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Lawless (2012)

 -  Crime | Drama  -  29 August 2012 (USA)
7.3
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Ratings: 7.3/10 from 92,176 users   Metascore: 58/100
Reviews: 221 user | 309 critic | 38 from Metacritic.com

Set in Depression-era Franklin County, Virginia, a bootlegging gang is threatened by a new deputy and other authorities who want a cut of their profits.

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(screenplay), (novel)
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Title: Lawless (2012)

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1 win & 3 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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Danny
Tim Tolin ...
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Deputy Jeff Richards
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Sheriff Hodges
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Tizwell Minnix
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Storyline

In 1931, in Franklyn County, Virginia, Forrest Bondurant is a legend as immortal after surviving the war. Together with his brothers Howard and the coward Jack, the Bondurant family has a distillery and bootlegging business. When the corrupt District Attorney Mason Wardell arrives in Franklyn with the unscrupulous Special Deputy Charles Rakes, the Bondurant family refuses to pay the required bribe to the authorities. Rakes pursuits the brothers and unsuccessfully tries to find their distillery. Meanwhile Forrest hires the waitress Maggie, a woman with a hidden past in Chicago, and they fall in love with each other. Jack courts the preacher's daughter Bertha Minnix and deals a great load of alcoholic liquor with the powerful gangster Floyd Banner. Jack shows off in Franklyn attracting the attention of Rakes that finds the location of their distillery. When he kills the crippled Cricket Pate, the locals join forces to face the corrupt authorities. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

When the law became corrupt, outlaws became heroes.

Genres:

Crime | Drama

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong bloody violence, language and some sexuality/nudity | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

29 August 2012 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

The Promised Land  »

Filming Locations:

 »

Box Office

Budget:

$26,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$10,001,566 (USA) (31 August 2012)

Gross:

$37,397,291 (USA) (21 November 2012)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

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Color:

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie is based on actual events, as explained in the book "The Wettest County in the World" (2008) written by Matt Bondurant. Matt Bondurant is the grandson of Jack Bondurant, the character played by Shia LaBeouf in the film. See more »

Goofs

The double-yellow line on the paved road in the opening scene. There would hardly have been any pavement in rural Virginia, let alone stripes, at the time. See more »

Quotes

Maggie Beauford: Are you Forrest Bondurant? I'm Maggie Beauford.
See more »

Connections

Featured in Chelsea Lately: Episode #6.129 (2012) See more »

Soundtracks

"Burnin' Hell"
Written by The Bootleggers
Performed by The Bootleggers/ Nick Cave
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
Much better than most Hollywood fare
11 October 2012 | by (United States) – See all my reviews

Reading the other reviews, I'm amused by the number of reviewers who don't have a clue about how southern rural hill people behave (and esp. behaved back in the 1920s). They accuse Hardy, and to some extent LaBeouf, of bad acting because their characters are so laconic (that means they don't run off at the mouth a lot) and inward and don't wear every emotion on their sleeves. Then they mightily praise Oldman and Pearce for great acting when they were, in fact, just playing northern urban gangsters who like to behave over the top---the very thing that disgusts southern sensibilities.

The folks making those review comments have probably spent too much time watching movies based on comic books and not enough time with dramatic characters representing actual human beings. So don't pay attention to their noise.

Instead, watch the flick. It's good. I enjoyed it.


143 of 178 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

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Tom Hardy is one of the best actors out there. Travisvsherrill
Tom Hardy's voice the_spiral
Sorry But never gonna believe anything shot on digital is the past jboxer11111
Hardy's accent naughts-85
Did women drive back then??? jdelacruz07
Why did Maggie (Jessica Chastain) return to the bar? kElevrA7
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