The Homesman

Released:  December 14^th, 2014

Rated:  R

Studio:  Roadside Attractions

Starring:  Tommy Lee Jones, Hilary Swank

Directed by:  Tommy Lee Jones

Written by:  Tommy Lee Jones, Kieran Fitzgerald, Wesley A. Oliver

Personal Bias Alert:  haven’t read the book, not a big Tommy Lee Jones fan

6.5 of 10

            The Homesman is the second so-called feminist western I’ve seen this year.  These are rare products, and arguably neither film actually fits into that category.  The other film, TIFF 2014 entry The Keeping Room, is set in rural South Carolina during the waning days of the American civil war.  The isolated farm and the events that take place there feels very much like the lawless west, but alas, South Carolina is not the west.  The Homesman may be disqualified on an even more nitpicky technicality.  Well, two, actually.  First, its stars have pointedly stated that it takes place in the midwest, not the west.  I feel that’s splitting hairs, especially when talking in the 1850s geographical terms the characters would have used, but the larger problem I have with it centers on its alleged feminism.  Now, I’m not going to sit here and argue that this films is anti-women (it’s certainly not), but I would argue that it’s actually commenting on something much larger than sexism.

            The Homesman is largely a two-hander between Hilary Swank’s Mary Bee Cudy and Tommy Lee Jones’ George Briggs, the unlikely duo tasked with escorting three crazy women across the frontier to a mental health facility in Iowa.  The title might more accurately be The Homesmen, or the title might be a tipoff that the film actually focuses on only one of the duo at a time, Cudy for the first two-thirds and Briggs for the ending.

            On the surface, the two characters are a mismatch.  Cudy is a disciplined, godly woman who cuts down the strung-up thief Briggs only because she needs muscle for her noble task.  As the film wears on and shifts focus between the two characters, we come to understand that they are both outsiders driven west by civilization’s utter disuse for them.  This is where I began to question the film’s inherent feminism.  Cudy and the three crazy women’s problems are certainly rooted in feminist issues, but Briggs is driven by problems traditionally inherent to men.  So yes, there’s feminism in there, but it’s secondary thematically to society’s mistreatment of all outsiders, not just women.

            Are you sick of the thematic talk yet?  Then let’s move on to the Oscar buzz surrounding this film.  It’s mostly fallen on Hilary Swank, a two-time winner that’s never received a nomination and not taken home the trophy.  This is most likely due to how well she plays a particular type of person:  the dreamer, a person who wants something difficult to attain and goes for it with a brash enthusiasm that borders on naiveté.  Cudy’s desperation for a husband despite her prickly personality and ‘plain’ looks (only in Hollywood would Swank be considered plain) allows the part to fall comfortably into her sweet spot.  The character isn’t nearly as well-rounded as her other winning roles were, but Swank works what she has to the best of her ability, which makes for a very good performance.  In a weak year for lead actresses, that might be just enough to land her a nomination.

            Before everyone actually saw the film, there was much buzz for director, co-writer, and star Tommy Lee Jones.  By playing such a large part in the making of the film, he would inevitably get lavish praise if it turned out well.  If it turned out as it did, which is just okay, then you could immediately mark him off your ballots in every category, even if only particular portions of his work was sub-par.  His performance is actually quite good, but it’s very Tommy Lee Jones-ish, which won’t get him anywhere in a crowded best actor field.  His directorial effort is pretty good, too.  There’s a stark yet beautiful cinematic style to the film, classically western without being too flashy.  The tone is drearily one-note, but the overarching themes are so bleak that this downfall is partially hidden.  The problems are primarily found in the writing.  The film is a bit loose, too long at the beginning and too fast at the end.  Characters suddenly beginning doing and saying things that don’t feel right, and I can’t help but feel that a pass by a more experienced screenwriter (all three credited writers have very short IMDB lists) could’ve saved the day.

            This is, in essence, a small film about two insignificant people.  Jones never loses track of that, focusing in squarely on these two troubled souls.  The problem is that there’s not many places left for these characters to go, leaving The Homesman as a beautiful, interesting, but somewhat monotonous piece of work.

            Other Notes:

Ø  There were a couple really obvious continuity issues.  Trust me, those things have to pretty much jump off the screen for me to notice.

Ø  Hey Hailee Steinfeld, stop hogging the period piece roles.

Ø  Jesse Plemons!  A Friday Night Lights connection is always a good thing in my book.