The Weight – Budget of $2 million – 1 hour and 53 minutes
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After leaving church with his daughter, Penny, Murphy finds an eviction notice on his door. Before walking to the diner, he sells a few items to neighbors. He finds a rental ad in the paper and takes his daughter to the neighborhood. He knocks on the door, but no one answers. So he goes to the alleyway to see if there is a side entrance. Three men see them and question Murphy. Two men accost him while the third attempts to talk to Penny. Fearing for Penny’s safety, Murphy fights until one man pulls out a badge. The police arrest Murphy and put his daughter in a group home.
After months in jail, Murphy gets a job at a labor camp. For every two days they work, inmates get one day off their sentence. Warden Clancy notes Murphy’s intelligence. Murphy was a jack-of-all-trades before they arrested him. However, the crash set him back, and it’s difficult to find a job. Clancy calls Murphy to come to his home after Murphy engineered a way to remove a large boulder without dynamite. Clancy discovers that Murphy will lose Penny in a month. No matter how hard Murphy works, he will not be out in time. So, the state will put Penny up for adoption. He promised to come back for her. Clancy offers to release Murphy early. He has a job for Murphy, and he wants Murphy in charge. It will take 4 men to complete it, so Murphy must find three men he trusts. Murphy chooses fellow inmates Singh, Rankin, and Olson.
They ride to the Black Hawk Gold Mine and meet Taggert. He runs security. However, someone robbed several mines in the area because Franklin D. Roosevelt will shut them down. And the government will declare them and their gold government property. Taggert wants to steal the gold before anyone else can. He wants them to load the gold and walk for four days through the woods. Someone will meet them and collect the gold. They will get paid and gain their freedom when the task is complete. Taggert doesn’t trust the inmates, so two of his crew, Amis and Letender, will join them. If they try to run with the gold, Taggert’s men will shoot. If any of the gold is missing at the end of the trek, they will kill everyone. They gather the gold and start. Along the way, Murphy hears dogs barking and believes someone is following them. Letender allows him to investigate, but he must leave his gold behind. Murphy finds Anna, a servant girl, hiding behind a tree. Letender wants to send her back to the camp, but she refuses. She warns them that she can’t make it back without someone spotting her. If they ask, she will tell them why she was in the woods. Anna offers assistance because she knows the woods better than any man. They agree to let her join. Will Murphy make it through the woods and see Penny again?
This historical drama uses on-location scenes and natural lighting to immerse the audience in the danger. The travelers fight the elements, looters, and each other throughout their journey. You feel like a fly in the woods through their travels. The editor even overlaid the blood moon with fire, creating a chilling effect. The opening scene is one lone dirt road with the animals noisily in the background. Then, Murphy’s truck barrels down the road, and he plays with Penny. Viewers see the undying love he has with his little girl, and how much she adores her father. It will break the audience’s heart to see them separated. This pulls you into the story, and the plot moves forward from there. Then, you meet Murphy’s future crew. Each has a grievance with the system and could use the money. However, one is a troublemaker. Amis and Letender are a group amongst themselves, but their guns to keep everyone else in line. This dynamic keeps you holding on to the plot. The conclusion is predictable for the journey but not the aftermath. This film is a historical Wizard of Oz with more violence, and it’s worth the watch (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer).
I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars
Looks like you deserve it – Clancy
They didn’t kill anything in me. They didn’t save anything either – Anna
I like that car – Murphy
You can’t be arrested for being a socialist – Singh
I never been on a plane before – Olson
It didn’t look right – Rankin
This here is trouble – Taggert
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