Copperhead (2013 film)
| Copperhead | |
|---|---|
 film poster | |
| Directed by | Ron Maxwell |
| Screenplay by | Bill Kauffman |
| Story by | Harold Frederic |
| Produced by | Ron Maxwell |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Kees Van Oostrum |
| Music by | Laurent Eyquem |
Production companies | Swordspoint Productions Brainstorm Media |
| Distributed by | Film Collective |
Release date |
|
Running time | 118 minutes |
| Countries | Canada United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $171,740[1] |
Copperhead is an independent Canadian/American film directed by Ron Maxwell. It stars Billy Campbell. Shot at Kings Landing Historical Settlement in New Brunswick, Canada and set in upstate New York, it was released June 28, 2013. The film is based on a 19th-century novel, The Copperhead, by Harold Frederic. The title refers to Northern opponents of the American Civil War, known as Copperheads.
Plot
In a rural community upstate New York in 1862, farmer Abner Beech is a Northern antiwar Democrat. While his neighbors take up the Union cause in the ongoing American Civil War, Beech believes that coercion in resisting the secession of the southern states is unconstitutional, and gradually becomes more and more harassed for his views, derisively called a "Copperhead". His son, Thomas Jefferson Beech, enlists in the Union Army. Beech also arouses the ire of militant abolitionist Jee Hagadorn, whose daughter Esther (Lucy Boynton) loves Jeff.
Cast
- Billy Campbell as Abner Beech
- Angus Macfadyen as Jee Hagadorn
- Peter Fonda as Avery
- Augustus Prew as Ni Hagadorn
- Lucy Boynton as Esther Hagadorn
- Casey Thomas Brown as Jeff Beech
- François Arnaud as Warner Pitts
- Josh Cruddas as Jimmy
- Genevieve Steele as M'Rye Beech
Production
The film had the working title Copperhead: The War at Home.[citation needed] Filmed at Kings Landing Historical Settlement in New Brunswick, Canada,.[2][3] "Copperhead" was produced by Ron Maxwell and co-produced by John Houston.
Reception
"Well researched, intellectually admirable, and beautifully photographed . . . If every war has more than one side, this story of one man who dares to stand against the tide of history has a contemporary relevance that remains uncontested." <Rex Reed, New York Observer>
Box office
Copperhead opened in limited theatrical release June 28, 2013, playing in 59 theaters.[1] and was simultaneously released in video-on-demand platforms including Amazon Video where it is remains available.
Relation to director's previous works
Copperhead is Maxwell's third Civil War film, though the director does not consider it to be part of the trilogy he has planned along with Gettysburg (1993) and Gods and Generals (2003), as he expects to conclude the series with a final film based on Jeff Shaara's The Last Full Measure.[4]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Copperhead". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
- ^ Vlessing, Etan (May 28, 2012). "Copperhead Shoot Embraces New Brunswick". PlayBack. Brunico Communications Ltd.
- ^ Patten, Dominic (June 5, 2012). "'The Killing's' Billy Campbell Replaces Jason Patric on 'Copperhead'". Deadline.com. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
- ^ Raleigh, Brendan (May 30, 2013). "Maxwell's 'Copperhead' to Strike on Screen for Civil War Anniversary". Frederick Gorilla. Frederick, Maryland. Retrieved May 30, 2013.