Midnightspecial Discussion Guide 2

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Midnightspecial Discussion Guide 2 Reel M I NI S T R Y MIDNIGHT SPECIAL Introduction to the film Midnight Special is technically a sci-fi thriller, though saying that risks leading audiences astray. It’s also technically a movie about escaping a cult. And it’s also technically a movie about parents and children, and the fight to protect your family -- something that Nichols has often explored in his other films, like Shotgun Stories and Loving and Take Shelter. Yet it’s best seen without expectations that might come from any genre. In this movie, appearances and expectations are always deceptive. At first, it seems like Roy (played by Michael Shannon, who’s in all of Nichols’s films) might be bad news. The cult that he and his son Alton (Jaeden Lieberher) have been part of, led by Pastor Calvin Meyer (Sam Shepard), seems like it could be just another movie cult, wildly misguided and possibly abusive. Roy’s estranged wife Sarah (Kirsten Dunst) could be a troubled absentee mother, and his friend Lucas (Joel Edgerton) could be bad news. And scientist Paul Sevier (Adam Driver) -- well, we’ve seen this kind of skeptic before. I’m not sure if Midnight Special is named for the Creedence Clearwater Revival song, but it’s almost certainly a reference to the traditional folk song that the band covered, which reportedly originated with prisoners in the American South. (The Creedence version is likely based on a recorded version from the 1930s, recorded by Huddie “Lead Belly” Ledbetter, who had quite the life.) In the chorus of the song, the singers croon, “Let the midnight special shine her light on me / Let the midnight special shine her ever-loving light on me.” The “midnight special” is the name of a train, and reportedly, prisoners believed that if the train caught you in its light, you’d be set free soon. I’m glad the movie doesn’t perfectly map that legend or the song’s story onto its own plot. There’s more beauty in the mystery. Astonishingly, Midnight Special takes every one of our expectations and tosses them out the window. Usually, when movies or TV tackle questions of cults built around someone or something with special powers, we assume the cult is wrong. But this film is brave enough to pursue a startling question: What if the answer was more complex? What if the wild-sounding myth turned out to be true? And it builds that story into one about men who are worried and fearful and need one another to survive, men who in another movie might be relegated to the background. They’re stewarding a power they don’t, and can’t, fully understand. And this movie is no puzzle box, with a mystery that resolves into an easy solution. It’s purposely open-ended, with space for our interpretations and our wonder. Just like faith. Just like life. Where to watch: Streaming on Netflix Rent on YouTube, Apple TV, Amazon Video, etc. QUESTIONS What did you expect from the first scene of the movie? How were your expectations thwarted or fulfilled? Science fiction often conjures a world that is like ours, but a little different, in order to tell us something about our own world. It wants to make us think about our own world in a new and dislocated way. How did Midnight Special do this? What did it make you think about in your own world and life? Often, movies about cults make us think that the cult is definitely going to be wrong in their beliefs (in addition to being abusive, closed off from the world, or many other things). This movie casts the group in a different light. What did you think of Pastor Calvin and the acolytes? How do you think you would have reacted if you’d come to know what they know? The character of Paul Sevier, a government scientist, is also a familiar figure in science fiction movies. But he too is a surprise. What does his character suggest about the relationship between rational thought and scientific discovery, and wonder? One of the most controversial parts of this movie when it came out was what happens in the final reveal, when the curtain is finally pulled back. What did you think of that rendering? What did it evoke for you? In which character do you see yourself? FOR FURTHER READING Interviews with Jeff Nichols, Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, and Kirsten Dunst from the film’s premiere at the 2016 Berlin Film Festival Brian Tallerico’s review at RogerEbert.com A.O. Scott’s review at the New York Times Profile of Jeff Nichols in Wired.
Recommended publications
  • Cli-Fi: a Companion
    Stef Craps Jeff Nichols’s Take Shelter (2011) Cli-Fi Psychic Released in 2011, Take Shelter is an American feature film written and directed by Jeff Nichols and starring Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain.1 Set in LaGrange, Ohio, it tells the story of a family man and construction worker, called Curtis LaForche (Shannon), who is plagued by a series of apocalyptic nightmares and visions. He starts to believe that he is developing paranoid schizophrenia, the illness with which his now-institutionalized mother was diagnosed when she was a similar age and which he has feared inheriting his whole life. At the same time, he becomes increasingly obsessed with the need to shelter his family − his wife Samantha (Chastain) and their hearing-impaired young daughter Hannah − from the coming storm that he cannot help thinking his terrifying dreams and hallucinations signal. Foremost among the protective measures he takes to keep his family safe is the renovation and expansion of the tornado shelter in his backyard, which he can ill afford and which causes him to lose his job and his health insurance, as a result of which Hannah cannot have the cochlear implant surgery she was scheduled to undergo. The ques- tion of whether Curtis is a prophet or mentally disturbed drives the film and remains unresolved until the epilogue, when his premonitions turn out to be true as an actual end-of-the-world storm is about to hit. Take Shelter captures many of the anxieties of living in the post-9/11, post-Katrina and post-financial crisis USA, thanks to the ‘flexible metaphor’ of Curtis’s apocalyptic visions.2 Increasing in violence and intensity as the film progresses, they take the form of thunderstorms, twisters, flash floods, 1 Take Shelter, dir.
    [Show full text]
  • Roger Ebert's
    The College of Media at Illinois presents Roger19thAnnual Ebert’s Film Festival2017 April 19-23, 2017 The Virginia Theatre Chaz Ebert: Co-Founder and Producer 203 W. Park, Champaign, IL Nate Kohn: Festival Director 2017 Roger Ebert’s Film Festival The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign The College of Media at Illinois Presents... Roger Ebert’s Film Festival 2017 April 19–23, 2017 Chaz Ebert, Co-Founder, Producer, and Host Nate Kohn, Festival Director Casey Ludwig, Assistant Director More information about the festival can be found at www.ebertfest.com Mission Founded by the late Roger Ebert, University of Illinois Journalism graduate and a Pulitzer Prize- winning film critic, Roger Ebert’s Film Festival takes place in Urbana-Champaign each April for a week, hosted by Chaz Ebert. The festival presents 12 films representing a cross-section of important cinematic works overlooked by audiences, critics and distributors. The films are screened in the 1,500-seat Virginia Theatre, a restored movie palace built in the 1920s. A portion of the festival’s income goes toward on-going renovations at the theatre. The festival brings together the films’ producers, writers, actors and directors to help showcase their work. A film- maker or scholar introduces each film, and each screening is followed by a substantive on-stage Q&A discussion among filmmakers, critics and the audience. In addition to the screenings, the festival hosts a number of academic panel discussions featuring filmmaker guests, scholars and students. The mission of Roger Ebert’s Film Festival is to praise films, genres and formats that have been overlooked.
    [Show full text]
  • Cast Biographies
    CAST BIOGRAPHIES MICHAEL SHANNON (Gary Noesner) Academy Award®, Golden Globe® and Tony Award® nominated actor Michael Shannon continues to make his mark in entertainment, working with the industry's most respected talent and treading the boards in notable theaters around the world. Shannon will next be seen in Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water, a love story set against the backdrop of Cold War-era America. The film co-stars Sally Hawkins, Richard Jenkins, Michael Stuhlbarg and Octavia Spencer. Fox Searchlight will release the film December 2017. In 2018, Shannon will return to Red Orchard Theatre for its 25th Anniversary to direct the world premiere of Traitor, Brett Neveu's adaption of Henrik Ibsen's Enemy of the People. Traitor will include ensemble members Dado, Larry Grimm, Danny McCarthy, Guy Van Swearingen and Natalie West and will run from January 5, 2018 through February 25, 2018. Back on the big screen, Shannon will then be seen in the Nicolai Fuglsig’s 12 Strong opposite Chris Hemsworth. The project follows a team of CIA agents and special forces who head into Afghanistan in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks in an attempt to dismantle the Taliban. Warner Brothers is releaseing the film in January 2018. Later next year, Shannon will also be seen in writer-director Elizabeth Chomko’s drama, What They Had, opposite Hilary Swank. The story centers on a woman who must fly back to her hometown when her Alzheimer's-stricken mother wanders into a blizzard and the return home forces her to confront her past, which includes her brother (Shannon).
    [Show full text]
  • 101 Films for Filmmakers
    101 (OR SO) FILMS FOR FILMMAKERS The purpose of this list is not to create an exhaustive list of every important film ever made or filmmaker who ever lived. That task would be impossible. The purpose is to create a succinct list of films and filmmakers that have had a major impact on filmmaking. A second purpose is to help contextualize films and filmmakers within the various film movements with which they are associated. The list is organized chronologically, with important film movements (e.g. Italian Neorealism, The French New Wave) inserted at the appropriate time. AFI (American Film Institute) Top 100 films are in blue (green if they were on the original 1998 list but were removed for the 10th anniversary list). Guidelines: 1. The majority of filmmakers will be represented by a single film (or two), often their first or first significant one. This does not mean that they made no other worthy films; rather the films listed tend to be monumental films that helped define a genre or period. For example, Arthur Penn made numerous notable films, but his 1967 Bonnie and Clyde ushered in the New Hollywood and changed filmmaking for the next two decades (or more). 2. Some filmmakers do have multiple films listed, but this tends to be reserved for filmmakers who are truly masters of the craft (e.g. Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick) or filmmakers whose careers have had a long span (e.g. Luis Buñuel, 1928-1977). A few filmmakers who re-invented themselves later in their careers (e.g. David Cronenberg–his early body horror and later psychological dramas) will have multiple films listed, representing each period of their careers.
    [Show full text]
  • Experiencing Reel Spirituality Spirituality and Film
    Experiencing Reel Spirituality Spirituality and Film Theme Speaker The Rev. Douglas E. Wadkins Camp Eliot August 2013 Day 1 The Daily Round “Let the Great World Spin” Day 2 Joy and Laughter “To Truly Laugh” Day 2 Joy and Laughter “To Truly Laugh” Day 3 Sadness & Loss "It's Not That I am Afraid to Die..." Day 4 Forgiveness, Faith, Fear & Film The Fantastic Four (?) Day 4 Forgiveness, Faith, Fear & Film The Fantastic Four (?) Day 5 Love and Other Redemptions Day 6 “The Play’s the Thing” Befriending Film Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat 1. Be Prepared 2. Remember your intention to be hospitable 3. Connect with the characters Befriending Film 4. Pay attention to your reactions 5. Consider the significance of what you are seeing 6. Look for the bigger picture Befriending Film 7. Watch for epiphanies 8. Don’t turn away from the shadow 9. Let the movie simmer Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat Links Home Page: http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com Spirituality & Film: http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/films Rotten Tomatoes Critic Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/critic/frederic-and-mary-ann-brussat Filmography 1 Baraka. Dir. Ron Fricke. Magidson Films, 1992. Film. Beasts of the Southern Wild. Dir. Benh Zeitlin. Perf. Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry, Jovan Hathaway et al. Cinereach, 2012. Film. Defending Your Life. Dir. Albert Brooks. Perf. Albert Brooks, Michael Durrell, Lee Grant, Meryl Streep et al. Producer Robert Grand, 1991. Film. The Descendants. Dir. Alexander Payne. Perf. George Clooney, Patricia Hastie et al. Fox Searchlight Pictures, 2011. Film. The Impossible. Dir. J.A. Bayona. Perf.
    [Show full text]
  • Midnight Special
    WETTBEWERB MIDNIGHT SPECIAL Jeff Nichols Mit jeder Meile, die Roy und sein achtjähriger Sohn auf Highways USA 2015 und Landstraßen zurücklegen, kommt man ihrer unglaublichen 112 Min. · DCP · Farbe Geschichte näher. Man beginnt zu verstehen, warum der Junge mit den außergewöhnlichen Fähigkeiten eine Schutzbrille tragen muss. Regie, Buch Jeff Nichols Kamera Adam Stone Warum sich religiöse Extremisten für ihn interessieren und sich neben Schnitt Julie Monroe der örtlichen Polizei auch hohe amerikanische Regierungsbeamte Musik David Wingo an die Fersen von Vater und Sohn heften. Mit seinem neuen Film Sound Design Jeremy Bowker wechselt Jeff Nichols das Genre und bleibt sich dennoch treu. Ton Will Files MIDNIGHT SPECIAL ist eine eigenwillige Mischung aus Science-Fiction Production Design Chad Keith Geboren 1978 in Little Rock, Arkansas. Sein und Familiengeschichte, gleichzeitig erkundet Nichols weiterhin die Filmstudium an der North Carolina School of Kostüm Erin Benach the Arts schloss er 2001 ab. Erste Kurzfilme und Gewalt- und Paranoiastrukturen der US-amerikanischen Provinz. Er Maske Stacy Kelly Regieassistenzen, darunter THE ROUGH SOUTH zeigt die Macht, die von erzkonservativen Sekten ausgeht, und Regieassistenz Eric N. Heffron OF LARRY BROWN (2002) von Gary Hawkins und die Ohnmacht des Einzelnen vor einem aggressiv agierenden Casting Francine Maisler BE HERE TO LOVE ME: A FILM ABOUT TOWNES Staatsapparat. Je länger die Flucht andauert, desto fantastischer wird Production Manager Hans Graffunder, VAN ZANDT (2004) von Margaret Brown. 2007 sie. Ein fürsorglicher Vater unternimmt alles, um den Sohn seinem Sarah Green präsentierte das Forum der Berlinale seinen Schicksal zuzuführen, das auch das Schicksal der Welt entscheiden Produzenten Sarah Green, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones Debütfilm SHOTGUN STORIES.
    [Show full text]
  • Expressions 2017 | Allegany College of Maryland
    ALLEGANY COLLEGE ==of== MARYLAND 2017 ALLEGANY COLLEGE of MARYLAND 12401 Willowbrook Road, SE | Cumberland, MD 21502-2596 www.allegany.edu EXPRESSIONS 2017 Cameron Crouse Rachel Ritchey CONTRIBUTORS: Markiee Fike Megan Ruby Rebecca Ford Emily Sausman Vin Foy Kayla Spencer-Garlitz Maria Hite Matt Thomas Olivia Howard Sarah Thomas Elisabeth C. Humberson Savannah Turner Logan Jeffries Cherie Weasenforth Margaret LeMaster Caitlynn Whitecotton Kayla Lloyd Emma Wilson Jeff Martin Shayla Yaeger Alex May Katrina Yetter Derrick Miller Laurinda Yoder Marilyn Peck Chuck Yowell Connell Reese William Ziler Ilyane Rodriguez FACULTY EDITOR: Dr. Ronald Jenkins STUDENT EDITOR: Robert Smith ASSISTANT EDITOR: Heather Lorigan (for poetry) ADVISORS: Arts and Humanities Faculty EDITORIAL BOARD: Carolyn Bond, John Bone, Marsha Clauson, Kathy Condor, Josh Getz, Jim House, Kim Mouse, Robyn Price, Shannon Redman, Jared Ritchey, Michael Shockey, Sandi Stein, Suzanne Stultz, Nick Taylor ARTWORK FEATURED ON FRONT COVER: “Smoke Color” by Vin Foy ARTWORK FEATURED ON BACK COVER: “Trouvaille” by Shayla Yaeger Printed by Morgantown Printing & Binding Spring Semester 2017 © 2017 Student Literary Magazine | Essays, Fiction, Poetry & Artwork TABLE OF CONTENTS Student Editor’s Introduction ..................................................................................................5 Artwork & Photography Smoke Color | Vin Foy................................................................................................Front Cover Maternity | Ilyane Rodriguez ......................................................................................................6
    [Show full text]
  • Retour Vers Le Futur / Midnight Special De Jeff Nichols]
    Document generated on 09/29/2021 1:48 a.m. 24 images Retour vers le futur Midnight Special de Jeff Nichols Helen Haradji Number 177, May–June 2016 URI: https://id.erudit.org/iderudit/81953ac See table of contents Publisher(s) 24/30 I/S ISSN 0707-9389 (print) 1923-5097 (digital) Explore this journal Cite this review Haradji, H. (2016). Review of [Retour vers le futur / Midnight Special de Jeff Nichols]. 24 images, (177), 56–56. Tous droits réservés © 24/30 I/S, 2016 This document is protected by copyright law. Use of the services of Érudit (including reproduction) is subject to its terms and conditions, which can be viewed online. https://apropos.erudit.org/en/users/policy-on-use/ This article is disseminated and preserved by Érudit. Érudit is a non-profit inter-university consortium of the Université de Montréal, Université Laval, and the Université du Québec à Montréal. Its mission is to promote and disseminate research. https://www.erudit.org/en/ POINTS DE VUE Midnight Special de Jeff Nichols RETOUR VERS LE FUTUR par Helen Haradji n pleine nuit, un homme inquiet regarde à travers les stores par la fenêtre d’un motel sans âme. Un autre homme, nerveux, se tient en E arrière de la pièce. Entre les deux lits, un petit garçon est assis par terre en tailleur, un comics entre les mains. Il lit, ses yeux cachés derrière des lunettes de natation. La scène est aussi simple que singulière. Et c’est elle qui part le bal in media res de ce « petit » grand film qu’est Midnight Special, quatrième réalisation de Jeff Nichols.
    [Show full text]
  • Mannish Boys / Mud De Jeff Nichols, États-Unis, 2012, 130 Min]
    Document generated on 09/25/2021 6:05 p.m. Ciné-Bulles Mannish boys Mud de Jeff Nichols, États-Unis, 2012, 130 min Loïc Darses Cinéma et femmes Volume 31, Number 3, Summer 2013 URI: https://id.erudit.org/iderudit/69642ac See table of contents Publisher(s) Association des cinémas parallèles du Québec ISSN 0820-8921 (print) 1923-3221 (digital) Explore this journal Cite this review Darses, L. (2013). Review of [Mannish boys / Mud de Jeff Nichols, États-Unis, 2012, 130 min]. Ciné-Bulles, 31(3), 61–61. Tous droits réservés © Association des cinémas parallèles du Québec, 2013 This document is protected by copyright law. Use of the services of Érudit (including reproduction) is subject to its terms and conditions, which can be viewed online. https://apropos.erudit.org/en/users/policy-on-use/ This article is disseminated and preserved by Érudit. Érudit is a non-profit inter-university consortium of the Université de Montréal, Université Laval, and the Université du Québec à Montréal. Its mission is to promote and disseminate research. https://www.erudit.org/en/ jeunes protagonistes, c’est-à-dire plus grands que nature. L’amour passionnel des « grands », à première vue inébranlable, re- présente l’idéal à atteindre pour ces deux ga- mins qui rêvent d’un romantisme précieu- CRITIQUES sement candide. Une fièvre qui revêt notamment des airs de quête identitaire et existentielle chez Ellis (Tye Sheridan) qui, condamné à subir l’inéluctable divorce de ses parents, cherche insatiablement un sens à la vie malgré l’agonie de cet amour. Il en- trevoit peut-être en Mud un père qui, lui, ne faillit pas à ses engagements.
    [Show full text]
  • Midnight Special Jeff Nichols
    Midnight Special Jeff Nichols Fiche interactive Lycéens et apprentis au cinéma en Normandie Rédaction : Mélanie Boissonneau Coordination éditoriale : Renaud Prigent / Benoît Carlus Conception : Renaud Prigent | Publication : Café des images / Normandie Images L A F I C H E Cette fiche interactive est conçue pour être vidéo-projetée en classe à partir d'un ordinateur connecté à Internet. Elle constitue un outil de travail sur le film pour les enseignants proposant : - un parcours sur l'esthétique du film à partir de points thématiques et d'analyses de séquences en ligne - des supports multimédia destinés à l'animation de la séance - des activités pédagogiques. A l'issue du travail en classe, ces fiches ont vocation a être diffusées aux élèves. Pour les établissements ne possédant pas de connexion Internet stable, les vidéos proposées sont téléchargeables en amont de la séance. Les liens de téléchargement sont signalés par cette icône : L E F I L M FICHE TECHNIQUE Etats-Unis / 2016 / 1h51 Réalisation : Jeff Nichols Scénario : Jeff Nichols Musique : David Wingo Photographie : Adam Stone Distribution : Warner Bros INTERPRETATION Michael Shannon : Roy Jaeden Martell: Alton Joel Edgerton : Lucas Adam Driver : Paul Sevier Kirsten Dunst : Sarah SYNOPSIS Roy et son fils Alton doté de pouvoirs surnaturels, sont poursuivis par des fanatiques religieux et les agences gouvernementales à travers tout le pays. Le père d'Alton risque tout pour sauver son fils et lui permettre d'accomplir un destin qui pourrait bien changer le monde. P R É P A R E R L A P R O J E C T I O N LA BANDE ANNONCE Les bandes annonces ont pour fonction de présenter le film de manière attrayante afin de susciter l’intérêt du futur spectateur.
    [Show full text]
  • Midnight Special (Dir
    Nick Davis Film Discussion Group April 2016 Midnight Special (dir. Jeff Nichols, 2016) On Camera Alton Meyer Jaeden Lieberher: St. Vincent (14), with Bill Murray and Melissa McCarthy Roy Tomlin Michael Shannon: Take Shelter (11), our recent selection 99 Homes (14) Sarah Tomlin Kirsten Dunst: Interview with the Vampire (94), Melancholia (11) Lucas, the friend Joel Edgerton: Zero Dark Thirty (12), The Gift (15), Black Mass (15) Paul Sevier Adam Driver: Girls (12-16); While We’re Young (14); Han Solo’s evil son Calvin Meyer Sam Shepard: legendary playwright and actor; frequently acts for Nichols Off Camera Director-Writer Jeff Nichols: Shotgun Stories (07), Take Shelter (11), Mud (12), Loving (16) Cinematography Adam Stone: shot all of Jeff Nichols’s films as well as Compliance (12) Film Editing Julie Monroe: works often with Oliver Stone; three with Nichols; also TV Original Score David Wingo: George Washington (00), Our Brand Is Crisis (15)← a goodie! Earlier films by Jeff Nichols: Shotgun Stories (2007) – A cotton-farming family in rural Arkansas erupts into bitter feuding when their patriarch passes away. Made for less than $500,000, this movie earned awards and festival attention and began Nichols’s series of collaborations with Michael Shannon. This film also showcases family as a complex mix of broken and unbreakable bonds. Take Shelter (2011) – Nichols’s breakthrough feature again starred Shannon, this time as Curtis, an Ohio construction worker who begins having visions of an apocalyptic storm and building an underground shelter that his family cannot afford. His wife (then-newcomer Jessica Chastain) worries about Curtis and the effect of his paranoia on their young daughter.
    [Show full text]
  • No Shelter”: Amenaza Difusa, Trauma Cultural E Imaginario Del Asedio En Take Shelter (Jeff Nichols, 2011)
    “NO SHELTER”: AMENAZA DIFUSA, TRAUMA CULTURAL E IMAGINARIO DEL ASEDIO EN TAKE SHELTER (JEFF NICHOLS, 2011) FERNÁNDEZ PICHEL, SAMUEL NEFTALÍ CENTRO UNIVERSITARIO INTERNACIONAL (CUI)-UNIVERSIDAD PABLO DE OLavIDE (ESPAÑA) Profesor doctor [email protected] Resumen: El objetivo de este artículo se centra en explorar la inflexión de la amenaza monstruosa en relación con cierto imaginario social del asedio en la película de 2011 Take Shelter, dirigida por Jeff Nichols. El concepto de imaginario social es utilizado a la vez como herramienta metodológica encaminada a exponer los presupuestos ideológicos que fundamentan o permean la representación fílmica. En el filme que nos ocupa, nos servirá para caracterizar la presencia de una amenaza difusa e interiorizada que atañe tanto al espacio doméstico como al colectivo. La presencia de la amenaza se vincula, por último, con la experiencia del trauma cultural en los Estados Unidos post 11-S. Palabras clave: 11-S, cine, Estados Unidos, horror, identidad colectiva, imaginario social, trauma cultural. Abstract: This article aims to explore the articulations of a monstrous menace in relation to a siege social imaginary informing Jeff Nichol’s film Take Shelter (2011). Social imaginary is here used both as a concept and a methodological tool in order to unravel the ideological implications that permeate this particular filmic representation. This perspective of analysis would allow us to define a diffuse internalized menace operating both at the domestic and collective realms. This diffuse menacing presence is linked to the traumatic experiences of post 9/11 America. Key-words: 9/11, collective identity, cultural trauma, film, horror, identity, social imaginary, United States.
    [Show full text]