The 84 year old Hal Holbrook shows how it is done in this Oscar worthy tour-de-force performance.
That Evening Sun (2009)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:18
Fresh:13
Rotten:5
Average Rating:6.6/10
Synopsis: An aging farmer fights to keep the home that is rightfully his after fleeing from a nursing home and discovering that his son has leased the family farm to his old nemesis. Placed in a nursing home... An aging farmer fights to keep the home that is rightfully his after fleeing from a nursing home and discovering that his son has leased the family farm to his old nemesis. Placed in a nursing home by his son and promptly forgotten, Abner Meecham (Hal Holbrook) realized that waiting to die was no way to live. Determined to enjoy his last days, Abner packed his bags and set his sights on the family farm. At least there he could die on his own land, in familiar surroundings. But Abner is in for a rude awakening, because upon returning home he discovers that his son has leased the farm to Lorenzo Choat. Abner never cared much for Lorenzo, and when Lorenzo refuses to leave Abner takes up residence in an old tenant shack on the property. Before long, their dispute becomes volatile, each man believing himself to be in the right, and refusing to back down from their position. Betrayed by his son and haunted by dreams of his beloved, deceased wife, Abner draws a line in the sand in an attempt to reclaim his life. As threats are made and tension begins to brew, it's only a matter of time before the situation turns savage. [More]
Starring: Hal Holbrook, Ray McKinnon, Walton Goggins, Mia Wasikowska
Starring: Hal Holbrook, Ray McKinnon, Walton Goggins, Mia Wasikowska, Carrie Preston
Director: Scott Teems
Director: Scott Teems
Screenwriter: Scott Teems
Producer: Terence Berry, Walton Goggins, Ray McKinnon, Laura Smith
Composer: Michael Penn
Studio: Dogwood Films
Reviews for That Evening Sun
Holbrook is great as usual...Well-adapted from a William Gay short story by writer-director Scott Teems.
Though the movie is filled with complex emotions and a powerful poignancy, it often manages to be darkly funny, thanks to Holbrook's wily, unsentimental portrayal under Teems' smartly calibrated hand.
Holbrook is a terrific actor, and it’s nice to see him in a leading role, but this is still a movie you can skip.
Hal Holbrook, 84, has always been one of the few great American actors giving those British thespians addressed as "Sir" a run for their knighthood. Now in a tiny little indie, he throws off yet another bravura performance.
The plot is good but it is the acting that is outstanding. Hal Holbrook shines!
a very specific film in that it is about a particular human being in a particular place at a particular moment in time ... It is not about the struggle between good and evil, but about how hard it is to live as a decent person in the world.
Director Scott Teems' film is as quiet as untilled soil -- not always a good thing -- but Holbrook has a handle on where to dig.
Holbrook shines in a rare film-starring role as Abner Meechum, roughly a Southern version of the character Clint Eastwood played in Gran Torino.
An intense and powerful portrait of a stubborn 80-year-old man who is struggling with letting go of his attachment to an idea and to a place he loves
Confounds expectations and discomfits the audience by reversing the strategy of 'Gran Torino,' with Holbrook's proud, cantankerous old-timer becoming less worthy of the audience's early investment of loyalty and trust as the story progresses...
Hal Holbrook shines in this leisurely paced drama about a stubborn octogenarian.
Holbrook’s fierce, contained performance matches in depth and truthfulness his portrayal of a weary Army retiree who briefly becomes a surrogate father to Emile Hirsch’s survivalist in Into the Wild.
The entire exercise feels thin and reedy, trading in geriatric sentiment instead of hard-forged emotion.
Holbrook is as unsentimental as Abner himself, and the beauty of his work here lies in his refusal to soften the character's hard edges. Regrettably, Teems's editorial choices in the film's homestretch waste that discipline.
Complex and fulfilling...a beautifully etched slice of a life that's always compelling.
Latest News for That Evening Sun
November 05, 2009:
Critics Consensus: A Christmas Carol Dazzles But Disappoints
This week at the movies, we've got some modern-day Dickens (Disney's A Christmas Carol, starring Jim Carrey and Gary Oldman); a button-pushing thriller (The Box, starring... More...
October 25, 2009:
Trailer & Poster review ![]()
More...
More Movies
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 71% 71% | Where the Wild Things Are | 03/12 |
| 83% 83% | Paranormal Activity | 03/12 |
| 89% 89% | Zombieland | 03/12 |
| 77% 77% | The Informant! | 03/12 |
| | The Strength of Water | 03/12 |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
- That Evening Sun at Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh Links
Featured

Tim Burton's costume designer talks to Movieline about her long collaboration with the filmmaker and Johnny Depp.

The director talks about puppetry perfection and his film, Fantastic Mr. Fox

We've got 20 copies of the hit TV series' Pilot Episode to giveaway.

Double passes up for grabs to the new comedy starring Paul Giamatti.

Get all the latest movie updates, reviews, interviews and features here.
Competitions

Enough Prequel, Original Trilogy and Family Guy DVDs to fill a space cruiser

Everything from Dr. No to Quantum of Solace could be yours.

We're giving away the 10th Anniversary Blu-ray, plus Braveheart and the Rocky collection



Top Critic

