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Small and intimate -- occasionally to a fault -- The Yellow Handkerchief rises above its overly familiar ingredients thanks to riveting performances from William Hurt and Kristen Stewart. Read critic reviews
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Movie Info
Former con man Brett Hanson (William Hurt) is imprisoned for six years before finally being released on parole. Now he needs to get back home to Louisiana and the ex-wife (Maria Bello) he left there, so when he meets Gordy (Eddie Redmayne) and Martine (Kristen Stewart) on a road trip south, he accepts their offer to give him a ride. While Brett wonders whether his ex-wife will want to see him again, Gordy harbors a crush on Martine, who is trying to recover from her painful past.
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Rating: PG-13 (Some Violence|Sexual Content|Language|Thematic Elements)
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Genre: Drama, Romance
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Original Language: English
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Director: Udayan Prasad
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Producer: Arthur Cohn
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Writer: Pete Hamill, Erin Dignam
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Release Date (Theaters): limited
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Release Date (Streaming):
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Box Office (Gross USA): $317.0K
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Runtime:
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Distributor: Samuel Goldwyn Company
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Production Co: Arthur Cohn Productions
Cast & Crew
News & Interviews for The Yellow Handkerchief
Critic Reviews for The Yellow Handkerchief
Audience Reviews for The Yellow Handkerchief
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On his way to meet his estranged wife, an ex-convict hitches a ride with a manic teenage runaway and a lost girl who seeks a father figure. William Hurt delivers another remarkable performance as Brett. Like few other actors, Hurt is able to capture the depth of a damaged soul, a man devastated by his luck and driven to despise his own role in the movie of his life. His scenes with Maria Bello are heart-warming, and he even makes Kristen Stewart look like a real actress. With Hurt by her side, Stewart abandons all her acting crutches -- clutching her hair, contorting her face into a semblance of human emotion, deadpan reactions that say nothing about her character. Hurt does more than make Stewart an actress; in her scenes with him, he makes her an interesting human being. I've seen many of Stewart's films, and this is the only one in which she is bearable. Director Udayan Prasad does a good job of visually capturing regret. A bare foot, someone walking by - a multitude of quotidian event can spark a reverie of regret, and Prasad turns a lazy narrative technique into a visual representation of Brett's inner life. The plot, however, is disappointing. Martine and Gordy don't have compelling backstories, and we are given no clue as to why Brett's story has such an emotion impact on them. When we finally discover the reason for Brett's incarceration, the event is a let-down compared to the build-up, and there isn't any evidence to convince the audience that Brett has learned anything during his time in prison; in fact, the film reinforces the fact that people don't change, and thus it's hard to root for Brett, even though Hurt's performance makes it difficult not to care for him at least a little bit. Overall, I don't see why William Hurt can't play Edward or Jacob or both; at least the leading lady wouldn't be so insufferable.
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A little disappointing - kind of dull story that hinted at more than it actually was in the flashbacks. Good cast and good acting. I wouldn't say it is a horrible movie, or not worth watching, but I had hoped it would be better. Kristen is the standout here.
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In "The Yellow Handkerchief," Brett(William Hurt) has just gotten out of jail after serving a six year sentence. After enjoying the benefits of freedom like slowly drinking a beer, he heads towards the river where he catches a ride with Gordy(Eddie Redmayne), an awkward young man who is exploring the area in a vintage convertible, even though he already has a passenger in the person of Martine(Kristen Stewart). Brett does not feel comfortable being in the car on the ferry, even during a storm, and sleeps in the bathroom at a motel room they get for the night. But Gordy's untoward advances towards Martine force a rift in the trio until he tells them that because of the storm, there are no buses running that day. To its credit, "The Yellow Handkerchief" takes its time in telling its subtly crafted story of characters lost both literally and figuratively in a changed landscape due to Hurricane Katrina, allowing us to get to know them as the movie builds slowly to its neat emotional payoff. Along the way, there is local flavor interspersed with thoughts on forgiveness. That's not to mention the lived in performance from William Hurt, along with the usual exemplary work from Maria Bello.
walter m Super Reviewer -
Heartfelt, emotional, and amazing screenplay with great performances. Worth watching at least once.
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