American Gun

R

2005

1 hr. 35 min.

Drama

List

39%

31 Reviews

Tomatometer

43%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Guns affect the lives of diverse people across the country. In Chicago, a high-school principal (Forest Whitaker) deals with the proliferation of guns on campus. In Oregon, a depressed woman (Marcia Gay Harden) remains a pariah years after her son opened fire on fellow students. And in Virginia, the owner (Donald Sutherland) of a gun store finds difficulty connecting with his granddaughter.

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Critics Consensus

Despite its intriguing premise, this earnest anti-gun polemic is too melodramatic to resonate.

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Audience Member

This movie really shows pepole that guns are very serious buisness.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/04/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Slow paced, but it does give a strong - if not divided message @ the end.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/17/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This film is just another pathetic attempt to demonize guns and portray gun ownership as some sort of dark cloud in peoples lives. Not even a nice try. What would be nice is if a film was produced showing the truth of the many lives that are saved everyday by people who are concealled carry holders who are still alive because murderers, robbers, rapists and home invaders were stopped before their devious plans could be carried out. Or how about a film that goes along with actual national statistics that indicate when people have to wait for police to arrive during a shooting rampage an average of 14.3 people are killed compared with 2.3 deaths when the rampage is stopped by armed citizens. Another interesting docudrama would be to show the devestating effects of Autralia's nationwide ban on guns and how its citizens are now helpless victims as armed robbery is up 68%, armed assaults are up 28%, home invastions are up 21% and so on. I think those who are brave enough to tell the truth would be surprised at the response and the support that they would receive from producing a high quality film on these topics I just mentioned, which would be in complete contrast to this film which drags on with useless, misleading content.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/09/23

Full Review

Audience Member

amanda seyfried plays mouse in in this film

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Solid performances from Whitaker, Gay Harden, and Goldwyn make this story about the consequences of gun violence worth a watch.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/19/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Sarcastic movie to American nation (and it's hurtfully true!)

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

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Aric Avelino

Director

Donald Sutherland

Carl

Forest Whitaker

Carter

Marcia Gay Harden

Janet

Linda Cardellini

Mary-Anne

Tony Goldwyn

Frank

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Nick Schager

Slant Magazine

Full of grating hysterics and solemn symbolism.

Rated: 1.5/4

Aug 18, 2006

Full Review

John McMurtrie

San Francisco Chronicle

It's a bit like watching a weaker version of Crash, with fewer coincidences.

Rated: 2/4

Apr 21, 2006

Full Review

Michael Booth

Denver Post

The guns seem to have been shoved in various characters' pockets as afterthought, and Avelino's interlocking stories never click.

Rated: 2/4

Apr 7, 2006

Full Review

Felix Vasquez Jr.

Cinema Crazed

A fitting send off to one of America's best actors who dominates the screen.

Apr 29, 2009

Full Review

Kam Williams

AALBC.com

A moving morality play indicting America for its ongoing love affair with the Second Amendment.

Rated: 4/4

Jan 29, 2007

Full Review

Christopher Null

Filmcritic.com

takes too many shortcuts and easy-outs in exploring the issue

Rated: 3/5

Aug 29, 2006

Full Review

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Synopsis

Guns affect the lives of diverse people across the country. In Chicago, a high-school principal (Forest Whitaker) deals with the proliferation of guns on campus. In Oregon, a depressed woman (Marcia Gay Harden) remains a pariah years after her son opened fire on fellow students. And in Virginia, the owner (Donald Sutherland) of a gun store finds difficulty connecting with his granddaughter.

Director: Aric Avelino
Executive Producer: Jeff Skoll, Chris Adams, Forest Whitaker, Jonathan Sehring, Caroline Kaplan, Holly Becker
Screenwriter: Aric Avelino, Steven Bagatourian
Production Co: IFC Productions, Participant Prods., Spirit Dance Entertainment
Rating: R (Language|Violent Content)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Mar 22, 2006
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 27, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $24.0K

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