Cook County (2009)

After a stint in prison, Sonny returns to his home in East Texas, determined to repair his relationship with his son. Standing in his way is his brother, who has turned the home into a crumbling meth lab.

Director:

David Pomes

Writer:

David Pomes

Stars:

Anson Mount, Xander Berkeley, Ryan Donowho

4 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Anson Mount	...	Bump
Xander Berkeley	...	Sonny
Ryan Donowho	...	Abe
Polly Cole	...	Lucy
Rutherford Cravens	...	Fat Earl
Makenna Fitzsimmons	...	Deandra
Brandon Smith	...	Wayne
John McClain	...	Uncle JD
Yankie Grant	...	Aunt Sally
J.D. Hawkins	...	Peanut
Gary Chason	...	Mr. Jimmy
Lisa Williams	...	Miss Debbie
Toby Lister	...	Bill Jenkins
Tommy Townsend	...	Pee Paw
Scott Nankivel	...	Luke

Storyline

After a stint in prison, Sonny returns to his home in East Texas, determined to repair his relationship with his son. Standing in his way is his brother, who has turned the home into a crumbling meth lab.

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Plot Keywords:

meth lab | meth | methamphetamine | drug use | drugs | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 December 2011 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Cleveland, Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$700,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,579, 18 December 2011, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$17,977, 12 February 2012

Company Credits

Production Co:

Greenwood Films,Red Noses Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min (Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente)

Sound Mix:

6-Track Stereo (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Many scenes were shot in Cleveland Texas.

User Reviews

Well worth your time

I went to see this film at SXSW to keep a friend of mine happy and all I can say is...WOW! I'm not a film student or critic by any means. I'm just our average Joe that is not often overly impressed with most of the films that come out of Hollywood. THIS film, though, was well worth my time and I thanked my friend for getting me to see it.

Ultimately this film is about good, evil, and finding redemption. Xander Berkeley plays Sonny, a father who has taken a wrong path in life and is trying hard to make up for wasted time and broken relationships. You are not always sure what he is up to or if he will redeem himself or fall back to his old ways, but he finally finds his redemption through sacrifice in a most unexpected way.

Ryan Donowho does a very fine job as Abe, a teen in the unenviable position of being his 6-year old cousin's protector in a house full of meth addicts. Abe is doing the best he can and shows a lot of heart, but ultimately the situation is way over the head of somebody with such limited resources and life experience.

Anson Mount simply puts on the performance of his career. I can't say enough about what he put on screen. You're not going to like his character Bump, Abe's uncle and the father of a 6-year old girl whose life he seems determined to ruin in the worst way. He is a man who has completely lost any moral compass he may have had. He is the black hole in the cosmic center of this household. There seems to be no end to his addiction and self serving decadence. Mount brings a realism to this character that may well make your blood boil.

The film is raw and real. As one other reviewer stated, there are parts of this film that are hard to sit in your seat and watch. However, this is only because you'll want to jump into the screen and do something to change the course of events that define the impending train wreck of these peoples lives.

To me this film was a little choppy early which is the only reason I didn't give it 10 of 10, but in the end this is of minor consequence. This film is powerful. If you are looking for a glossed over look at drug addiction, go somewhere else. This film will slap you in the face with it.