American Gun (2002) User Reviews (40)

Memories

[jotix100 · 7/10 · 3 April 2005]

"American Gun" directed by Alan Jacobs was a surprise. Not having heard about it before, intrigued me. Mr. Jacobs, directing from his own material, has created a movie that on on level is telling us we are going on one direction, but in reality, he is playing with us since the trip he is taking us is not what we had in mind.

If you haven't seen the film, perhaps you would like to stop reading.

Martin Tillman, the man at the center of the story, is a man that still remember his days during WWII; how can one ever forget those horrors lived in that, or any other, conflict? In flashbacks we get to know how young Martin and the lovely Anne, meet, fall in love and marry eventually. Their union seems to be a happy one. They have a daughter, Penny, a single mother, who returns home for the holidays after her own daughter, Mia, leaves her home.

Not all is happy among the Tillman family. Martin, who is in his seventies, appears to be a man not at peace with himself or the world. When Penny is mugged during a trip to the store to return Martin's Christmas gift for Anne. Penny meets an unexpected death, or does she? Mr. Jacobs is too devious to tell us the truth, thus contributing to the mystery surrounding Martin's resolve in finding the man who killed Penny.

Thus begins a series of trips into different areas of the country. All these trips end in failure. Martin keeps compiling data and we feel as though he is close to get his revenge. At this moment in the story, Mr. Jacobs intervene to show us in flashbacks the missing links of the gruesome murder. We realize then that Martin has not been interested in resolving the crime at all.

James Coburn made his last appearance on this film. He appears as though he is in great physical pain. As he proved in "Affliction", he was an actor to be reckoned with, although sometimes, his choice of projects was not exactly the best. Yet, he surprises us playing Martin Tillman. He obviously understood this troubled man and the price he is paying for his sins.

Virginia Madsen is seen briefly at the beginning of the story and in flashbacks. Ms. Madsen makes the best of the ill fated Penny. Barbara Bain plays the suffering wife, Anne. One wonders whatever went wrong in Anne's early love for Martin and the bitter person she turns out to be in her later years. The murder of Penny clearly contributes to alienate her from her husband. Ms. Bain short time on the screen makes an excellent contribution to the film.

Mr. Jacobs underlying message is about the American fascination with guns, but he is not judgmental on the issue, as some comments in this page seem to criticize him for doing. This is a serious movie dealing with an controversial subject.

Hit and run hit and miss

[drystyx · 7/10 · 8 January 2013]

This is a fairly animated drama about a man who researches the gun that killed his daughter, looking for answers through that path.

The movie is a lot of things. It certainly has style, I think one must admit. It continually goes off into new directions.

We get many flashbacks to the greatest generation years during World War II, where the father is a young man who is a very believable young soldier. He finds killing hard, and guns take getting used to.

There is a huge sense of realism in this story. Even though we don't have the specific experiences and backdrops that the father, played by James Coburn, experiences, we somehow feel them. We are drawn into the home and decor of this family, and adopted.

Thereis some smart directing, and some smart writing.

However, this is "hit and run, hit and miss". There are just as many fanciful stretches in this story, too, seemingly to make a point.

It isn't exactly "preachy", but the history of the gun does seem to have a Hollywood story to it. Never once does it just wound anyone. It manages to kill a number of people through different owners.

That part just didn't fit in with the "realism" feel of the story, and of the family.

As for the "hit and run" turning into "hit and miss", we feel like the writer is congratulating himself on keeping us off balance. It becomes less of a story we are in, and more of a story we know someone is telling. We lose the natural flow, because we are so conscious he is always trying to throw us for a loop.

However, I realize some people probably like that. I felt the writer did this too much to keep a natural look about the story.

Quite cliched, quite contrived, ultimately quite uninteresting

[jaspermcc · 5/10 · 28 May 2004]

James Coburn has always, for me, been a powerful actor. Here he seems weak, not just because of his obvious physical discomfort, but also because he seems very uncomfortable with the material. I don't mean generally anti-weapon material, I mean weak writing and direction. Coburn seems unsure of his acting, and some of the scenes come out looking like near enough's good enough. And it isn't good enough.

The story of the gun involved seems remarkably eventful, and the tracing of it over so many owners seems preposterous (with some great Deus ex Machina jumps). The flashbacks to WWII also seem contrived. None of it seems in any way realistic.

Perhaps it wasn't as bad as I've made out, but I just didn't warm to it at all. 5 out of 10.

Coburn's last hurrah gets two cheers

[FilmFlaneur · 6 May 2003]

American Gun is a suitably elegiac and death-obsessed film that closed the career of James Coburn. It's a sometimes worthy, but never less than interesting story, starting as one thing and ending as another. It begins as one man's search for truth, and finishes as the truth about a man. Along the way, director Alan Jacobs (whose previous credits have been romantic dramas and comedies) fashions an interesting narrative, using flashbacks and reconstruction in ways that are dramatically intriguing and never distracting.

Coburn plays Martin Tillman, whose daughter Penny (Virginia Masden) is killed in a shooting. Martin, an infantry veteran of the Second World War, experiences vivid memories of combat and his youth - notably his meeting and early romance with his wife Anne (Barbara Bain, a face familiar from re-runs of TV's original Mission: Impossible) as well as the traumatic killing of a young sniper who shot his friend. At the same time Martin seeks to re establish contact with Penny's estranged daughter (Alexandra Holden) who, after blaming her mother for her father's desertion, has disappeared.

Martin's grief over loss, and one-man odyssey to find the owner of the gun that killed his daughter is what lies at the centre of the film. Elderly, and with his knuckles visibly distorted by arthritis, Coburn still has an undeniable screen presence, raising the film out of the ordinary, and gives a quiet authority which adds necessary gravitas to his search. Despite being predicated around a violent act, American Gun is a relatively subdued film, making points about weapon ownership, responsibility and guilt in persistent ways that, understandably, caused some irritation amongst gun-owning filmgoers at home. It also had the bad luck to be made as a change of administration, and then the events of September 11th, marked a sea change in American attitudes to arms. It is doubtful that a film, which plays so much on the social question of weaponry, would be made today.

Besides some wintry settings, there is an excellent score, the work of the underrated Anthony Marinelli, which enhances much of the film's tone. Marinelli's spare note clusters, floating in dead air as it were, emphasise the silence and loss in lives touched by the gun. They suggest how much grief isolates the central character from all but the most essential relationships, where he can only really communicate by writing letters to a dead woman. The epistolary nature of many of Martin's scenes, as well as the distancing effect of his flashbacks, remove him further from daily life and place him further in his self-absorbed quest. ("He's on a crusade," despairs his wife at one point.) Martin's dedication to his search is also counter-pointed by a crisis in faith: "I still believe in God," he says during a glum meeting with a young pastor, "but I don't know what to make of him." Given the nature of Martin's grief, the churchman understandably finds it hard to offer more than passing support.

American Gun is apt title. It refers both to a weapon, as well as the name of the company manufacturing the offending item (Its factory of the same name is the first place Martin visits). Like something aimed and fired itself, Martin's single-minded journey transcribes its own trajectory, until it reaches its mark. Along the way we discover the gun's history: as an instrument of death in the hand of an abduction victim, a means of revenge for a jealous youth, and so on. The gun has taken more than one life and, the film suggests, is typical of such items passing through so many hands. Whether or not one takes this simplification at face value is down to the position held on gun control. Meanwhile the film benefits from an avoidance of hectoring, and a script that demonstrates the casual dissemination of small arms, as well as the numbing effects of their misuse.

Jacob's film recalls the similar premise explored in John Badham's The Gun (1974), an above average TV movie in which another firearm was followed from cradle to grave, although here the irony is of another sort. In Badham's film the piece is only fired once (at the end) for instance, while Jacob's weapon is used several times. American Gun also has a more complicated structure, the filmmakers using a combination of narrative and filmic methods to show the effects of gun violence on individuals. It is also has a clever twist in the tale, one which accords the hero greater tragic status as well as forcing us to reinterpret events. This ending, while the film still tends towards the episodic, reaffirms Martin's central role and allows the peculiarly penitential nature of his quest to be explained.

There's nothing about the film that wouldn't sit just as comfortably on the little screen as on the big, but it rarely drags and sustains interest. Those who seek the dynamism of most films explicitly associated with weaponry will be advised to look for thrills elsewhere. Those who'd enjoy a quiet, well made look at a perceived American blight, as well as those wanting a last glimpse of a memorable Hollywood star still at work, should check this out.

Scattered, boring and lame

[UniqueParticle · 4/10 · 13 April 2020]

Unfortunate this is among James Coburns last films! Some of it had to do with memories, sadness, and a hunt for a gun all of which aren't very entertaining/interesting. I can sort of see why American Gun has a 6.3 rating on IMDB but I've seen much better!

Coburn is wonderful

[zampino · 8/10 · 13 August 2002]

`American Gun' offers several levels of reward to its audiences. First, is a Oscar caliber, powerfully moving performance from one of America's finest actors, James Coburn. It is rare in our system that an actor, even of James's stature, at his age is offered the opportunity to strut his stuff; and strut he does. With pain, wisdom, and gentleness expressed both in his face and in his gnarled hands, his performance is great. I guarantee no one will walk out of this film unchanged and unmoved by this alone. `American Gun' is a film about America and its scope is huge. On one level it deals with a subjects that are all but taboo in the mainstream media, i.e. American's contradictory infatuation with guns and violence and the all too real repercussions they have with our individual and collective lives. On another level it examines the ethical context of violence in religion, in warfare, in the streets, in the cause of justice as well as in the pursuit of evil. It sounds deep, but you will be entertained by this film, but you will also walk of the theater thinking about some fundamental issues. That's not bad is it?

Inept 80's vintage TV melodrama, out of place in 2002

[etnier · 3/10 · 8 March 2007]

I couldn't finish this. Watching Coburn playing a Vermont millworker with his expensive pouffy hairdo and immaculate fresh-out-of-the-box work clothes was hard enough. He wasn't that great of an actor in the best of settings: this movie is too earnest and dullwitted to help him along. The scene where Virginia Masden dies was the breaking point: so badly handled I felt timewarped back to a 1980's made-for-TV special.

The film was mawkish and dumb from the git-go: a problem with a lot of 'independent' cinema that no one seems willing to face up to and tackle. If you liked this movie, check out "Lustre". You'll love it.

Just because a movie is set in Vermont and deals with moving issues doesn't make it any good. Sheesh.

James Coburn at his finest!

[shaggy97401 · 10/10 · 17 September 2002]

This is a wonderful film starring James Coburn in a heart wrenching tale of a fathers plight for discovery, truth, and bring closure to his daughter's murder. He embarks on a cross country quest to find her killer, discover himself and find his beloved granddaughter.

This film is masterfully done and highly recommended.

Does anyone get this movie?

[timrock11752 · 1/10 · 17 August 2006]

Not only is the movie disjointed but the time line does not work either. Coburn's character is a WWII veteran and the film shows him as a young man with his daughter on a swing. The latest that could have occurred is in the early 50's but in the movie he states that his daughter graduated high school in 1983. As well, there is no way he could have traced the gun through the numerous gun shows and street sellers. I still don't get the plot either. Did the mugger shoot his daughter in the parking lot or did he shoot her in his house? Is the house shooting a metaphor for how responsible he feels? If he is the one who shot her, why didn't the police investigate him? Not a good movie.

Great ending (in every sense of the word)

[dolemite72 · 25 July 2004]

JAMES COBURN bowed out like true star in AMERICAN GUN, a strange, yet rewarding cross between ON GOLDEN POND and THE LIMEY (with shades of THE CROSSING GUARD). And for once (oh well, maybe twice) COBURN does not come accross all smooth, cool and calm. He is very human, and is capable of making mistakes (one rather big one, it turns out!) and the director only gives you as many clues as he wants, so that when the events playback in sequence (and only in that order) does the viewer, fully understand the whole story. The final shot of COBURN, all bitter and twisted, yet slightly redeemed, is rather haunting COBURN asside, every performance in this movie is spot-on. The ever gorgeous VIRGINIA MADSEN especially effective, in the few scenes she's in. Once again, i cannot praise this fine movie, but it must be watched till the end (and in one sitting) to be truly appreciated. Oh well, JAMES COBURN, your 'star' will continue to shine on in heaven. But back here on earth, you shone also. You left the world, a better place than when you first found it.

10 out of 10

James Coburn is fine ..... the rest not so much

[merklekranz · 2/10 · 9 February 2017]

Don't get me wrong. I like James Coburn. "Hard Times" is one of my favorites. Unfortunately Coburn's final film is not very good. First off it is shot mostly on video and looks cheap. Second, it is told in flashbacks which is not only confusing but makes for a very uneven viewing experience. Third and most important, the script does not play fair with the audience, in order for the "big reveal" twist ending. If Coburn had not been in this one, it would get a 1 rating from me for all of the above reasons. The whole thing becomes a "so what", because of the uneven script, endless flashbacks, and unfair ending. One to avoid, even for James Coburn fans. - MERK

A very good movie with a message and a surprising twist

[Gary-497 · 9/10 · 7 April 2005]

I saw this movie for the first time a few days ago. I have been a James Coburn fan since I was a kid so seeing his name in the starring role made me want to check it out although I had never heard of this movie before. Apparently, it was his last movie and I was really pleased to see him finish his career with such a good role. This movie has a great message without being preachy and the twist in the story caught me completely by surprise and I love that sort of thing. I was pleasantly surprised to see Barbara Bain (another favorite of mine) playing his wife. It took me a minute to recognize her. I just wanted to add my comments on this movie because of the other review I saw here that dismissed it as something not very good. I would hate to see someone pass up a chance to see James Coburn's last movie because of some misguided comments by someone who thinks they are a critic. This is an interesting and informative movie and is well worth viewing especially if you are or were a Coburn fan.

Guns Kill Not People

[rlslemmer · 2/10 · 1 April 2019]

The message of this film is that guns kill, not people, and in this case it is the wielder of the gun who wants to displace his own guilt by tracing the origins of the damn gun. It is what I would call an morality unplay, a guilt displacer, an exercise in self-deception. It's an op-ed for gun-confiscation. Agenda driven propaganda. Thumbs totally down.

Expecting little....I was enthralled

[jjacobs49 · 8/10 · 2 April 2005]

Channel-flipping, I stopped at "American Gun". Ready to change to another movie, I decided to give it 5-minutes. 15-minutes. All 95- minutes.

*** spoiler*** An elderly grandfather, haunted by a traumatic split-second decision made during WW2, goes on to be haunted by another traumatic split-second decision made in the present.

To me, movies don't have to be perfect. If they hold my attention, if they make me feel something, if they make me muse about what has been presented, I am happy.

See it.

Not Long Enough To Meet Its Goals

[damianphelps · 4/10 · 13 March 2021]

This was a touching film but it tries to be too much in one movie. So rather than a deep exploration of guns and what they can encompass the film tries to get across every aspect of guns and its simply too much.

Coburn is great as always and he was perfectly cast for something this sombre.

It's not about finding fault, it's about finding reason

[sbrittan1 · 5 June 2003]

At first I thought this film was going to be about finding a killer and blaming guns and the lack of laws we have in the United States controlling them. I was wrong. This is a story of relationships, and what it takes to keep them. The writing is sensitive, not safe by any means and gets to the heart of every human. I was touched by the candid view points of the characters and how the camera and direction noticed them. This is a strong story, not too simple and very complex but very real and grass rooted. The bottom line is...I can see this happening to anyone...anywhere and I was thrilled that it made me feel this way. I thought all the performances were believable and brilliantly acted. Even though Mr. Coburn isn't on this earth to receive one, he should be nominated for an Oscar.

Horrendous - This movie is about as bad as it gets

[timivers · 1/10 · 13 May 2006]

It's really unfortunate that this was James Coburn's last movie because this film was complete garbage. I've seen better acting in porno movies. What's up with the story? The plot was lame and totally unbelievable. For example, in the scene where James Coburn's character kills his daughter... Why wouldn't he confront the intruder? or turn on a light? And what's up with Virginia Madsen when she gets shot and says "Why did you shoot me? Lame, Lame, Lame Lame, Lame.... Was it just me or was the score annoying... the same three notes repeated over and over on the piano. Whoever scored this film needs to go back to music school. No offense Alan Jacobs but you should never ever be able to direct a film again... You SUCK.

A provocative, visually stimulating, dramatization of guns and the tragedy they bring

[bgustin · 9/10 · 5 August 2002]

American Gun is an excellent film. I've never seen Coburn better than this. He won the Academy Award for Affliction but I believe that he betters himself in this film. The material is controversial and thought provoking, the story line is creative, and the ending a big surprise. All in all I would recommend this independent film to any adult audience. The film stays with you for days!

Good film RUINED by the ending

[zsenorsock · 5/10 · 7 March 2005]

I was really enjoying this film. It was nice to see James Colburn going out on a strong performance in a film that was well made, with interesting vignettes about the history of the gun. I thought he received good support from Virginia Madsen and Barbara Bain. Everything seemed to be going along quite well, and then came the big twist ending. I almost stopped the DVD of this as soon as I realized what direction this film was suddenly taking. But I had enjoyed it so much up to that point, I decided to gut it out, hoping I was wrong and that the filmmakers would NOT go in the direction they were heading. But alas, it was not to be. The ending alone was enough to lower my vote of this otherwise fine film from a 7 to a 5. Colburn was great in it however (but check out the size of this man's knuckles!!!) and worth seeing for any of his many fans.

Coburn's last is one of his best

[jack-359 · 10/10 · 8 June 2003]

Instead of preaching about the dangers of hand gun ownership, American Gun is a wonderful film that encourages us to talk about the pros and cons of this issue. James Coburn (Martin Tillman)is perfectly cast as the WWII vet who i haunted by his past. His cross-country journey that traces a gun from its manufacturing plant to its current owner reveals a history that will certainly be interpreted on an individual basis. Barbara Bain (from the original Mission Impossible TV series)plays Martin's wife to perfection. Coburn's final film is one of his best and a shining example of why he was so special.

Coburn Comes to Grip

[wes-connors · 5/10 · 24 June 2012]

Flashbacks to his childhood and World War II service show our narrator's strong bond with guns...

In the present, our elderly storyteller James Coburn (as Martin Tillman) lives in Vermont, with his beautiful wartime bride Barbara Bain (as Anne). Their snowy Christmas is brightened by a visit from daughter Virginia Madsen (as Penny). The family has overcome life's problems, and is a obviously a loving unit. During an immaculately prepared dinner, we learn details about the family's latest crisis - Mr. Coburn's granddaughter Alexandra Holden (as Mia) has run away from home. While daughter Madsen takes care of some Christmas shopping, Coburn secretly meets with young Holden. Or, so it seems… Writer/director Alan Jacobs tells a good story about a man coming to grip with tragedy; secondarily, we see the consequences of being quick on the trigger...

In hindsight, you can see the intent, but "American Gun" has some serious editing flaws. There is also one unforgivable "cheat" - during one of the film's shootings, a sound effect does not coincide with later events. The film tells the story of the "American Gun" responsible for the tragedy that befalls Coburn. He decides to trace ownership of the offending .357 Magnum, which he is able to obtain from the local police. Using the serial number, Coburn finds out how the gun was used across America. At the same time, Coburn looks for his granddaughter (who goes to the restroom without her purse). Most notably, this was the last feature film for Coburn (and, surprisingly, his real-life young wife Paula O'Hara, who play an attractive woman with car trouble).

***** American Gun (6/13/02) Alan Jacobs ~ James Coburn, Barbara Bain, Virginia Madsen, Alexandra Holden

Well Worth Seeing

[purpleaddict · 31 August 2003]

I saw this film at the Sonoma Film Festival earlier this year and was pleasantly surprised. It was not what I was expecting.

James Coburn gave a tremendous performance and all the other actors were very good as well.

I was able to buy into what the film was selling, but I was not expecting the twist at the end. About ten minutes before the twist was revealed, I starting thinking this was the direction they were headed. I just sat there thinking "No, that can't be where they are taking this." It was difficult to see the ending and I felt disturbed by the movie for a while afterwards.

I recommended it to friends and think it is well worth seeing.

A Movie that should be seen, Fitting Swan-Song for James Coburn, Virginia Madsen gives amazing performance

[pizzawarrior1956-1 · 9/10 · 27 September 2005]

Once again, my seeing this movie was predicated on Virginia Madsen's appearance in it; and when I noticed her character, Penny Tillman, being killed off in the first few minutes, I was tempted to walk away.

However, rather than this being another waste of her talent, which has seemed to be happening a lot lately, it turned out to be one of her more powerful performances.

We watch her character age from her teens to early middle-age, I would assume because of her having a teen-aged daughter, only to be gunned down in a random act of violence just as she is reconnecting with her estranged father.

Certainly a profound tragedy to any family when such a person is lost.

From my reading of the Tillman family, these are proud, but loving people in their own way, and big, gruff Martin Tillman would seem to be the most loving of all.

Traumatized by his experiences in WWII already, he now has the added burden of dealing with his daughter's death, which he decides to handle in his own way.

After gaining possession the gun that killed Penny, he tracks down its past owners, one by one, leading up to the murder; a plot device I have seen used before in a similar movie about 30 years ago.

At the same time, he must face his teenaged granddaughter, who must be told about her mother's death.

Leading up to the end, there are some strange plot twists in the film that are not clear, which I cannot reveal without ruining the ending for you, so it will not be mentioned further here.

While the resulting presentation makes a strong case about guns in our society, it is not really so much an anti-gun film, but really more about accepting responsibility for one's actions, and trying afterwards to cope with life as best we can and move on.

This Martin does, but not without a profound sadness, which you will understand at the end.

It was unfortunate that in his final screen appearance before his death, that James Coburn did not receive more notice for his powerful, heart-felt performance, which certainly deserved an Oscar nomination or some other award.

As for the movie itself it did receive far too little attention in the theater; though it can be easily found on video.

Finally, I must say that Virginia Madsen once again gives another great performance that has been ignored, and in light of her success in the 2004 movie "Sideways", deserves to be seen to show the further development of a great screen talent.

For more than a few reasons, definitely seek this one out.

Pretty Devastating

[ferbs54 · 8/10 · 26 June 2008]

Not to be confused with the 2005 film "American Gun" starring Donald Sutherland and Forest Whitaker, the 2002 "American Gun" is a very fine drama that was written and directed by Alan Jacobs. I originally rented this fairly obscure little picture because it features Barbara Bain, one of my main gals of the '60s, in one of her too-rare screen appearances, but as it turns out, the film has lots more to offer besides her more-than-welcome presence. In it, she plays Anne Tillman, who lives in Vermont with her husband Martin (supremely well played by James Coburn, in his last film role), and whose daughter Penny (the lovely Virginia Madsen) is tragically gunned down during a Xmas visit. This sets the grieving Martin on a cross-country odyssey, using the gun's serial number, to learn the history of this weapon and to confront its owner. The viewer thus learns that the gun was once used to defend a kidnapped woman, was stolen from a medical student in NYC, and was used in a teenage revenge attack/suicide. The journey that Martin takes culminates in Las Vegas, where, in a brilliantly realized series of flashbacks, we see the deeper reasons for his grief, and all our nagging questions are resolved. It is a pretty devastating finale, I must say, and one that will doubtlessly leave most viewers gasping with astonishment. Jacobs, whose direction is sometimes flashy but whose script is fairly understated, is surely a talent to be reckoned with; I look forward to seeing more of his work. His "American Gun" is a picture that should be required viewing for all NRA members, as well as for all film lovers who want to see Coburn, here in the twilight of his days, flash that trademarked toothy grin one more time. In a film suffused with so much sadness, that grin looks all the brighter....

I was blown away by this (forgive the pun)

[nhpbob · 25 October 2002]

I saw this film at the recent Hamptons International Film Festival, in a packed house on the extra day of screenings, when several films are shown for free as a thank-you to the community the day after the film festival officially ends. Everyone was riveted by the story, and I noticed the same thing from the paying customers earlier in the week. Many people walk out of the film somewhat shocked and quite moved.

This film is masterfully done, despite what another reviewer says here.

A strong performance from James Coburn, and equally good performances from Virginia Madsen (one of the most underrated actresses around since the 80s), Barbara Bain, Alexandra Holden, and Ryan Locke playing a younger version of Coburn. The parallel stories of his youth, and his current tragic life, are done well. Images of the past sit side by side with the present day.

As befits its title, this film spans America as James Coburn looks for the history of people who used the gun that recently killed his daughter. Like all good "road" movies, the journey here ends satisfyingly. The story has a damn good surprise for the audience in the last 15 minutes, and like other films that do that, it makes you mentally go back to what one saw as the film unfolded. In other words, I certainly want to see this a second time, and see it from the new perspective that sitting through it once brings you.

I'd talk more about what impressed me about the story, but that would be one big spoiler. Suffice to say that this film is best viewed fresh. If someone were smart, it would get a theatrical release. That way Coburn gets a well deserved Best Actor nomination?....