As I Lay Dying (2013)

As I Lay Dying (2013)

Starring: James Franco, Tim Blake Nelson, Jim Parrack

Writers: James Franco (Screenplay), William Faulkner (Novel)

Director: James Franco

Synopsis (from Millennium):

As I Lay Dying chronicles the Bundren family as they traverse the Mississippi countryside to bring the body of their deceased mother Addie to her hometown for burial. Addie's husband Anse and their children, Cash, Darl, Jewel, Dell, and the youngest one Vardaman, leave the farm on a carriage with her coffin – each affected by Addie's death in a profound and different way. Their road trip to Jefferson, some forty miles away, is disrupted by every antagonistic force of nature or man; flooded rivers, injury and accident, a raging barn fire, and not least of all – each individual character's personal turmoil and inner commotion which at times threaten the fabric of the family more than any outside force.

Review:

This was a surprise heavy hitter for me. I've never read William Faulkner's novel, which is hailed as an American classic, but I'd say it had to be quite tasking to adapt such a story to film. What I do know of the book is that it's told from the perspective of multiple characters through each chapter. In order to bring this to life, Franco uses split screen for more than 95% of the film. It's a great element that keeps the story going at a good pace. There's constantly something interesting going on in both the left and right frames. Some shots take place simultaneously from different angles, while others drift off from each other. I've seen split screen used before in many a movie, but never quite like it's utilized in As I Lay Dying.

Other than hearing the crew talking about how faithful the adaptation is through behind-the-scenes videos and interviews, I can't provide a comparison for the book and the film. I can say that this is one hell of a screenplay, though. The story is a long endeavor full of despair, with each obstacle trumping the last. The heavy anguish begins once the Bundren brothers carry their mother's casket out of the front door of the family's shack. It's quite an intense scene and it's only the beginning. For every natural disaster the family endures, there's personal catastrophe making it all so much worse. Each character has their own little arc of inner upheaval, and each of their problems clash many times. There's never a break from the depression of As I Lay Dying.

Acting is real strong point here. The family are farmers in the early 1900s, and each character couldn't possibly be more far removed from the actors portraying the parts. There's a lot of slackjawed type accents. It's difficult at first to understand some of the dialog, but it becomes easy to adapt to. Danny McBride plays a neighbor and friend of the Bundren family. He's not an actor I normally follow. I'm not sure if he's ever played a part like this, but this movie definitely shows that the guy has more diversity than I ever imagined. And it's a really limited role. Tim Blake Nelson as Anse, the father, is absolutely excellent. Not a character I was ever once standing behind, but Nelson is so totally wrapped up in the role that it's impossible to not admire. James Franco, Logan Marshall-Green, and Jim Parrack play the oldest brothers, who never see eye to eye. This provides all kinds of problems on the family's travels. Ahna O'Reilly plays Dewey, the daughter, and Brandy Permenter is Vardaman, the youngest son. As mentioned earlier, this entire group has separate pent up issues, except maybe the youngest. But he's a child who's just lost his mother, so in no way is he without suffering. Everybody's really on point, here.

The film score is composed by Tim O'Keefe. It's really restrained and simplistic at times. Just one single, whining note, but it gives the story such an eeriness. There's rarely a moment in the film where you don't hear some instance of somber composition; the fact that most of it sounds so basic yet, hits like a freight train speaks volumes for O'Keefe's talent.

Final Thoughts:

I don't normally cover a film of this nature on the blog because I usually have trouble writing about something that's out of the Sci-Fi, Action, or Horror spectrum. But every once in a while, a movie comes along like As I Lay Dying, and it's just easy to talk about. I'm not sure how fans of the book will react to it. I'd hope that even if it is not what they picture when they read the novel that it can be judged on its own merits. I thought it was a pretty terrific film, especially for being such a downer of a tale. Perhaps one of the best non-genre films I've seen all year.

As I Lay Dying comes from Millennium Entertainment is now available through several OnDemand services and the DVD hits on November 5th, 2013. Order HERE.


- Eric (Brobocop)