Two Soldiers (2003)

Director:

Aaron Schneider

Writers:

William Faulkner (short story)
Aaron Schneider (written by)

Genre:

Short | Drama | War

Plot:

Mississippi, just before Pearl Harbor. Two brothers, Pete, about 19 and Willie, about 10 years younger...

Plot Keywords:

Bus | Sheriff | Football | Child Traveling Alone | Tear Jerker

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 wins

Cast

Jonathan Furr	...	Willie Grier (as Jonathan 'Furrball' Furr)
Ben Allison	...	Pete Grier
Ron Perlman	...	Colonel McKellog
David Andrews	...	Lieutenant Hogenbeck
Mike Pniewski	...	Sheriff Foote
Deacon Dawson	...	Mr. Grossnickel
Joanne Pankow	...	Mrs. Habersham
Danny Vinson	...	Pap Grier
Suellen Yates	...	Maw Grier
David Hall	...	Private
D.H. Johnson	...	Colonel's Driver
Al Wiggins	...	Man on the Bus
Allan Hamilton	...	Bus Driver
Warren Hendon	...	Old Man Killegrew (as Warren Jack Hendon)
Nancy Saunders	...	Old Lady Killegrew

Runtime:

40 min | USA:39 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Filming Locations:

East Bend, North Carolina, USA

Company:

Shoe Clerk Picture Co. Inc.

Trivia:

On the third commentary track, director 'Aaron Schneider' mentions that the shot at 22:36 on the DVD of a security guard pushing a black man back out of the entrance door not only shows how Willie Grier was able to get into the recruitment processing center, but was also intended to explain why no black men were inside - black and white recruits were processed on different days.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: At 12:49 on the DVD as Willie Grier is walking down the road in the moonlight, he seems to be walking on a path in the middle of the road. At 10:23 in the 3rd (director and cinematographer) commentary Aaron Schneider mentions that Bill Eaton, who owned the farm where location shots were made, assisted by spreading quarry gravel (granite dust at 08:44 in the documentary "Behind the Scenes") over the yellow lines to conceal them and avoid an anachronism.

Quotes:

Colonel McKellog: Aside from Army versus Navy and World War II, my day is entirely free.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Independent Filmmaking in Wilmington, NC (2004)

A top notch short film

Based on a William Faulkner short story, Two Soldiers is a top notch short film, a movie that has enough story, emotion and great cinematography for a feature film and definitely leaves you wanting more in the end. The story involves two dirt poor Mississippi brothers, one only a kid, the other old enough to volunteer for the war effort shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The younger brother, played brilliantly by newcomer Jonathan Furr, doesn't want to let his older brother go, and he sets out on a quest to enlist in the Army himself. Ron Perlman gives a gruff but touching peformance as the Army Colonel who decides to help the kid.

Because it is only 39 minutes long, this gem will be hard to find (it will most likely be confined to the festival circuit for now), but remember the name Aaron Schneider--this picture marks him as a director to watch.