store before the credits roll. Overall this was an amateur effort by an amateur filmmaker whom will hopefully turn out some better film in the future.

I disagree with the people who think that nothing sticks out in this movie.

I saw it and was amazed at some of the things that were said and shown.

Sure, there may have been some exaggerated intensity, but isn't that sometimes necessary to prove a point.

Do you think that the real lives of people who have to carry guns to school, are robbed at gun point, or live a threatened life are calm, relaxed, or peaceful? No. Those lives can be full of anxiety, violence, and much intensity!

I think this movie provides a great view of something that is ripping apart our society before our very eyes.

Hats off to the film makers!

In AMERICAN GUN guns are examined from the perspective of four different stories after one tragic accident similar to the Florida one in 2018.

Janet (Marcia Gay Harden) is the mother of the teenager who shot in his Oregon school and is scorned by her neighbours while also being worried about her brother son that has the same age of the kid when he committed that terrible act. Carter (Forest Whitaker) is the high school principal that struggles everyday for keeping the school safe from guns until he discovers that his son has bought a gun. Mary Ann Wilk (Linda Cardellini) is a West Coast girl that is displaced to a Virginia college and in her free time works in her grandfather (Donald Sutherland)'s gun shop. Frank (Tony Goldwyn) is a cop who is constantly criticized for having arrived late at the shooting and has some sort of burden in his conscience for this.

While watching I found AMERICAN GUN very interesting despite at times the loud music was annoying and the stories looked a bit disjointed. Maybe because it features many great actors and they all give good performances. I loved it? Not exactly, but I admire it for being different and kinda actual despite it was released in 2005. And I think this movie is better than most of the reviews I read... are we always watching the same movie??