Two Soldiers (2003)

Mississippi, just before Pearl Harbor. Two brothers, Pete, about 19 and Willie, about 10 years younger. They are clearly close friends. The news arrives, and Pete goes to enlist. Willie ... See full summary »

Director:

Aaron Schneider

Writers:

William Faulkner (short story), Aaron Schneider

Stars:

Jonathan Furr, Ben Allison, Ron Perlman

Won 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Mississippi, just before Pearl Harbor. Two brothers, Pete, about 19 and Willie, about 10 years younger. They are clearly close friends. The news arrives, and Pete goes to enlist. Willie wants to come along, but is told he cannot. After his brother leaves, the boy walks 30 miles to the nearest town, where the sheriff eventually puts him on a bus to Memphis where his brother is. At the recruiting office, Willie proves even more determined to see his brother; eventually, sympathetic Col. McKellogg takes care of him.

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Plot Keywords:

sheriff | bus | perseverance | tearjerker | whispering | 

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Genres:

Short | Drama | War

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 August 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

William Faulkner's Two Soldiers

Filming Locations:

East Bend, North Carolina, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Shoe Clerk Picture Co. Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

40 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

At 28:19 on the DVD feature, Colonel McKellog says "You know, a great man once said that God put the firewood there but every man must gather it and light it for himself", to which Lieutenant Hogenbeck responds "Abraham Lincoln", and Willie Grier then says "Lone Ranger". The quote is actually from the "Ranger creed" in the Lone Ranger series.

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Goofs

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.

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Quotes

Colonel McKellog: So what the hell is this about?
Lieutenant Hogenbeck: I have no idea, sir. You'll have to ask that little pissant there.
Colonel McKellog: I was, Lieutenant.

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Connections

Referenced in Independent Filmmaking in Wilmington, NC (2004)

User Reviews

A great short film

A beautifully photographed and paced short film. It evocatively captures the feeling of this family and much of the country during the period just prior to and after Pearl Harbor.

I appreciated the visual look of the film -- naturalistic and simultaneously poetic. Great work by a great D.P., David Boyd.

Though a family film, the story never becomes maudlin or saccharin. We understand and believe the motivation that propels the young boy on his odyssey. I understand the love of the younger brother for his older brother and do not question why he sets out to do what he does. I understand that he is driven by a deep desire to be with his brother in this time of crisis. The kid is tough, and the performance by Jonathan Furr is superb as is the veteran performance by Ron Perlman.