American Gun (2006)
38 %
Reviews Counted: 29 Fresh: 11 Rotten:18 Average Rating: 5.4/10
Consensus:
Despite its intriguing premise, this earnest anti-gun polemic is too melodramatic to resonate.
Runtime: 1 hr 35 mins
Theatrical Release: 2006
Synopsis: AMERICAN GUN is a powerful series of interwoven storylines that bring to light how the proliferation of guns in America dramatically affect and shape the every day lives of its citizens. The film opens at the start of another day in a Virginia gun store, where owner Carl (Donald Sutherland),... [More]
Genre: Dramas
Starring: Donald Sutherland, Forest Whitaker, Nikki Reed, Marcia Gay Harden, Linda Cardellini
Director: Aric Avelino
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Reviews
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Comment
05/14/07
A moving morality play indicting America for its ongoing love affair with the Second Amendment.
01/29/07
It isn't trite or strident - it doesn't shout or pound the desk - and, in a way, its own thoughtfulness is its worst enemy.
05/19/06
American Gun arrives in theaters too late to really make a difference or say anything new on the subject of school shootings.
04/28/06
[T]his is no bit of cheap exploitation created merely to rake in some dough. But purity of motives aside, the film simply isn't very good.
04/25/06
It's a bit like watching a weaker version of Crash, with fewer coincidences.
04/21/06
Top Critic
Despite a few effective moments, Gun ... never makes the big statement it seems to be reaching for.
04/21/06
What we're left with after watching "American Gun" isn't a sense of who's right or who's wrong, but more of a sadness that so many people feel so powerless and afraid that they think owning a gun will set things right.
04/21/06
Rather than blast us with a strong polemic, Avelino chooses to trace what are often the everyday ramifications of living in an armed society.
04/14/06
The guns seem to have been shoved in various characters' pockets as afterthought, and Avelino's interlocking stories never click.
04/07/06
Top Critic
[Avelino] shows an almost tender restraint in his story-telling, not pounding us with a message but simply looking steadily at how guns have made these lives difficult.
04/06/06
Top Critic
While not a perfect movie by any means -- a few scenes feel forced -- there is plenty to recommend it, even beyond the truly great performances.
04/06/06
Top Critic
Top Critic
...more like talking points for a film than a finished product. The effects of violence and the gun trade are examined, but little light is shed.
03/24/06
Aside from a few moments of quiet pathos that ring true, Avelino's directorial debut is a calculated piece of cinematic outrage marred by on-the-nose dialogue and melodramatic contrivance.
03/24/06
While this is not exactly a hopeful movie, it's a polished exercise in the kind of social commentary that can wake people up.
03/24/06
Top CriticRelated Forums
(2006)-Despite critical bashing AMERICAN GUN scores THREE Independent SPIRIT noms!!!
by: REEL_REVIEWER 11/28/06
by: REEL_REVIEWER 11/28/06
(2006)-Despite critical bashing AMERICAN GUN scores THREE Independent SPIRIT noms!!!
by: REEL_REVIEWER 11/28/06
by: REEL_REVIEWER 11/28/06
(2006)-Despite critical bashing AMERICAN GUN scores THREE Independent SPIRIT noms!!!
by: REEL_REVIEWER 11/28/06
by: REEL_REVIEWER 11/28/06
(2006)-Despite critical bashing AMERICAN GUN scores THREE Independent SPIRIT noms!!!
by: REEL_REVIEWER 11/28/06
by: REEL_REVIEWER 11/28/06
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