1922 (2017)

A simple yet proud farmer in the year 1922 conspires to murder his wife for financial gain, convincing his teenage son to assist. But their actions have unintended consequences.

Director:

Zak Hilditch

Writers:

Stephen King (novel), Zak Hilditch (screenplay)

Stars:

Thomas Jane, Molly Parker, Dylan Schmid

1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Thomas Jane	...	Wilfred James
Molly Parker	...	Arlette James
Dylan Schmid	...	Henry James
Kaitlyn Bernard	...	Shannon Cotterie
Neal McDonough	...	Harlan Cotterie
Tanya Champoux	...	Sallie Cotterie
Brian d'Arcy James	...	Sheriff Jones
Bob Frazer	...	Andrew Lester
Eric Keenleyside	...	Lars
Patrick Keating	...	Mr. Stoppenhauser
Danielle Klaudt	...	Female Teller
Peter New	...	Counterman
Peter Hall	...	Farmer
Michael Bean	...	Funeral Operator
Mark Acheson	...	Pawn Shop Clerk

Storyline

Featuring shades of Edgar Allen Poe's ["A Tell-tale Heart" and] "The Black Cat", 1922, with a Bonny and Clyde sub-plot, based on the Stephen King novella of the same name, centers on simple but proud farmer, Wilfred James, who, with the reluctant help of his teenage son, murders his wife to gain ownership of her inherited land. Shortly after, however, strange and supernatural occurrences begin to plague both James and his farm. Is it just simple bad luck, or is it the work of something much more sinister?

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Plot Keywords:

1920s | rat | based on short story | farmer | murder | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

TV-MA

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sixth adaptation of a story by Stephen King in 2017, followed by The Mist (2017), The Dark Tower (2017), It (2017), Gerald's Game (2017) and Mr. Mercedes (2017).

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Goofs

The biggest one was that a woman could not divorce a man in 1922. She would have no power to take him to court to get her independence or the land. Unless she was just bluffing and fooling her husband in this movie.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Wilfred James: [writing] To whom it may concern. My name is Wilfred Leland James, and this is my confession. The issue that led to my crime and damnation was 100 acres of good land in Hemingford Home, Nebraska, willed to my wife, Arlette Christina Winters James, following the death of her father. It was much my intention to add her 100 to our 80-acre freehold farm, as it was to someday pass it all on to my boy, Henry Freeman James, and to his thereafter.

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Connections

Referenced in Half in the Bag: The Cloverfield Paradox and the Netflix Conundrum (2018)

User Reviews

A Rather Bland & Predictable Adaptation

Whereas the recent "Gerald's Game" was a remarkable adaptation of a Stephen King story, "1922"...wasn't. It isn't horrible, but it trends far too much towards predictable and plodding to be anything near good.

For a basic plot summary, "1922" tells the story of a family of farmers. Wilfred James (Thomas Jane) and his son Henry (Dylan Schmid) are died-in-the-wool farmers. The problem? Wife/mother Arlette (Molly Parker) is not...and she's the one who just inherited a bunch of land (which = money in the 1920s). With Arlette threatening to move to the big city to open a dress shop (and take Henry with her), father and son concoct a plan to stop this from happening. But how far will they go to keep their simple farm life...and what consequences will it bring if they go too far?

At its literary heart, "1922" is a tale of consequences and morality. The problem here, however, is that everything seems so telegraphed that nothing feels unpredictable or exciting. I had read the King story previously, but very long ago and thus I honestly remembered next to nothing. In this adaptation, though, I felt like I knew everything that was going to happen within the first 15- 20 minutes. There are no twists, turns, or surprises...just very straightforward.

So, for an adaptation that seems "right down the middle", I'll give it an equally "right down the middle" grade of five stars out of ten. I could never say "1922" is out-and-out bad, but I'm not recommending it to others, either, due to the blandness and predictability.

Details

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 October 2017 (USA)

Also Known As:

1922

Filming Locations:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Campfire, Lighthouse Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1