Firecracker (2005)

A tale of murder in small-town Kansas. When Jimmy is lured away from his abusive family by a traveling sideshow carnival, he encounters Sandra, one of the main attractions. The happiness ... See full summary »

Director:

Steve Balderson

Writers:

Steve Balderson, Clark Balderson (translation)

Stars:

Karen Black, Mike Patton, Susan Traylor

5 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Karen Black	...	Sandra / Eleanor
Mike Patton	...	Frank / David
Susan Traylor	...	Ed
Kathleen Wilhoite	...	Jessica
Jak Kendall	...	Jimmy
Brooke Balderson	...	Pearl
Paul Sizemore	...	Officer Harry
Jane Wiedlin	...	Ursula
George McArthur	...	The Bald Man (as George the Giant)
Cathy Berry	...	Maxine, The Lobster Girl
Pleasant Gehman	...	Estelle
Selene Luna	...	Harriet
Susie Legault	...	Buffalola (as Susie Cravens Legault)
Jeff Montague	...	The Announcer
Sean R. Shuford	...	The Other Man (as Sean Shuford)

Storyline

A tale of murder in small-town Kansas. When Jimmy is lured away from his abusive family by a traveling sideshow carnival, he encounters Sandra, one of the main attractions. The happiness they find together causes them to confront the darkness in their lives.

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Plot Keywords:

carnival | small town | kansas | sideshow | murder | 

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Taglines:

People say nothing ever happens in Kansas

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Official Sites:

Official page

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 October 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

Steve Balderson's Firecracker

Filming Locations:

Black Hills, South Dakota, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dikenga Films, Dymax

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Dennis Hopper was considered for the role of Frank.

User Reviews

"they say nothing ever happens in Kansas"

I was fortunate enough to see this film twice - both the premier screening and it's subsequent showing both at the Raindance Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Jury Prize - Best Film. Unfortunately the sound was a bit problematic at the premier, due to a dodgy speaker (front left - the side I was sitting on) and so seeing it again really made a big difference to the film for me.

Karen Black (playing both religious mother called Eleanor, and a circus singer called Sandra) was wonderful in her dual roles, and Mike Patton I felt was more convincing as David (Eleanor's abusive alcoholic eldest son) than as Frank - the owner/manager of the circus.

The story centers around the disappearance and suspected murder of David, which is investigated by the Sheriff Ed (really well played by Susan Traylor), but also deals with the various unhealthy, abusive and controlling relationships that exist between the characters. The one relationship that seems to be nothing more than friendship is between Jimmy (Eleanor's youngest son) and Sandra, as they each strive for their own freedom from their abusive lives.

Eleanor tries to maintain normality in her family - despite her husbands declining health and David's abuse of Jimmy. Sandra strives for a normal life, to return home

and escape the circus, particularly the abusive Frank. The question is will they be successful?

Visually the film is quite beautiful - the opening shot of the prairie burning is just one example of the wonderful cinematography. A viewer might also recall "Pleasantville" in the film's use of B+W and Colour - the circus is always in colour, the town in black and white. It turns out to be quite a useful convention, on a number of levels, and does help to structure the story for the viewer.

I loved this film, mainly for the performance of Karen Black as Eleanor/Sandra, the visual feast of the beautiful cinematography, and the excellently plotted storyline (which is based on true events).