On Saturday, we all made point to make to the 3:30 panel prior to the world premiere screening on Saturday the 14th. John Sloss moderated the panel of Richard Linklater, Anne Walker-McBay, and Clark Walker – Matthew’s flight was running late or something, which prompted some to file out the back (pussies). The panel went really well, with both Richard and Clark (writer) providing hilarious anecdotes from the conception of the idea for the film, through location scouting, through filming, postproduction, and the trailer we’ve all seen and love so much (aaacckk!) Really fun, cool stuff. Only prob was we had to bust our tails to make it to the Paramount theatre in time for the premiere, I waited in line, holdin’ our spots, as the girls ran to the front to catch themselves glimpses of the incoming ‘Hunks with guns.’ The screeching female banshees let me know when someone new was getting’ there, then when the line was stretchin’ to get a look see at Matthew McConaughey, they slipped into the Paramount! Without me!! Wenches!!! I suppose they had to carpe diem, but I cain’t help but bein’ sore at ‘em. Scurryin’ ourselves up the steps to the balcony like the cattle back home was the next thing we found ourselves doin’, but once we was seated, Richard Linklater brought out the crew beforehand of those cast members who were able to make it to the showing: McConaughey, Ethan Hawke, Dwight Yoakam, and Julianna Margulies. Everyone assembled up on stage for a Q&A after the movie, oh yeah, the movie! (I get carried away sometimes)
We all know that Linklater is one talented individual, but this film will make any doubter out there a firm believer in the gift that Richard has. Upon reading a Smithsonian article on the Newton Boys four years ago and falling in love with the project, Linklater and crew sculpted a robbery flick with a heart. Following the rise, run, and fall of the Newton Boys, the most infamous bank robbers in our country’s history who also robbed six trains including the daddy of all train robberies, which contained the mother lode of $3 million, an equivalent to $70 million in 1998 dollars!
This film is presented in the best way possible while remaining true to history, and Richard and company do a tremendous job, but this ain’t no WILD BUNCH. The Newton Boys were ‘good old boys,’ they just wanted the money, they never killed anyone and they always robbed their banks at night. Herein lies the crux of the problem that plagued Hollywood for decades: nobody died? How can we add suspense to bank robberies that occur at night when no one is around? Well, yeah, nobody died and the suspense one comes to expect from any bank robbery scene is absent here, oh yes, the film is packed with tiny, thoughtful touches that’ll suck you in and make you smile, but how much suspense can one expect from a robbery with no one around? I mean, if Charlton Heston decided he wanted to rob banks in OMEGA MAN, there wouldn’t be a whole lot of tension in the audience that he’ll be stumbled upon and captured at any moment.
I am in NO WAY discouraging ANYONE from seeing this film! It is a very good film with tremendous scope, the historical content is so incredibly appealing because what you see actually happened, and it’s a take that you haven’t seen before, with all the little coincidences and freaky details intact. Humor, action, and resonating performances from the aforementioned as well as from Skeet Ulrich and Vincent D’Onofrio really suck you in as you ’re propelled forward through this incredible tale. What do you look for in a good movie? A rich story from a superb storyteller? You’ll find it here. An incredible cast filled with knockout performances? You’ll find it here. As perfect a picture as THE NEWTON BOYS could have been and a proud achievement for Linklater, independent filmmakers and the great city of Austin, it has spawned and collected so much great talent… TNB hits theatres Friday the 27th, and I couldn’t encourage you more to see it… a rockin’ flick…
I was hard pressed to get the two ladies into another movie house that night, so we hit the town and had a ball… Sunday however, I was able to wrangle myself into the theatre a tad more…
