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This isn’t a biographical film. Those try to show a full biography visually. This is a “based on a TRUE sToRy!!!” You know, like “Fargo”.
"very loosely" are WP:WEASEL words based on your opinion. The opening title card is a fact from the film itself. If you still, somehow, disagree, feel free to take it to the talk page
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'''''The Old Man & the Gun''''' is a 2018 American film written and directed by [[David Lowery (director)|David Lowery]] and very loosely based on the true-life story of [[Forrest Tucker (criminal)|Forrest Tucker]], a career [[criminal]] and prison [[escape artist]]. The script is based on [[David Grann]]'s 2003 article in ''[[The New Yorker]]'' titled "The Old Man and the Gun", which was later collected in Grann's 2010 book ''[[The Devil and Sherlock Holmes]]''. It stars [[Robert Redford]], [[Casey Affleck]], [[Danny Glover]], [[Tika Sumpter]], [[Tom Waits]] and [[Sissy Spacek]]. It is likely to be Redford's final role, as he announced his intent to retire from acting at 82 in August 2018.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Murthi |first1=Vikram |title=Robert Redford Announces Retirement From Acting |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2016/11/robert-redford-retirement-acting-walker-art-center-1201745519/ |publisher=IndieWire |accessdate=July 29, 2018|date=2016-11-11 }}</ref>
'''''The Old Man & the Gun''''' is a 2018 American film written and directed by [[David Lowery (director)|David Lowery]] and, as per an opening title card the film, is "mostly a true story" based on the life of [[Forrest Tucker (criminal)|Forrest Tucker]], a career [[criminal]] and prison [[escape artist]]. The script is based on [[David Grann]]'s 2003 article in ''[[The New Yorker]]'' titled "The Old Man and the Gun", which was later collected in Grann's 2010 book ''[[The Devil and Sherlock Holmes]]''. It stars [[Robert Redford]], [[Casey Affleck]], [[Danny Glover]], [[Tika Sumpter]], [[Tom Waits]] and [[Sissy Spacek]]. It is likely to be Redford's final role, as he announced his intent to retire from acting at 82 in August 2018.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Murthi |first1=Vikram |title=Robert Redford Announces Retirement From Acting |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2016/11/robert-redford-retirement-acting-walker-art-center-1201745519/ |publisher=IndieWire |accessdate=July 29, 2018|date=2016-11-11 }}</ref>


The film had its world premiere at the [[Telluride Film Festival]] on August 31, 2018, and was released in the United States on September 28, 2018, by [[Fox Searchlight Pictures]]. It received generally positive reviews from critics and, at the [[76th Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe Awards]], Redford was nominated for [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy|Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy]].
The film had its world premiere at the [[Telluride Film Festival]] on August 31, 2018, and was released in the United States on September 28, 2018, by [[Fox Searchlight Pictures]]. It received generally positive reviews from critics and, at the [[76th Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe Awards]], Redford was nominated for [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy|Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy]].

Revision as of 00:24, 23 February 2019

The Old Man & the Gun
Theatrical release poster
Directed byDavid Lowery
Written byDavid Lowery
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyJoe Anderson
Edited byLisa Zeno Churgin
Music byDaniel Hart
Distributed byFox Searchlight Pictures
Release dates
  • August 31, 2018 (2018-08-31) (Telluride)
  • September 28, 2018 (2018-09-28) (United States)
Running time
93 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$15.9 million[2]

The Old Man & the Gun is a 2018 American film written and directed by David Lowery and, as per an opening title card the film, is "mostly a true story" based on the life of Forrest Tucker, a career criminal and prison escape artist. The script is based on David Grann's 2003 article in The New Yorker titled "The Old Man and the Gun", which was later collected in Grann's 2010 book The Devil and Sherlock Holmes. It stars Robert Redford, Casey Affleck, Danny Glover, Tika Sumpter, Tom Waits and Sissy Spacek. It is likely to be Redford's final role, as he announced his intent to retire from acting at 82 in August 2018.[3]

The film had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival on August 31, 2018, and was released in the United States on September 28, 2018, by Fox Searchlight Pictures. It received generally positive reviews from critics and, at the Golden Globe Awards, Redford was nominated for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.

Plot

At the age of 58, career criminal Forrest Tucker (Robert Redford) is a wanted man, having broken out of San Quentin State Prison. In 1981, after escaping from a police chase, Tucker sees a woman with a broken down truck on the side of a Texas highway and pulls over to assist. Jewel (Sissy Spacek), who is grateful for his help, buys Tucker food at a diner. Despite introducing himself with a fake name, Tucker becomes drawn to Jewel to the point of revealing that he is a bank robber. The two spend further time together on Jewel's farm where Tucker says he is childless as far as he knows. Tucker makes a plan to pay off the rest of Jewel's mortgage as a surprise but becomes frustrated after the bank tells him that this type of gift would require Jewel's signature.

Tucker goes on to conduct a string of heists, often without having to draw his gun from under his coat. Dallas Police Detective John Hunt (Casey Affleck) compiles police sketches from witnesses who describe Tucker as charming and gentlemanly. He then displays the sketches on the evening news, asking anyone with information to come forward. Shortly afterwards, Hunt's investigation is taken over by the FBI.

A woman named Dorothy (Elisabeth Moss) comes forward stating that she is Tucker's daughter. Although he is no longer on the case, Hunt agrees to meet with her. Dorothy says that she was born while Tucker was in prison making Tucker unaware of her or his grandchild. Hunt is led to Tucker's former lawyers who says that Tucker has never pulled the trigger of his gun. According to his lawyer, police reports of Tucker firing during a standoff are false as it was simply his car's engine backfiring. Tucker happens to recognize John Hunt who is on a night out with his wife Maureen (Tika Sumpter). Tucker tries to boost Hunt's confidence but becomes unnerved when Hunt calls him "Forrest", indicating that the recognition is mutual.

Later that evening, police attempt to capture Tucker as he arrives home. He flees, but again his car backfires, prompting police to shoot at him, striking him in the arm. He eludes them and makes his way to Jewels farm. As it's the early hours of the morning, he decides not to wake Jewel and instead takes one of her horses for a ride. Tucker had never ridden a horse before and this was on his list of things he wanted to do. While riding, several police vehicles come down the road and turn onto the farm's property. Tucker resigns himself to surrending and does. When Jewel visits him in prison, Tucker gives her a list of his sixteen previous escapes from reformatories and prisons, but line number seventeen is left blank. On Jewel's advice, he remains in San Quentin until the end of his sentence.

When Tucker is released from prison, Jewel is there to pick him up. She takes him to her farm and sets up a room for him, telling him he can stay as long as he likes. Some time later, Tucker tells Jewel he is going out on an errand. He calls Detective Hunt from a streetside payphone, and after some brief banter, Tucker sounds distracted and when Hunt asks him if he is ok, Tucker says "I'm about to be.", then hangs up the phone and walks into a bank across the street. A title card states that "Tucker robbed four banks that day before eventually being caught. While he was being arrested, the police noted Tucker was smiling."

Cast

Production

In October 2016, it was announced that Casey Affleck and Robert Redford had joined the cast of the film, with David Lowery directing the film, from a screenplay he wrote. James D. Stern, Jeremy Steckler, Dawn Ostroff, Redford, Anthony Mastromauro, and Bill Holderman served as producers on the film under their Endgame Entertainment, Condé Nast banners, respectively.[4][5] In March 2017, Tika Sumpter, Sissy Spacek, Danny Glover, Tom Waits, Elisabeth Moss, and Isiah Whitlock, Jr. joined the cast of the film.[6][7] In April 2017, Keith Carradine joined the cast of the film.[8]

Filming

Principal photography began in Dayton, Ohio on April 3, 2017.[9] The film was shot on Super 16mm film.[10]

Release

In March 2017, Fox Searchlight Pictures acquired distribution rights to the film.[11] It had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival on August 31, 2018.[12][13] It also screened at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2018.[14] The film was scheduled to be released October 5, 2018,[15] but was pushed up to September 28, 2018.[16]

Reception

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 91% based on 221 reviews, with an average rating of 7.6/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "A well-told story brought to life by a beautifully matched cast, The Old Man & the Gun is pure, easygoing entertainment for film fans - and a fitting farewell to a legend."[17] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 80 out of 100, based on 47 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews."[18]

Clint Worthington of Consequence of Sound gave the film a "B+" grade, saying: "Just like Tucker can't help but chase the thrill of an outlaw's life, so too the audience gets hooked on Redford's effortless presence, and the airy, ethereal joys the film presents."[19] Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter wrote: "The film makes plenty of mileage from trading on the charm of a good bad boy, and Redford's long experience in playing such roles serves him beautifully here; he knows by now he doesn't have to push his attractiveness to be ingratiating."[20] Peter Debruge of Variety described the film as "a reminder of everything Redford has given us over the years."[21] Eric Kohn of IndieWire gave the film a "B+" grade, saying: "Ultimately, the movie is a giant, lovable metaphor: Tucker's criminal preoccupations are such a natural part of his life he seems as if he could keep at it forever, no matter the impracticalities, and he becomes an ideal avatar for Redford's own achievements."[22]. Review Site Ciné Binger gave the movie a rating of 80% praising the storytelling, stating “Great script, brilliant acting, stylish moments and wonderful cinematography.”[23]

Awards and nominations

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) and nominee(s) Result Ref(s)
Golden Globe Awards January 6, 2019 Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy Robert Redford Nominated [24]
Satellite Awards February 17, 2019 Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama Robert Redford Nominated [25]

References

  1. ^ "The Old Man and The Gun". Toronto International Film Festival. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  2. ^ "The Old Man and the Gun (2018)". The Numbers. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  3. ^ Murthi, Vikram (2016-11-11). "Robert Redford Announces Retirement From Acting". IndieWire. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
  4. ^ Barraclough, Leo (October 28, 2016). "Casey Affleck Joins Robert Redford in 'The Old Man and the Gun'". Variety. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  5. ^ Coggan, Devan (October 28, 2016). "Robert Redford, Casey Affleck to star in crime movie The Old Man and the Gun". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  6. ^ N'Duka, Amanda (March 23, 2017). "Tika Sumpter Joins Casey Affleck In 'The Old Man And The Gun". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  7. ^ Fleming Jr, Mike (March 23, 2017). "Fox Searchlight Landing Robert Redford & Casey Affleck Starrer 'Old Man And The Gun'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  8. ^ Hipes, Patrick (April 18, 2017). "Keith Carradine On The Case For 'Old Man And The Gun'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
  9. ^ "The Old Man and the Gun". Directors Guild of America. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  10. ^ Grobar, Matt (November 14, 2018). "'The Old Man & The Gun' DP Joe Anderson Gives Camera A "Twinkle In The Eye" For Memorable Robert Redford Tribute". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  11. ^ Winfrey, Graham (March 24, 2017). "Film Acquisition Rundown: Fox Searchlight Buys 'The Old Man and The Gun,' Grasshopper Film Picks Up 'Bronx Gothic' and More". Indiewire.com. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  12. ^ Tapley, Kristopher (August 30, 2018). "'First Man,' 'Front Runner' and 'Roma' Among 2018 Telluride Film Festival Selections". Variety. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
  13. ^ "Telluride Film Festival Program Guide" (PDF). Telluride Film Festival. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
  14. ^ Vlessing, Etan (July 24, 2018). "Toronto: Timothee Chalamet Starrer 'Beautiful Boy,' Dan Fogelman's 'Life Itself' Among Festival Lineup". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  15. ^ McNary, Dave (April 19, 2018). "Robert Redford's 'The Old Man and the Gun' Lands Awards-Season Opening". Variety. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
  16. ^ Perez, Rodrigo (June 5, 2018). "'The Old Man And The Gun' Trailer: Robert Redford Will Act One Last Time For Director David Lowery". The Playlist. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
  17. ^ "The Old Man & the Gun (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  18. ^ "The Old Man & the Gun (2018)". Metacritic. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  19. ^ Worthington, Clint (September 26, 2018). "Film Review: The Old Man & the Gun Makes For a Proper Movie Star Farewell". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  20. ^ McCarthy, Todd (August 31, 2018). "'The Old Man & the Gun': Film Review | Telluride 2018". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  21. ^ Debruge, Peter (August 31, 2018). "Film Review: 'The Old Man & the Gun'". Variety. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  22. ^ Kohn, Eric (August 31, 2018). "'The Old Man & the Gun' Review: Robert Redford Is a Charming Bank Robber in David Lowery's Loving Tribute". IndieWire. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  23. ^ "The Old Man & The Gun... Fresh!". Ciné Binger. 2019-01-24. Retrieved 2019-01-30.
  24. ^ "2019 Golden Globe Nominations: Full List". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  25. ^ "2018 Awards Nominees". International Press Academy. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
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