Ain't Them Bodies Saints (2013)

The tale of an outlaw who escapes from prison and sets out across the Texas hills to reunite with his wife and the daughter he has never met.

Director:

David Lowery

Writer:

David Lowery

Stars:

Rooney Mara, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster

4 wins & 12 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rooney Mara	...	Ruth Guthrie
Casey Affleck	...	Bob Muldoon
Ben Foster	...	Patrick Wheeler
Keith Carradine	...	Skerritt
Kennadie Smith	...	Sylvie Guthrie
Jacklynn Smith	...	Sylvie Guthrie
Nate Parker	...	Sweetie
Robert Longstreet	...	Cowboy Hat
Charles Baker	...	Bear
Augustine Frizzell	...	Sissy
Kentucker Audley	...	Freddy
David Zellner	...	Zellner
Turner Ross	...	T.C.
Rami Malek	...	Will
Will Beinbrink	...	Lt. Townes

Storyline

The tale of an outlaw who escapes from prison and sets out across the Texas hills to reunite with his wife and the daughter he has never met.

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Plot Keywords:

taking the blame for someone else | storytelling | directorial debut | fugitive | outlaw couple | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some violence

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 August 2013 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Texas Love Story

Filming Locations:

Shreveport, Louisiana, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$26,419, 18 August 2013, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$387,606, 29 September 2013

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sailor Bear, Parts and Labor, Primary Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck later starred together again in David Lowery's A Ghost Story (2017)

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Goofs

When Bob visits Skerritt and they embrace, Bob is clearly wearing a wedding ring which is not present in any other scene including in the continuation of this meeting. Given Bob Muldoon and Ruth Guthrie's differing names it could be presumed they are not married.

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Quotes

Ruth Guthrie: I haven't slept in four years. And I'm tired. I'm so goddamn tired.
Patrick Wheeler: Then rest.

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Connections

Featured in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #21.193 (2013)

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Soundtracks

Appalachian Abduction
Performed by Curtis Heath
Written by Curtis Heath
Produced by Curtis Heath
Engineered by Curtis Heath

User Reviews

Classic love story remains true to the genre but has unconventional feel

If I had seen this film outside of a film festival setting I probably would not have appreciated it as much. Fortunately, director David Lowery provided amazing insight into his thought process and artistic intent as he crafted this film.

His attempt to create a "classic" film, distinguishable for its details but otherwise typical of the star-crossed lovers genre, resulted in something so much more. The characters are much more complex and do not fit neatly into their traditional archetypes. The audience will feel conflicted throughout, growing partial to different characters and rooting for different outcomes at various junctures in the film. Character introspection and lengthy shots of the landscape definitely took priority over plot development. If the depth of the story matched the depth of the characters this would be a truly great film.

The performances are second-to-none and the film was expertly cast. The hand clapping percussion and fiddle gives the score a uniquely southern, soulful feel; anyone from Texas can attest, the combination of score and cinematography will let the audience know what small-town Texas feels like.

Lowery prefaced the film as a cinematic "folk song" and it totally had the feel of a Townes Van Zandt ballad. If the film-goer keeps the folk song description in mind they'll truly appreciate the film's nuances and enjoy the experience.