Sovereign

I saw this movie in theaters with a group of friends, all of us born and raised here in the Midwest. Afterwards the mood was pretty somber because everyone in the group recognized scenes from their own family upbringing. The kid sitting in the backseat listening to Dad rant about the government, cops being trained to immediately rely on overwhelming force, all of it building a system that pushes normal people into potentially violent situations over and over again until eventually somebody pulls a trigger. If you grew up in a working last neighborhood, I can guarantee you're gonna recognize some family members in these characters and chances are that you'll sympathize with each of the main characters. It's a great movie, but it's not a fun movie to watch.

I guess many people now can sympathise with the premise of this film: a man fighting big government to keep his house and live as a human. He teaches his homeschooled son only in the ways government ignore individual rights.

I personally sympathise with this..though I'm UK born. I was charged for a free teacher training course that it was impossible to prevent paying for, because the government can take cash directly out of your salary even if you are in dispute. I fought the government for 4 years to legally bring my wife into the country under European freedom of movement. You realise when it comes to politics the government don't care about the law, and they can fight in the courts forever because they have endless tax payers cash. When my wife had depression and became violent, I tried to get help, and being a man authorities(social services) ignored police reports and photos (I'd been stabbed a couple of times) and considered me the problem. Absolutely no due process I'm sure many people are in my position of seeing how the law is empty because the authorities break the law, ignore the law and have made it extremely difficult for the average person to get justice. Indeed now I live off grid in Africa and finally feel some freedom. Indeed I never realised how absolutely crazy and ruthlessly controlling the UK is until I lived in Africa for a while.

So, this film is important. But it isn't exciting. Definitely slow burn. Feel like it's balanced cos this guy is definitely on the fringe and occasionally pushes into unacceptable territory, but it does tie in to something I'm sure many in the west feel today - the need to bow your head to oppressive government that isn't quite following the law.

This movie is gut turning. Most people recognize the sovereign movement from online videos showing citizens being difficult with law enforcement and then being arrested. What I find important about this film, while it is barely touched directly by the films dialogue, is its presentation of mental illness brought on by trauma. Near the end of the film we see a very brief discussion on a tragedy that, if offered up sooner, would have given the viewer a bit more of a grip on Jerry's mindset and why he had taken up the path he chose. While this movie is a slow burn it is also a rather fast spiral of decision making which held my interest till the end.

I think this and other films like it should be given note since it reflects the actions of people in other real life events. Being able to recognize when someone has fallen down the rabbit hole and landed themselves and others into dangerous waters is useful in life and benefits society. We see the young teen, Joe, in this story obviously confused and without true understanding of the peril he is in. We see the theme of growing up thinking life is "normal" when it's far from it.

Just watched Sovereign (2024) and found it to be a well-crafted tragedy. It's a haunting exploration of father/son dynamics, with Nick Offerman as a delusional, anti-government father grooming his teenage son for a future he doesn't want-but doesn't have much choice in. Inspired by true events, the film is a slow burn-there's action, but it takes its time building tension and developing its characters. It's melancholy, tense, and beautifully acted, with a supporting cast including Dennis Quaid, Nancy Travis, and Martha Plimpton-an interesting mix of talent that totally works. An impressive directorial debut from Christian Swegal.

Nick offerman's serious roles were first taken seriously in the season 1 episode of the last of us. That was one hour of pure class acting. I felt like watching this movie because of all the rave reviews for Offerman's acting. I didn't know it was based on a true story.

Within the first 15 minutes of the movie, we realise that the protagonist played by Nick is good at using legal terminology like probable cause, under duress, jurisdiction, promissory note etc. But none of it makes any sense. Still he finds substantial audience in all those who feel that are wronged by banks and this unfair system.

Caught in this illusion is his teenage son. The acting by Jacob Tremblay is quite brilliant. He portrays a son who adores his father but can't help question some of his logic.

The movie is balanced by the subplot about Sheriff's family and his own son joining the police force after completion of training.

All these characters collide with each other in a tragic climax. The movie shows devastating effects on the next generation if a parent is delusional and able to find an audience that encourages his delusion.