Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Redford plays a lovable thief in gentle, fact-based drama.
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The Old Man & the Gun
What's the Story?
In THE OLD MAN & THE GUN, which is based on a true story, Forrest Tucker (Robert Redford) is a lifelong criminal, escape artist, and master bank robber. His method includes dressing nicely, showing (but not firing) his gun, being polite, and not taking too much money. While escaping one robbery in 1981, he stops to help a woman, Jewel (Sissy Spacek), on the side of the road, and they form a sweet relationship. Then, Forrest and his partners, Waller (Danny Glover) and Teddy (Tom Waits), quietly rob a bank where police detective John Hunt (Casey Affleck) is waiting in line. When Hunt discovers what's happened, his embarrassment pushes him to find the robbers and bring them in. Of course, Forrest could try to stop doing what he does, but the truth is that he genuinely loves his "job."
Is It Any Good?
Director David Lowery brings his gentle, dreamy touch to this true story, taking it somewhere above most biopics; it's smaller in scale, with less at stake, but it's also somehow more legendary. In terrific films like Pete's Dragon (which also starred Redford) and A Ghost Story, Lowery slowed things down to give viewers -- and characters -- time to ponder life's strangest, most wonderful moments of magic and mystery. He does the same in The Old Man & the Gun, somehow unhampered by the constraints of a "true story" or "biopic" movie formula.
Redford positively glows here, perhaps enjoying this role more thoroughly than any in a long time. He and Spacek are adorable, Affleck is appealingly flawed (and has several touching family scenes with Tika Sumpter as his wife), and the enviable supporting cast lends a classical weight to the movie. In addition to Glover and Waits, there's also Elisabeth Moss, Keith Carradine, Gene Jones, Isiah Whitlock Jr., and more. Overall, The Old Man & the Gun may feel deceptively slight, and it does prattle on a few minutes too long at the end, but it's an absolute dream of a movie -- one to cherish.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how The Old Man & the Gun depicts violence. How frequently are guns shown? How frequently are they used? Are guns glamorized in any way?
Is Forrest Tucker a role model? Why or why not? What are his admirable qualities? What are his less-than-admirable ones?
Is it possible for younger viewers to enjoy a story about an older man? Why or why not?
Movie Details
- In theaters : September 28, 2018
- On DVD or streaming : January 15, 2019
- Cast : Robert Redford , Sissy Spacek , Casey Affleck
- Director : David Lowery
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Fox Searchlight Pictures
- Genre : Drama
- Run time : 93 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : brief strong language
- Last updated : April 24, 2020
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