October 3 -A Painted House

The movie has a scene that happens today – October 3. I hope you will enjoy this film while watching it tonight.

A PAINTED HOUSE

In 1952 in eastern Arkansas Eli “Pappy” Chandler, grandfather to Luke hires the Spruills, a family of hill people and some Mexican migrants to pick their cotton. Luke’s father Jesse and his wife Kathleen worry about their debt and his brother Ricky, who’s serving in the Army in the ongoing Korean War. Luke develops a crush on 17 year old Tally Spruill. Her brother Hank verbally abuses Luke. The go to town and a fight breaks out between some of the hill people and the Sisco brothers. With Luke watching Hank intervenes in the fight and using a board beats one of the Siscos so badly he later dies. The sheriff comes looking for Hank. Luke is too intimidated by Hank to say what he saw, so Hank is not arrested. Later Hank and one of the Mexicans called Cowboy get into a huge fight after a baseball game. Jesse’s cousin Jimmy Dale comes to visit with his new Yankee bride, who’s disdainful of their lifestyle. Jimmy Dale talk about how much he is making working for GM in Detroit. Luke and Talley spy on the birth of a child to Libby Latcher, that she later says was fathered by Luke’s uncle Ricky. Someone secretly starts painting the Chandler’s house. Tally and Cowboy develop a romantic relationship. On October 3, 1952 [59:34 to1:01:20] on another trip to town Luke sees TV for the first time, watching game 3 of the 1952 World Series. Upon hearing that the sheriff is finally coming to arrest him, Hank leaves to go back home, but on the way spots Tally and Cowboy together. The two fight, with Cowboy killing Hank. Luke sees the fight. Cowboy tells him if he ever talks he will return and kill his mother, so Luke says nothing. Cowboy and Tally run off to Chicago together. It starts raining continuously, so the remainder of the cotton crop can’t be harvested. The Spruills leave and the Chandlers and the Mexicans just about finish painting the house.  Luke tells his Grandfather about Hank’s death, but they decide never to tell anyone. Jesse Chandler takes a job in Detroit and they leave to start a new life.

Another good coming-of-age story. Luke has to grow up fast in this film. Good local color gives you a sense of really being there.

100 Years of the World Series by Eric Enders (Barnes & Noble Books, 2003) at page 129 gives the game date

Producer – Gordon Wolf

Director – Alfonso Arau

Narrator – John Grisham

Screenplay – Patrick Sheane Duncan

Awards -.  Nominated for Outstanding Single Camera Sound Mixing for a Miniseries or a

                   Movie Emmy at the 55^th Primetime Emmy Awards.

Runtime – 1 hour 37 minutes

Released – April 27, 2003

Starring –

Scott Glenn as Eli “Pappy” Chandler

Arija Bareikis as Kathleen Chandler

Robert Sean Leonard as Jesse Chandler

Melinda Dillon as Gran Chandler

Logan Lerman as Luke Chandler

Audrey Marie Anderson as Tally Spruill

Pablo Schreiber as Hank Spruill

Luis Garcia as Cowboy