Shotgun Stories (2007)
87%RT Audience Score: 80%
Awards & Nominations: 5 wins & 5 nominations
Shotgun Stories is a film that transcends the typical tropes of rural family feuds and instead injects a mythic quality into its characters and setting. Director Jeff Nichols masterfully simmers the story in a stew-pot seasoned with the beats of a rural family comedy, resulting in a gripping tragedy that manages to be both lyrical and gritty at the same time. The naturalistic performances, led by the now ubiquitous Michael Shannon, elevate the film above the fray of Green derivatives and unflattering categorizations. Nichols’ original take on classic themes of vengeance and retribution is dropped into a world of real people struggling with the real problems of making a living, taking responsibility for families, and dealing with the betrayals of the past. The slow pacing and occasionally artificial-sounding dialogue may not be for everyone, but for those willing to immerse themselves in this world, Shotgun Stories is a cumulatively forceful and precisely modulated gem of a film.
Shotgun Stories” is like a spicy gumbo of rural family drama and mythic storytelling. The slow burn of the plot might not be for everyone, but the naturalistic performances and Jeff Nichols’ direction keep you hooked. Plus, Michael Shannon is everywhere these days, and he’s just as intense and captivating as ever. It’s like watching a modern western without all the shootouts, but you can still feel the tension and violence simmering beneath the surface. Just don’t expect a lot of action or you might be disappointed.
Production Company(ies)
Universum Film
Distributor
International Film Circuit [us]
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Keo Fish Farms, Keo, Arkansas, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for violence, thematic elements and brief strong language
Year of Release
2008
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
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Runtime:1h 32m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Dec 14, 2007 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 30, 2016
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Michael Shannon, Douglas Ligon, Barlow Jacobs, Natalie Canerday, Glenda Pannell, directed by Jeff Nichols, written by Jeff Nichols, drama, PG-13, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Derek Adams, Ben Kenigsberg, Leo Goldsmith, Steve Rose, Eddie Cockrell, Maureen M Hart, Eve Tushnet, David Lamble, Mattie Lucas, Annie Wagner, Sean Axmaker, Alberto Abuín, family feud, violence, revenge, cycle of violence, rural Arkansas, naturalistic performances, mythic quality, vengeance, retribution, Take Shelter, Midnight Special, Blue Ruin
Worldwide gross: $185,699
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $255,793
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,882
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 27,895
US/Canada gross: $46,026
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $63,399
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,727
US/Canada opening weekend: $4,553
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $6,272
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,783
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Douglas Ligon – Boy Hayes
Barlow Jacobs – Kid Hayes
Natalie Canerday – Nicole
Glenda Pannell – Annie
Jeff Nichols – Director
David Gordon Green – Producer
Lisa Muskat – Producer
Jeff Nichols – Writer
Director(s)
Jeff Nichols
Writer(s)
Jeff Nichols
Producer(s)
David Gordon Green, Lisa Muskat, Jeff Nichols
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
5 wins & 5 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (50) | Top Critics (21) | Fresh (44) | Rotten (6)
November 18, 2011 | Rating: 3/5
Derek Adams
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
November 17, 2011 | Rating: 2/5
Ben Kenigsberg
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
There is much to “Shotgun Stories” that elevates it above the fray of Green derivatives and unflattering categorizations, bolstered by a roster of naturalistic, fully assimilated performances, led by “Bug”‘s now ubiquitous Michael Shannon.
August 8, 2009
Leo Goldsmith
indieWire
TOP CRITIC
Set in rural Arkansas, Jeff Nichols’ relaxed, distinctive debut revels in the milieu of its redneck characters, but injects their rural half-blood feud with an almost mythic quality.
October 18, 2008 | Rating: 4/5
Steve Rose
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
A precisely modulated yet cumulatively forceful story of a rural family feud turned deadly.
October 18, 2008
Eddie Cockrell
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Director Jeff Nichols lets the action unfold slowly following an impromptu insult, but the escalation of hatred and pain feels natural.
July 9, 2008 | Rating: 3/4
Maureen M. Hart
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
There’s not much here beyond the mythologically-rich setup. Once the plot is in motion, it goes through its paces and that’s all.
May 23, 2022
Eve Tushnet
Patheos
Nichols simmers his gripping tragedy in a stew-pot seasoned with the beats of a rural family comedy…
June 18, 2020
David Lamble
Bay Area Reporter
Paints an engagingly naturalistic portrait of its characters and the lives they lead that manages to be both lyrical and gritty at the same time.
July 6, 2019 | Rating: 3.5/4
Mattie Lucas
From the Front Row
Slowness drags the score into repetitive motifs that never seem to speed or slow and locks the dialogue into an occasionally artificial-sounding gravity.
August 21, 2017
Annie Wagner
The Stranger (Seattle, WA)
Nichols’ original take on classic themes of vengeance and retribution is dropped into a world of real people struggling with the real problems of making a living, taking responsibility for families and dealing with the betrayals of the past.
March 9, 2017
Sean Axmaker
Seanax.com
A kind of modern and direct western where violence isn’t seen but you can feel it. [Full review in Spanish]
January 23, 2017
Alberto Abuín
Espinof…
Plot
After spitting on their father’s grave, Son and his brothers engage in a deadly feud with their half-brothers, leading to tragedy and a potential end to the violence in Shotgun Stories.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels praises Michael Shannon’s lead performance in Shotgun Stories as “brilliant.”
Jeff-Nichols.jpg
