I've been eagerly anticipating seeing this historical drama for a long while now. It shines a light on a different component of the Civil Rights Movement and era- one that has been frequently overlooked, yet is just as worthy of being highlighted and explored. There are some genuine and quality components to the film. But also things missing from it. It was a good film, which could have been great, and a game changer. Cinematography is lovely- it showcases the contrast between the tranquil beauty of the natural landscape with the tumultuous events occuring upon it. The filters, lighting and camera angles support the sensibility of the period. The languid steel guitar soundtrack really takes the audience to the place and time ( 1961 Montgomery Alabama) The score is subtle yet effective, and supports the dramatic unfolding of events in the story. It does not overwhelm the audience with being too loud , distracting or bombastic. The use of period postcards and historic news reel clips add to the feeling of reliving through those tenuous times. All actors deliver, but the directing hand needs to supply more sensitized steering for his cast & crew. .There are no solid subplots developed, and the secondary characters plead to be more fleshed out. Pregnant pauses between characters llines stilt the dialog. Lead actor Lucas Till inhabits well the character of Bob Zellner and seems comfortable in his title role. But his internal emotional process is 1 note. I was longing for a more fulfilling and noticeable arc of development and growth from within him. Too many characters (mostly historical) are introduced with no resolution- Loose ends left floating around. The rhthym and pacing of story development is disjointed. iI felt it peaked way too soon, which leaves the ending feeling anti- climactic. I was left hanging with the sense of " Wait-That's it"????" It also inadvertently ( and unfortunately) gives off a hint of a" white savior" tone. The story of a young white Southern man who left his long line of family Klansmen to join the Civil Rights Movement- it could have really brought a whole new light to the those times and events. But I did not feel it was a balanced delivery. It is Bob Zellner's story, which is fine. The bulk of the plot can and should still be about his journey. It is Bob's story as well as the journey of the African American historical figures. But the lack of character development in the African American characters, as well as in his ( Zellner's character) lacking in an emotional arc of growth- really make the film's essence lopsided. The take away umphhhh is not there to the level I was craving. It is still a film worth seeing. One definitely escapes to the past for a couple of hours. And there is still an uptick at the end. It just could have a much broader spectrum in the effectiveness of its delivery ,and in its impact on the viewer- both individually and collectively. Yet I learned much from this film and feel better informed and more aware from seeing it.

I feel somewhat the same towards this film as I did to last years The Last Full Measure with the main similarity being that it's heart is in the right place but it doesn't do a lot to distinguish itself. The message of this film is inspiring but it's a message that's told in most films relating to the Civil Rights Era. The performances were all around decent. There was one bad performance but most everyone else did a good job with what they were given. The script is okay at best. Like I said, the script doesn't do enough to make this film stand out and the dialogue is mediocre at best but not terrible. In terms of cinematography and music, it's average. Nothing special about the music or the way the film is shot. There really isn't too much to say since it doesn't do a lot for me. It's got a good string foundation that just doesn't build off of it that well. Check this out if you're interested in the subject matter but you could probably pass on this one.

It's the summer of '61. College student Bob Zellner (Lucas Till) decides to talk to Rosa Parks for a school paper on race relations. It starts him down the road to the civil rights fight and self discovery.

This movie starts with Bob getting hung from a tree. Next, he jumping to talk to Rosa Parks. Before all that, the movie should introduce the audience to Bob himself. He comes off as unnecessarily clueless. Part of that is Lucas Till and his model good looks. He seems to fit more on a Californian beach. He's also not showing enough shock. Lucas has a tendency to seem above it all. This is a biopic of a real life person. I have to assume that there is some reality to the performance. The short reel of the real Bob gives off a slightly different vibe except when he's confronting Doc in that one scene. I do find the portrayal of ingrained racism of that time and place very compelling. I'm fascinated with his relationship to his grandfather. I wish for more of the father son relationship. I absolutely believe that Lucas Till is white. I'm just not sure if he's Bob.