****SPOILERS*** Somewhat disjointed movie broken down into three segments about how gun violence changed the lives of a number of Americans who were victimized by them with the exception of the one about gun store owner Carl Wilks played by a snow white haired looking Donald Southerland. It's Wilks who's granddaughter Many-Ann, Linda Cardellini, had undergone a traumatic experience back in her Virginia Collage dorm when her best friend Cicily, Schuyler Fisk, was knocked out by and raped by fellow collage student, Andrew Caple-Shaw, after he slipped a date drug into her drink. The only thing that guns have to do in this segment of the film beside Carl running a gun shop in having him teach Mary-Ann how to properly shoot one and prevent what happened to her friend Cicily not to happen to her.
The segment with burnt out inner Chicago high school principal Mr. Carter, Forest Whitaker, is more on the ball in how guns effect those who are involved with them. Trying to keep peace in his school Carter's home life is falling apart with him ignoring his wife and child in order to get honor student Jay, Arlen Escarpeta, to straighten himself out and not keep a gun, which isn't loaded, on him at all times. As we soon find out Jay needed the the gun on his after school job at a gas station and liquor store for protection not to mug or shoot anyone. And as it soon turned out it was in not having that gun on him, during an armed robbery, that almost cost Jay is life!
The third and most telling segment has to do with single mom Janet Huttenson, Marcia Gay Harden, who's oldest son Robert participated in a Columbine type high school massacre in Ellisburgh Oragan's Ridgedale High school. It's there where Robert and an equally kill crazy and mentally unstable friend of his gunned down some dozen students before killing themselves before the police could arrest or shot them. There's also local policeman Frank, Tony Goldwyn, who's been living with the guilt of doing nothing to prevent the massacre by standing outside the school, waiting for orders from his superiors, while the massacre was in progress. Besides Janet problems her younger son David, Chris Marquette, is now in danger of being thrown out of the St. Anthony private high school in her not being able to pay his tuition and ending up back in Ridgedale High where his deceased brother Robert gunned down some dozen students!
Somewhat confusing but still effective movie in how guns in America have changed the lives of those who both use and are the victims of them. Since the shootings in Virginia Tech in 2007 and the Aurora movie house in Denver Colorado and of course the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre last year the movie is far more timely now then it was when it was released back then in 2005/06. That's when it played in just one theater for 10 weeks and made under $25,000.00 in ticket sales.
The segment with burnt out inner Chicago high school principal Mr. Carter, Forest Whitaker, is more on the ball in how guns effect those who are involved with them. Trying to keep peace in his school Carter's home life is falling apart with him ignoring his wife and child in order to get honor student Jay, Arlen Escarpeta, to straighten himself out and not keep a gun, which isn't loaded, on him at all times. As we soon find out Jay needed the the gun on his after school job at a gas station and liquor store for protection not to mug or shoot anyone. And as it soon turned out it was in not having that gun on him, during an armed robbery, that almost cost Jay is life!
The third and most telling segment has to do with single mom Janet Huttenson, Marcia Gay Harden, who's oldest son Robert participated in a Columbine type high school massacre in Ellisburgh Oragan's Ridgedale High school. It's there where Robert and an equally kill crazy and mentally unstable friend of his gunned down some dozen students before killing themselves before the police could arrest or shot them. There's also local policeman Frank, Tony Goldwyn, who's been living with the guilt of doing nothing to prevent the massacre by standing outside the school, waiting for orders from his superiors, while the massacre was in progress. Besides Janet problems her younger son David, Chris Marquette, is now in danger of being thrown out of the St. Anthony private high school in her not being able to pay his tuition and ending up back in Ridgedale High where his deceased brother Robert gunned down some dozen students!
Somewhat confusing but still effective movie in how guns in America have changed the lives of those who both use and are the victims of them. Since the shootings in Virginia Tech in 2007 and the Aurora movie house in Denver Colorado and of course the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre last year the movie is far more timely now then it was when it was released back then in 2005/06. That's when it played in just one theater for 10 weeks and made under $25,000.00 in ticket sales.