Gospel Hill - So how's Taylor?
Review of Gospel Hill
I watched Gospel Hill on dvd. I expected Taylor Kitsch to be pretty good, but he basically steals the show from such big names as Danny Glover, Angela Bassett and Julia Stiles… and even Samuel L. Jackson! Taylor plays Joel Herrod, the son of the town’s ex-sherriff, Jack, who’s perceived as a bigot for never solving the assassination of civil rights leader John Malcolm, played by Jackson in “historical” clips. (Nice subtle connection with the name Malcolm, as in X.) Joel is starting up a landscaping business, and starts dating Rosie, a schoolteacher (Stiles) new in town, but both efforts are thwarted by his dad’s reputation. His brother Carl is a lawyer who basically has no morals until he finally grows a spine late in the film.
A big development corporation is trying to buy up the lots that make up Gospel Hill, an old, poor neighborhood. Its main local proponent and enabler is a doctor (played by director Giancarlo Esposito), whose sexpot wife is sleeping with Carl. His main foe is the local school principal, Sarah Malcolm (Bassett, in an overwrought performance). She’s married to John (Glover, suitably low-key), the civil rights leader’s son, a mechanic who’s never amounted to much. But John finally chases some ghosts away by learning from Jack Herrod who killed his dad and deciding what to do about it, and then confronts a redneck set to hassle his wife at a town meeting about the development.
The script means well, for sure, and it isn’t overly talky (which is good for Kitsch, who makes the most of a meaningful glance) but it could use some tightening up and fleshing out. And the ending is unsatisfyingly pat while not thorough enough. (This is why I’m not a screenwriter or director.)
But what about Mr. Kitsch’s scenes, you ask? His character is very likeable, a sweet, gentle young man who’s just trying to make ends meet. We get to see Taylor mow grass, cut his hand open and bleed like a stuck pig, lend Rosie a little fish flashlight, fix her car… and… dance! Oh yeah, on his first date with Rosie, he shakes the booty in some line dancing, and then some very basic homeboy hip-hop moves, and he is sooo cute when he looks embarassed at what he’s doing. I think it’s safe to say that Kitsch is not all that comfortable dancing and his reaction is for real. Taylor - call me, I’ll give you lessons dear.
Stiles, whose character is burdened with some stiff dialogue, is actually not a bad match with Kitsch, as she is from the minimalist school of acting, and her chill is offset by the hotness of Taylor, who burns through the screen in every scene. She confronts him about his dad, and he defends him as a good man, even though he’s aware of his racist tendencies. The timing is AW-kwerd as the very next thing Joel does is kiss her, after licking his lips and doing a little head fake. Cute and hot, big news there.
Joel is refreshingly different enough from Riggins, allowing Kitsch to look shy and show his irresistible dimples often. And he got to use the southern accent he’s been working on for three years as Riggs. And if anyone can look hot in a dirty, ripped up old white t-shirt and a sweaty old baseball cap, Taylor can, and does. Looks aside (if it's possible), Taylor's performance is humble, sensitive, honest, on-key. He always seems as if he's truly reading and reacting to his scenemate, which can't be said for everyone. And whenever's he not onscreen, the movie drags.
I am sorry for him and the whole cast and crew that this didn’t get picked up by a distributor, but it’s more proof that Kitsch is well on his way to stardom. See it (buy it, or Netflix has it) and be amazed by how well he holds up next to the big names in the cast. You won’t regret it.
Did anyone else catch Gospel Hill? Any thoughts?
I watched Gospel Hill on dvd. I expected Taylor Kitsch to be pretty good, but he basically steals the show from such big names as Danny Glover, Angela Bassett and Julia Stiles… and even Samuel L. Jackson! Taylor plays Joel Herrod, the son of the town’s ex-sherriff, Jack, who’s perceived as a bigot for never solving the assassination of civil rights leader John Malcolm, played by Jackson in “historical” clips. (Nice subtle connection with the name Malcolm, as in X.) Joel is starting up a landscaping business, and starts dating Rosie, a schoolteacher (Stiles) new in town, but both efforts are thwarted by his dad’s reputation. His brother Carl is a lawyer who basically has no morals until he finally grows a spine late in the film.
A big development corporation is trying to buy up the lots that make up Gospel Hill, an old, poor neighborhood. Its main local proponent and enabler is a doctor (played by director Giancarlo Esposito), whose sexpot wife is sleeping with Carl. His main foe is the local school principal, Sarah Malcolm (Bassett, in an overwrought performance). She’s married to John (Glover, suitably low-key), the civil rights leader’s son, a mechanic who’s never amounted to much. But John finally chases some ghosts away by learning from Jack Herrod who killed his dad and deciding what to do about it, and then confronts a redneck set to hassle his wife at a town meeting about the development.
The script means well, for sure, and it isn’t overly talky (which is good for Kitsch, who makes the most of a meaningful glance) but it could use some tightening up and fleshing out. And the ending is unsatisfyingly pat while not thorough enough. (This is why I’m not a screenwriter or director.)
But what about Mr. Kitsch’s scenes, you ask? His character is very likeable, a sweet, gentle young man who’s just trying to make ends meet. We get to see Taylor mow grass, cut his hand open and bleed like a stuck pig, lend Rosie a little fish flashlight, fix her car… and… dance! Oh yeah, on his first date with Rosie, he shakes the booty in some line dancing, and then some very basic homeboy hip-hop moves, and he is sooo cute when he looks embarassed at what he’s doing. I think it’s safe to say that Kitsch is not all that comfortable dancing and his reaction is for real. Taylor - call me, I’ll give you lessons dear.
Stiles, whose character is burdened with some stiff dialogue, is actually not a bad match with Kitsch, as she is from the minimalist school of acting, and her chill is offset by the hotness of Taylor, who burns through the screen in every scene. She confronts him about his dad, and he defends him as a good man, even though he’s aware of his racist tendencies. The timing is AW-kwerd as the very next thing Joel does is kiss her, after licking his lips and doing a little head fake. Cute and hot, big news there.
Joel is refreshingly different enough from Riggins, allowing Kitsch to look shy and show his irresistible dimples often. And he got to use the southern accent he’s been working on for three years as Riggs. And if anyone can look hot in a dirty, ripped up old white t-shirt and a sweaty old baseball cap, Taylor can, and does. Looks aside (if it's possible), Taylor's performance is humble, sensitive, honest, on-key. He always seems as if he's truly reading and reacting to his scenemate, which can't be said for everyone. And whenever's he not onscreen, the movie drags.
I am sorry for him and the whole cast and crew that this didn’t get picked up by a distributor, but it’s more proof that Kitsch is well on his way to stardom. See it (buy it, or Netflix has it) and be amazed by how well he holds up next to the big names in the cast. You won’t regret it.
Did anyone else catch Gospel Hill? Any thoughts?