The Yellow Handkerchief (2008)

A road trip through Louisiana transforms three strangers who were originally brought together by their respective feelings of loneliness.

Director:

Udayan Prasad

Writers:

Pete Hamill (story), Erin Dignam (screenplay)

Stars:

William Hurt, Maria Bello, Kristen Stewart

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
William Hurt	...	Brett Hanson
Maria Bello	...	May
Kristen Stewart	...	Martine
Eddie Redmayne	...	Gordy
Kaori Momoi	...	Motel Owner
Emmanuel Cohn	...	Male Doctor (as Emanuel K. Cohn)
Nurith Cohn	...	Female Nurse
Veronica Russell	...	Pregnant Warden
Grover Coulson	...	Farnsworth
Lisha Brock	...	Waitress
Lucy Faust	...	Snotty Girl (as Lucy Adair Faust)
John Gregory Willard	...	Blonde
Rebecca Newman	...	Ilene
Ross Britz	...	Friend
Marshall Cain	...	Ferry Driver

Storyline

One lazy afternoon in a backwater Louisiana town, Martine takes a leap into an unfamiliar convertible. The driver, Gordy, an awkward young itinerant who eyed her in the diner earlier, isn't displeased to find this pretty sylph in his front seat. Soon they meet Brett, a laconic, humble man just released from prison. Martine isn't keen on going solo with Gordy, and now it's raining cats and dogs, so she invites Brett along, and the unlikely trio sets out, each person unsure of the destination. What ensues is a journey through the lush green byways of rural Louisiana and into the depths of these characters' souls.

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Plot Keywords:

louisiana | road trip | search for father | color in title | teenage boy | 

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Taglines:

A love lost in the past. A love struggling for a future.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sexual content, some violence, language and thematic elements

Details

Official Sites:

Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 November 2009 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Das gelbe Segel

Filming Locations:

Morgan City, Louisiana, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$15,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$37,296 (USA) (26 February 2010)

Gross:

$317,040 (USA) (14 May 2010)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Arthur Cohn Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

To prepare for the role, William Hurt spent a night in Louisiana State Penitentiary - better known as Angola.

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Quotes

Brett Hanson: Look at it this way, it can always get worse.
Martine: Yeah well, I don't really think so.
Brett Hanson: Give it time.

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Connections

Remake of The Yellow Handkerchief (1977)

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Soundtracks

"Bottle Up And Go"
Traditional arrangement by Snooks Eaglin
Performed by Snooks Eaglin

User Reviews

Beautiful movie with meaning

There are movies, such as this and many others, that sometimes don't appeal to people do to the slowness of it all. Nonetheless, I was surprised to see the low rating that it received. The Yellow Handkerchief tells the touching story of three broken individuals, each with their own troubled past and lingering issues; who share one thing in common: the need to escape. The entire plot is centred around a long car journey, in which Martine (Kristen Stewart) and Gordy (Eddie Redmayne)slowly unravvel the mystery of Brett Hanson (Willian Hurt) an unhappy man, recently released from his sentence in prison. The movie is an Indie movie, and it does appear to be rather slow. The script isn't as chatty or invasive as the blockbuster movies we're used to, and there is a lot of scenery. But regardless, the theme of the movie is easy for people to relate to. You don't have to be a convict, or an abandoned child to understand it- the entire story, is about making mistakes. And eventually, the message becomes clearer: that the people who forgive you, and offer you a second chance, are those who love you the most. There are so many different ways to see this movie, that I will point out that that's only my interpretation. I highly recommend this movie, but only if you're in the mood for a more symbolic movie rather than fast paced; action packed thrillers..