(A) Click here to watch the trailer. War Eagle, Arkansas is a beautifully-made independent film of subtle power. The movie is based on a poignant true story and has a real-life pace that draws the audience into the world of its characters. The dialog replicates actual conversation and feels very natural. The acting, directing, and story combine to create an emotional and unforgettable experience.
Unless you live in a major metropolitan area, you may have trouble finding War Eagle, Arkansas in a theater, but it is worth looking for. If you can’t see it in a theater, pick it up on DVD as soon as its available. I saw War Eagle during its regular run at Rave Motion Pictures in the Dallas-Ft Worth area and the combination of the stunning photography and Rave’s digital projection was breath-taking.
Enoch Cass (Luke Grimes) has just graduated from high school in the small town of War Eagle, Arkansas. He’s a good-looking guy and a very talented baseball pitcher but his severe stuttering and unique personality have held him back socially. His only friend is Wheels (Dan McCabe), a young man suffering from cerebral palsy and confined to a motorized chair. Enoch lives with his single mother Belle (Mare Winningham) and his grandfather Pop (Brian Dennehy), a former baseball talent who acts as Enoch’s personal coach.
Enoch has a chance to go to college in Tennessee on a baseball scholarship but he is conflicted. He has spent his entire life helping Wheels’ mother Jessie (Mary Kay Place) care for him and doesn’t want to move. Pop and Wheels think Enoch would be making the worst mistake of his life not to leave the tough life and limited options of War Eagle. In the background are Enoch’s fights with local red-neck Nardler (Lynnsee Provence), Enoch’s budding romance with Abby (Misti Traya), and the threat that romance poses to Wheels.
War Eagle, Arkansas is about the struggles between people’s dreams and real life. Jack (James McDaniel) is a video store manager who hopes to start a church where he can preach. Wheels, raised on TV and video games, tries to escape his circumstances by watching the planets and stars and flirting with women he can’t have. Pop tries to make Enoch the sports hero he himself always hoped to be.
The depth and feeling of War Eagle, Arkansas can’t be recreated in a synopsis and needs to be experienced. This is a very, very good film and proves my long-held belief that great acting and a solid script will beat out a big budget every time. (Released 12-Jun-2009. Rated PG-13. 93 mins.)