If you are planning on seeing this, DO! It is a bit slow but you will come to love the characters and their flaws. It is not average road-trip to self discovery it is more. The lead characters have a tense and fearful journey ahead. As they open themselves up to each other we see the story take a journey that reminds me of To Kill A Mockingbird as we see the film from two innocent teenagers points of view. The writing is sarcastic and not at all Hollywood flashy it is down to earth and heart warming. A truly uplifting story to all who to let your teenager nature over-run them for 2 hours. You just might believe there is a happy ending in life for everyone. You should watch this movie, it is not one to miss!!
Add a Review
-
cassielarke13 August 2010
-
moossaboossa6 December 2010There are movies, such as this and many others, that sometimes don't appeal to people do to the slowness of it all. Nonetheless, I was surprised to see the low rating that it received. The Yellow Handkerchief tells the touching story of three broken individuals, each with their own troubled past and lingering issues; who share one thing in common: the need to escape. The entire plot is centred around a long car journey, in which Martine (Kristen Stewart) and Gordy (Eddie Redmayne)slowly unravvel the mystery of Brett Hanson (Willian Hurt) an unhappy man, recently released from his sentence in prison. The movie is an Indie movie, and it does appear to be rather slow. The script isn't as chatty or invasive as the blockbuster movies we're used to, and there is a lot of scenery. But regardless, the theme of the movie is easy for people to relate to. You don't have to be a convict, or an abandoned child to understand it- the entire story, is about making mistakes. And eventually, the message becomes clearer: that the people who forgive you, and offer you a second chance, are those who love you the most. There are so many different ways to see this movie, that I will point out that that's only my interpretation. I highly recommend this movie, but only if you're in the mood for a more symbolic movie rather than fast paced; action packed thrillers..
-
uthusantuhan99920 October 2012Great Love story, I like it when you Americans put a bunch of characters on a road trip. Classic!. This film takes you beyond the bitter part of life back into the sweet.
The music just blend in, the camera capture is somewhat 'spiritual'.
Simple movie, brought tears to my spirit's eyes. This one truly touches the heart. One great movie making!. Salute. The cast is perfect in their place.
People may shine only in a moment in their life. And that moment will shine forever in whosoever is touched by it. I almost give up on Hollywood, but this shows, you still can do it right!
Salute ^ ^ -
wmjaho19 January 2008I'm always a little apprehensive about ex-con redemption films. They are generally predictable, and the emotional puppeteering is all too easy and familiar. And I must acknowledge that in The Yellow Handkerchief, there is more than a little of all that. But I don't think that's at the core of the movie. Rather, this is a story about three individuals, all lost and lonely, led by fate into a beat-up convertible, and finding themselves unexpectedly on a little road trip in post-Katrina rural Louisiana.
Award-winning German producer Arthur Cohn put together this project, and Indian director Udayan Prasad made some great casting calls. William Hurt is at the center as Brett, a just-released ex-con battling his demons (which are gradually revealed throughout the movie) and tenuously reentering the outside world. It's a role that comes naturally to Hurt, more like his classics The Big Chill, The Doctor and The Accidental Tourist than his arresting departure in The History of Violence. The inescapably sexy Maria Bello shows up mostly in flashbacks, as the love of his pre-prison life. Eddy Redmayne (Gordy) and Kristen Stewart (Matine) steal the show as the youngsters who meet in a store, and find themselves moments later asking Brett to make them an unlikely threesome.
Prasad does a great job of sharing with the audience the unadorned emotions at play as these three feel each other out, and gradually get comfortable together. There is natural tension, as Brett is older, obviously hardened, and something of mystery, and even more so when they find out he is an ex-con. But also anger, fear and disgust, before the softening. The strengths and weaknesses of each character are slowly exposed as their journey leads them in search of acceptance, hope and love. And talented cinematographer Chris Berges brings an eerie sadness to the Louisiana bayou country, not nearly recovered from the ravages of Katrina.
The Yellow Handkerchief may move too slowly for broad public acceptance. But the story never lagged, holding the audience throughout, and rewarding them at the end. One might accuse the ending of being a little hackneyed (and one would be right) but that hardly dulls the shine of a movie that leaves you feeling positive and optimistic.
Sundance Moment: Prasad, Cohn, Hurt, Bello, Redmayne and Stewart were all at the premiere. Best line was from Cohn, who said some people told him this was a "little movie." "There are no little movies or big movies," he repeated twice. Sundance philosophy in a nutshell. -
saadgkhan14 August 2010THE YELLOW HANDKERCHIEF – CATCH IT ( B ) The best thing I loved about this movie was the Odd Characterization; William Hurt as Ex-Convict, Kristen Stewart as 15yrs old Confused Teen, Eddie Redmayne as the weird psycho nerdy dirty teen and Maria Bello as any other woman who gets tired of her life. A good attempt by the director and he made most out of the script. It keeps you intriguing and wondering what happened between Maria and William plus a weird relationship between Kristen and Eddie keeps you stuck with the story. Though I have felt at times it gets little slow but then again it paces up. Kristen Stewart looks damn gorgeous and acted well. Eddie Redmayne as a psychotic weird teen did a good job, another Britain import to look out for. William Hurt and Maria Bello are seasoned actors so obviously they were great. Overall a good movie about redemption & love.
-
ken_eisner19 January 2008A perfect crescendo. During an admittedly slow first half of the film, the audience is drawn in to the actors and the cajun background, its lush greenery and its languid place in Americana.
The actors hold up brilliantly at this pace -- William Hurt is a standout and a more-than-worthwhile Oscar candidate as the sullen, "ghost"-like ex-con and Eddie Redmayne jumps to the fore as a bizarre, overgrown child. The scenery and the pull of post-Katrina New Orleans is powerful, forcing personal choices and sticking in the back of our minds.
Then, when the action turns, and the plot suddenly speeds forward for the latter half of the movie, the viewer has already been drawn so deep inside these rich, pained characters and the twisted swampland that its emotional force, punctuated by minute changes in Hurt's eyes, knowingly elicits empathy and sympathy.
The force of the movie is the slowness, the languid pace that draws the viewer in, and the acting, as good an ensemble as anything that I've viewed this year. It is slow, but slow can be good, good as a cajun conversation. -
JohnDeSando4 May 2010Road trips in American film have often been flamboyant metaphors—Easy Rider and Thelma and Louise come quickly to mind. The Yellow Handkerchief will not be remembered so readily given its low-key, Southern slow delivery. Yet it has a subtle power to inform the Louisiana bayou landscape with meaning as three strangers embark by auto for destinations barely known.
Brett Hanson (William Hurt) has just been released from 6 years in prison for manslaughter. Ignorant of this fact is Martine (Kristen Stewart), a fifteen year-old runaway, who invites Brett to ride with her and Gordy (Eddie Redmayne), who is a stranger and a strange young man having the advantage of a convertible and enough cash for a trip that might end up in New Orleans.
Like a European film, Handkerchief takes it time to reveal character, meet a conflict and climax, and settle down to its title, which is unsubtly tied to the handkerchief and a pop tune about an ex-convict "comin' home." Hurt, one of America's finest actors, brings gravity and melancholy to a role that requires sorrow and redemption to ride along with hope. I hope he receives a well-deserved Oscar nod and the grand prize—think of Jeff Bridges' win for Crazy Heart, a more histrionic part than Hurt's understated torture.
While I'm still trying to warm up to Kristen Stewart as anything but a vampire lover of little acting range beyond a hesitating delivery, Maria Bello as May, Brett's love interest, is plain persuasive as the one who tries to understand and work with the eccentricities of Brett.
Of course, Katrina as family wrecker is quietly in the background, and because this is a story of the search for family, or "belonging to something," the hurricane informs every grasp for lost love as the vanished twin towers might do. If you want slow exposition that offers character development of the first order, then ride along with these three misfits to find a bit of yourself in the journey. -
MBunge27 January 2012Like staring at the ocean horizon from a desert island or being rocked to sleep in your mother's arms, The Yellow Handkerchief is a warm, enchanting and entrancing experience. With a story built on the calm and measured magnetism of William Hurt, illuminated with youthful flashes of spirit by Kristen Stewart and Eddie Redmayne and sheltered under the beautiful pain of Maria Bello, this film invites you in from the cold and lets you nestle in its relaxed tenderness. I'm not much for slow, sentimental tales of lost love and teenage angst, but this movie has made be reconsider that. If anyone ever tells me a motion picture is "like The Yellow Handkerchief", I'm definitely going to give it a look.
Brett (William Hurt) is a grown-ass man who just got out of prison. There's no one to greet him in freedom, so he starts walking south. At a diner, he meets Martine (Kristen Stewart) and Gordy (Eddie Redmayne). One is desperately looking in others for what she can't find in her own father and the other is an awkward bundle of nerves who thinks he's Jack Kerouac but is mostly just whack. Gordy does have a convertible and the three start off on a little trip across the river and, through storm and scuffle and keep on driving until their stories spill out of them, especially the woman that Brett's bound for even though he's not sure if she'll welcome him or if he deserves it.
Hurt's character is as much at the heart of this film as any I've seen, as the world-weary Brett's journey with these two emotionally exposed kids is interposed with his memories of May (Maria Bello), the damaged woman he fell in love with at the sight of her soulful face. The two tales wonderfully compliment each other as Brett is the one drawn irresistibly to May while it is Martine and Gordy who find themselves caught up in his gravitational pull. Hurt gives an award-worthy performance that is all the more notable for how he never overpowers his younger co-stars. Don't get me wrong. Stewart and Redmayne are marvelous in their own right, but it would have been so easy for Hurt to dominate the screen instead of letting Brett be merely the center of it. No one would have objected, yet that ultimately would have sucked the melodic ease out of the movie and robbed it of its human depth.
Kristen Stewart also deserves a lot of praise because her role is written quite obviously. She's playing a wounded girl who's anguish is visible to anyone who looks at her, something that's not all that easy to pull off without overshooting or underplaying the affect. Redmayne's part is more overtly colorful and obtuse but it comes off a little bit like shtick. Stewart feels like a living, breathing, confounding teenage girl.
I also want to single out director Udayan Prasad for praise. His narrative and visual confidence is second only to Hurt's acting in making The Yellow Handkerchief work. This story is quiet and slow and the temptation to speed it up or do something on screen visually out of fear of losing the audience's attention had to be a difficult beast to battle. Prasad let's things unfold in their own due course and perfectly balances the trio in the convertible with the flashbacks to May. This is the sort of direction where you can't easily notice what's being done, which I find much more appealing and proficient than films where the director is practically waving at you from the screen.
The Yellow Handkerchief is a darling production, which is an adjective I don't think I've never used before or even appreciated what it really meant before now. Why it was not a much bigger deal when it came out is a mystery to me. Maybe Stewart's inclusion will eventually attract some Twi-hard attention to this little gem. Something good ought to come out of those sparkly vampire flicks. -
richard-19673 February 2010We saw this as part of a preview cinema club we belong to. And we're happy we did.
The Road Movie is one of Hollywood's long-standing (some would say overused) idioms. From It Happened One Night through Butch Cassidy, Bonnie & Clyde, and Thelma & Louise, to Little Miss Sunshine, good road movies can be a joy. Bad ones, though, are a major drag.
This is a GOOD road movie. Three things make it special. First, it's about three losers, or -- let's just say it -- weird people. None of these characters start out with much appeal (except Kristen Stewart's great looks), but each grows right in front of our eyes throughout the movie. By the end, we like and find ourselves rooting for each, for different reasons. (In this way, the film reminds me most of the wonderful Hackman/Pacino 1970s vehicle Scarecrow, a much under-appreciated film.)
Second, there is splendid acting throughout. Kristen Stewart is headed for stardom, William Hurt does justice to a role only Jeff Bridges could play as well (have we forgotten what a great actor he is?), and the most surprising piece, young British actor Eddie Redmayne, does a terrific turn as a strange kid with a car.
Third, there's the film's perspective, about tolerance, acceptance of things as they are, and forgiveness -- for loved ones and above all for ones self.
Watch it! -
adoniamiddleton23 February 2010So to be honest I hadn't even heard of this movie until my friend invited me to its showing at Kabuki Theatre here in San Francisco. Being completely available as usually I figured I would go and support not only the movie but also my friend's addition; which is Kristen Stewart. This movie had me not knowing what emotion to go with. One moment I think I'm supposed to be scared, and then I find myself laughing and lastly wanting to be in love. Overall this entire movie kept me in suspense and I can honestly say I didn't know where I was going until I got there (which would be the perfect description of this move). I think this movie is worth taking for a ride; so buckle up and get ready for this emotional roller coaster.
-
WHYeat31 March 2010Brett (William Hurt) has just gotten out of prison after a 6 year sentence. He makes his way south along the Mississippi towards New Orleans after running into two strangers, Martine (Kristen Stewart) and Gordy (Eddie Redmayne). Martine is a teenage girl with teenage problems. Gordy has supposedly been wandering for quite sometime now. He's awkward and slow, but not as slow as Lennie Small. Both of them are intrigued by Brett whose story is told by a few flashbacks and eventually through Brett's own words.
102 minutes later, I was the first to the door. I felt cheated. Ripped off. I want my $15.50 back. Or at least a glass of scotch to wash down the nasty aftertaste. (By the way, there aren't many theaters with a bar, but this one had two! That's Hollywood I guess.) I wanted to duck into The Crazies, which was starting in 15 minutes next door. I felt I deserved some zombie action after sitting through zombie-like inaction. The story is excruciatingly slow. Even when it supposedly picks up and the action starts it's slow. SLOW. It got bad enough for me that I was hoping a vampire and a butt-naked werewolf would start fighting over Martine.
So what did I like? Having "yellow" in the title, the movie did use the color well. Well, the color yellow did make its appearance several times in the movie. Every time there was a happy moment, yellow would jump out among the contrasting dull colors. I thought this was a clever visual technique to shed some "sunshine" on the otherwise dull lives of the characters.
Men: The Yellow Handkerchief. Don't watch it. Blow your nose in it. Rated Chick.
Follow my reviews on Ratedchick.com -
ligonlaw5 December 2008This is a film about three oddly-matched people on a journey. They are strangers to each other, and they are quite strange. The film derives a lot of its early edge from the concern we have for the young girl who is in the company of two potentially dangerous and unstable men. Yellow Handkerchief opens in a cold prison where William Hurt's character says farewell to his fellow inmates. He is tough, hardened, and taciturn, a man well past middle age. As with any convict, you want to know what his crime was.
He takes a bus to a small Louisiana town. There, you get a visual suggestion that his crimes may have been sexual, as the camera shows a gathering of young people outside a restaurant. He drinks his first beer at this diner as we eavesdrop on the teens' conversations. We wonder if he is there to find prey or these young people are there by happenstance.
Hurt's flashbacks are many and frequent, and they begin in this dining room as he contemplates his first taste of beer in the first afternoon of his freedom.
A pretty 15-year-old girl, named Martine, is receiving much attention from two boys her age. Martine is played by 18-year-old Kirsten Stewart, who, in her short life, has appeared in a dozen films and collected half a dozen acting awards. We overhear Martine talking with the more handsome boy. She had been with him the night before, and we hear bits of conversation which sound like the boy may have taken advantage of her. Martine is on her cellphone with her father with whom we learn she has a stormy relationship. He is a thousand miles away on business, and she lies to him about where she is.
A goofy-looking boy, named Gordy, seems to be in constant motion. Gordy is smitten by Martine's charms, and he appears to have no chance with her. He says odd things and speaks inappropriately. He is in and out of the dining room as Hurt sips his beer enjoying freedom. The goofy kid wants to buy throw-away cameras with expired dates. He claims he is native American, but he looks Anglo. He is a bit weird. Hurt would later explain Gordy's behavior to Martine: "He is young for his age." Gordy is played by Eddy Redmayne, who looks much younger than his 26 years. A fine British actor who appeared in "The Other Bolyn Girl," "Elizabeth: The Golden Age," and "The Good Shepherd," plays a misfit with serious emotional problems in this movie.
The goofy-boy, the pretty girl and the ex-con leave this small Louisiana town in Gordy's old convertible. Their destination is uncertain except that they head south. It was bad judgment in the extreme for Martine to go away with the two men. A romantic girl, she is strangely attracted to the ex-con who is three or four times her age. The journey proceeds in serendipitous and unpredictable ways.
Along the way, layers of our first impressions peel away as these three reveal much about themselves.
Critics have said that American films are about objects like cars, guns, houses, airplanes and ships, while European films are about people and relationships. In this poverty-saturated section of Louisiana, the only thing to see is the human interaction. Tension pulls us into this film because what we know about these characters makes us apprehensive. We are further drawn in by curiosity; we want to find out who these strangers are and why they are together at all. An odd coupling, not one is much like the other. As the drama unfolds, we learn more about each one and find reasons to like and admire them.
This is the kind of film that actors crave; they can strut their stuff and show their chops. William Hurt,one of America's finest actors, does not disappoint. The Oscar-winner's fellow travelers are excellent. Maria Bello has a supporting role which comes through Hurt's flashbacks. She plays another quirky, hard woman with a soft core.
This film is one of those fine dramas which was a risk for the producers. It was too good not to make, but it is a film that could tank at the box office because it does not feature car chases and gratuitous explosions. This is drama for intelligent people which probably deserves Oscar nominations but it could pass under the radar of film audiences and critics. Each year Hollywood sends us some rare gems that we must look to find. Great films go unnoticed and are unfairly ignored. A short list would include "Antwone Fisher," "My First Mister," "Life As A House," "What We Lost in the Fire" and "Finding Forester" - all deserving Oscar consideration in several categories, but lost in the shuffle at the end of the season. This might end up on the list of great films you never saw if you don't go see it. -
StephenTaylor3 September 2011The word judgement, and its various forms, is repeated throughout this movie. I think that is really what this story is about. Brett tells Martine he worries about her because, "you have no judgement." The couple in the van ask Brett, "Are you judging us?" Maria Bello's character asks Brett, "Are you judging me?" for example. These characters are always judging someone, something, or some situation and then they have to try and understand the consequences of their judgement. All three characters are largely in the situations we find them in due to their judgement or lack of. And Kristen Stewart... wow!.... I am really looking forward to watching her talent/career develop over the next 20 years.....quite exciting.
-
moonspinner5529 July 2011After accidentally killing a stranger in a fight, a middle-aged man down South is sentenced to six years in prison; once behind bars, he asks his volatile wife for a divorce, and yet upon his release finds he has strong desires to see her again and rekindle their rocky romance. Udayan Prasad directed this rambling adaptation of Pete Hamill's short story, one which is split between staccato flashbacks and a wan current plot (involving the ex-convict's two teenage traveling partners) which fails to propel the picture forward. William Hurt does some amazingly low-keyed work in the lead, but he can't carry the movie all by himself. Chris Menges' cinematography ably captures the backwater stretches of a strangely underpopulated Louisiana, and there's grit and conviction in Maria Bello's performance as Hurt's shrimp-fisher wife (even though her role, as written, is a wheeze). Still, the two kids (Kristen Stewart and Eddie Redmayne) are completely unreal, undermining this road trip with an irritatingly acrid artificiality which nearly stalls the movie out before getting us to the final gate. *1/2 from ****
-
tieman6418 March 2013"The Yellow Handkerchief" is an excellent drama by Udayan Prasad. Low key, sensitive and gentle, the film watches as ex-convict Bretty Hanson (William Hurt) embarks on an impromptu road-trip with two troubled teens. The trio travel across post-Hurricane Katrina Louisiana, hoping to locate Hanson's long-lost love. If she wants to reconcile with him, she'll tie yellow handkerchiefs on her moored boat as a signal. If not, Hanson's to keep moving on.
The film uses flashbacks to delve into Hanson's past life. Through these, we learn why he was incarcerated and why he and his lover, played by Maria Bello, split. The couple's relationship is mirrored to that of the film's two teenagers (Kristen Stewart and Eddie Redmayne), both of whom are social outcasts, alienated and looking for acceptance. The film's romance between Stewart and Redmayne is rushed and unconvincing. Prasad would have done better to keep things platonic.
Bello and Hurt make up for this, though, with a couple strong performances. Hurt imbues his character with a quiet suffering, a sense of perpetual tiredness, whilst Bello's feisty, fiery but deeply scarred. Elsewhere the film abounds with strong, quiet moments. Consider how, when released from his prison cell, Hurt says goodbye to fellow in-mates, how he later savours his first beer in years, and how a near-worldless scene introduces him to Kristen Stewart's young character. Only in "Handkerchief's" final act does director Udayan Prasad abandon nuance. The rest of the film plays like a well filmed short story.
No surprise, then, that the film's story was based on a famous folktale. This tale was then turned into a short story by Pete Hamill, and also a famous, now-classic song called "Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree", sung by Dawn and Tony Orlando.
8.5/10 - Worth two viewings. See "Frozen River" and "Everything Must Go". -
xalg1417 October 2010This is a movie worth spending your time watching it. If you're a fan of Kristen like I am, then you must see it cause she did pretty well. KS is famous for Twilight movies, but she is far more talented than just acting a vampire's girlfriend. She showed her aptitude in movies like The Runaways, Speak, Adventureland, and this one. I think she will win a Oscar one day.
The story is simple, touching; scenes are beautiful. You'd better watch it in a sunny afternoon. It's just like having a cup of tea or coffee with your old friends, talking, laughing, thinking.
Nice movie. -
lillianjuly241 October 2012I believe that the movie was well directed, well acted, and an enjoyable treat. Eddie Redmayne's character is not your stereotypical teenage boy, but complicated and misunderstood instead. The actor is enjoyable to watch and even portrays the character with every slight movement of his body. William Hurt is amazing as well. It seems that he is just another man on the road with two kids, but he later unravels to be someone else, a husband and ex-prisoner. The actor contains is almost like your flower. It starts out as a plain seed and it blooms or something extraordinary. Although Maria Bello is not present for most of the film, she is able to make her character a symbol, an object that is bigger. My only complaints are the use of flashbacks and Kristen Stewart's performance. The flashbacks were amazing, but they were sort of confusing by the way they are used. Stewart's character, Martine, brought light and innocence, but the character instead was left dull. However, she is able to make most of the darker moments. Nonetheless, it is a must see and an amazing film to watch.
-
A tale of two love stories--one which needs to be rekindled--while the other is sorely in need of some love potion to ignite the sparks. This is also a story about three drifters who are alienated from their own social circles. They say you can learn a lot about someone from the first impressions that they make. This was especially evident for the trio of lead characters. For Brett, his first scene showed him being released from Angola State Prison, with sad droopy eyes and lonely, where none of his family or friends are there to greet him, unlike the other prisoners who have loved ones running into their arms upon their release from prison. For Gordy, in his first scene, he would get no respect from any of the patrons of the convenience store which he was hanging out at. And finally, for 15-year-old Martine, we see her being dumped by her boyfriend, a relationship which could be better described as a one-night stand, as he explained to her that his drunkenness obscured his better judgment.
So thus begins their journey to the Big Easy in Gordy's decades old blue Ford LTD convertible. While this turned out to be a road movie, thankfully it was much more than that. While the landscape depicted by cinematographer, Chris Menges was impressive and atmospheric, this roadie was without question, character driven.
While William Hurt is usually over-the-top in most of his previous roles, he was as low-key as you can get in this indie. To put it succinctly, Hurt gloriously portrayed hurt in The Yellow Handkerchief. His soft spoken nature spoke more loudly than most of his previous high-strung roles.
Those who have followed the work of Kristen Stewart's non-Twilight roles, will perhaps agree that she is a brutally honest actress with angst oozing out of her pores, as well as having intensity to spare. Kristen has also proved that she belongs on screen with middle-aged Hollywood heavyweights such as Robert De Niro, James Gandlofini, and in this case, William Hurt. Kristen's definitely a cutie and her Southern drawl made her that much more adorable.
Yes, Eddie Redmayne displayed virtually every annoying trait imaginable, yet that is exactly what the script dictated. And of course, Maria Bello was her usual beautiful and sensuous self.
What I found especially intriguing about this film is that I wasn't really sure if Brett was running away from something, running towards something, running in circles, or simply running in place like he was doing for the past 6 years for obvious reasons. It wasn't until Brett's flashbacks revealed the details concerning his manslaughter charges--proving that this was just an accident involving a good Samaritan who interceded while Brett and May argued outside a bar. It turned out, in the heat of passion, Brett shoved this man as he tried to get between he and his wife. As this man falls backward, he falls and hits his head on a fire hydrant causing him to die on the spot. While Martine and Gordy joked about Brett being an axe murderer, they were both certain he was innocent. In fact, even after Brett revealed this incident, they continued to look up to Brett as a father figure. Although Brett was the one who demanded the divorce, we would also learn of his undying love for May as the journey reached full-circle in the movie as well as in my mind. Tears began to well up in my eyes as Brett revealed to Martine and Gordy exactly what he wrote on the postcard which he sent to May. He spilled out his guts by writing that if May wants him back she would put up the yellow sail on her sailboat, reminiscent of the song, "Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'Round the Old Oak Tree." While at first he was hesitant to go to May's house, Martine convinces him to go, telling him it's not about being selfish but rather about being weak. Gordy interjected that it would be a waste of gasoline if they went all this way only to turn back now, especially if you were to consider he was driving a gas guzzler, coupled with the rising petroleum prices during post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans.
When the trio finally gets to the location of Brett's former place of residence, they discover a new occupant now resides there. I could feel Brett's heart break as they drove off. But then, like a bolt out of the blue, Martine spots one-hundred or so small yellow flags and handkerchiefs hanging on some clotheslines which were draped over a sailboat. Martine then tells Gordy to back up and drive towards that sailboat. Sure enough that's May's sailboat as she walks towards Brett. They are happy to see each other and embrace. Martine and Gordy are touched by this incident and cuddle up as well. Despite Gordy's lack of confidence and uneasiness around people--especially beautiful young women who like to do ballerina pirouettes--Martine is drawn to his compassion towards animals. In one scene, while driving his car, Gordy hits a deer and after doing so jumps out of the car to offer assistance. In another scene he describes to Martine a story where he freed a $10 million purebred racehorse from a stable. Yes, Gordy is scrawny, naive and messed up. Yet the more Martine gets to know Gordy, the more deeply she falls in love with him. I can't say enough about this heartfelt story of love, loss and second chances. The fleshed out performances by the lead actors brought this story to life. -
MadameGeorge30 March 2011'The Yellow Handkerchief' is a lovely film about redemption, faith and love.
The main character is no doubt Brett Hanson (William Hurt) and he is amazing as a middle-aged, drained man. I have not seen many films with him, but I loved how he represented a life that lost its way and the unlikely road that leads back.
Brett (Hurt) is a man who one night looses all that he has in a fit of anger. The journey begins when he meets Gordy, the masterful Eddie Redmayne and the 'plain-jane' Martine, an ever frustrating Kristen Stewart. Gordy, Martine and Brett take off on a Louisanna crossing to get Brett home. Martine and Gordy seem to be up for anything and that really shows as they all travel together. There is little character development on the part of Martine and Gordy, but enough to understand why it is so important that these three loss souls meet one another.
If knowledge is in the journey, these three characters learn who they are and what they want out of life. It is beautiful and heartbreaking to watch the pain of discovery. Maria Bello and her short scenes are amazing as well. What this film lacks in story- it often moves a little too slow for me- it makes up double in the acting by the leads, except for Kristen. Kristen struggles throughout the film with her Southern accent- sometimes it is on full force and other times there is nothing there and that is troubling, but even more then that is her constant need to stare into space, play with her hair and bite her lip. At first I thought it was a young twitch or something, but after seeing a few movies with her in it- it really distracts from the characters she plays, and this is true with Martine.
Redmayne, Hurt, Bello are in a class alone and their relationships are the heart of the film. Redmayne, the lost youth who does not seem to belong anywhere. Hurt, the man looking for redemption and meaning in a world gone mad. And Bello, waiting to heal old wounds.
A heart-warming film about the roads life takes us on and the people we meet along the way that teach us. -
THE YELLOW HANDKERCHIEF is a very quiet, small film that depends on dialogue rather than action. It began as a short story by Pete Hamill and was adapted for the screen by Erin Dignam. As directed with quiet intensity by Indian director Udayan Prasad the film is more an exploration of isolated individuals who for different reasons do not fit into society and how four of those individuals discover themselves through their interaction with each other.
Brett Hanson (William Hurt) is discharged form prison where he has served six years for manslaughter: he has a history of run-ins with the law and seems to face his release with a certain degree of fear of the outside world. He meets two youngsters - the lonely Martine (Kristen Stewart) who has only a father and an absent one at that, and Gordy (Eddie Redmayne), a Native American asocial misfit itinerant - and because of a sever rain storm the three set out in Gordy's car to find shelter. They stay in motels and gradually each characters past unfolds: the running development is Brett's history of coming close to a significant relationship with a fearful woman named May (Maria Bello) whose fear of relationships was temporarily resolved with her romance with Brett - all of this history is played through flashback scenes when Brett was working oil rigs in New Orleans. Martine and Gordy are fascinated and a bit fearful of Brett as an ex-con but they both connect with Brett's essentially good spirit and insist that he stay with them and allow the bonding youngsters t help him recover the one love he had.
Two generations of lost people collide then bond and learn from each other. There is considerable emotional energy in this somewhat laconic film with as much being discovered by silences as with dialogue. William Hurt offers a profoundly understated performance: Stewart and Redmayne provide the perfect naïve foil for his reconnection with the world outside prison walls - both the physical prison he has just left and the mental prison in which he has been hiding all his life. Maria Bello is convincing as the strong woman who fears vulnerability while desperately in need of being loved. This is a film that may not have made it in theaters but is probably best viewed in the intimacy of the home via DVD.
Grady Harp. -
nanccakes18 December 2019I like Kristen Stewart so I decided to give this a try. It's a little different, but I enjoyed it. It's a nice, slow, and cute movie. I almost got misty-eyed at the ending. I really liked the character Brett and I thought it was sweet how Martine looked to him as a father figure.
-
terryneal-3580213 December 2018The apparent news from the in people in the industry was that no distributer wanted to buy this movie. Despite a respectable cast, The Yellow Handkerchief has sat on the shelf for nearly three years. The director, Udayan Prasad, is something of an unknown quantity (he does not have any "A list" films on his resume), and no major distributor was willing to take a chance on such a listless, dialogue-intensive motion picture. The Samuel Goldwyn Company paid a minimal amount for the rights, viewing this as a low-risk, high-reward endeavor. They will no doubt heavily promote Kristen Stewart's involvement, hoping to bilk Twilight fans into seeing this movie. There's little enough to appeal to them in The Yellow Handkerchief and almost nothing for anyone else.
-
druid333-218 March 2010What starts out as what appears as just another road movie turns out to be three tales of inter generational angst. Brett Hanson is an ex convict that is on a mission to find his lost love. Martine is a 15 year old girl who is just discovering life,and Gordo is a 16 year old boy,who is kind of geeky,gawky & awkward around girls,but wants a girl friend in the worst way. When their lives intersect at a rest stop,the three hit the road,looking for their own adventures. Along the way, truths are revealed,tears are shed & (potential)friend ships are forged. William Hurt ('Kiss Of The Spider Woman','The Big Chill',and most recently,'End Game')is Brett,a man who tries to get by with few words as necessary,who carries a dark secret & has a mission in life. Maria Bello is his ex wife,May. Kristin Stewart (previously seen in 'Twilight',and 'New Moon',and soon to be seen as Joan Jett in 'The Runaways')is Martine,a girl who is looking for something better in life than what she's being offered,presently. Eddie Redmayne is Gordo, who first comes off as something of a jerk at first,but matures a little, (for his own good). India's own Udayan Prasad directs from a screenplay written by Erin Dignam,from a story by Pete Hamill. This is a slow moving film that has to work it's way into your system,but is worth the test of patients in the end. Rated PG-13 by the MPAA,this film contains brief sexual content,some rough language & brief outbursts of violence (but nothing bloody or gory)
-
madimcc16 February 2012I wouldn't say this is the most action packed movie, or even close to it. Nothing much happens, but there was still something about it that made the movie worth watching.
Delving deeper into the past of the ex convicts life was interesting, and almost made me sad, but I don't think the movie included enough that it would grab all viewers attention. I guess it depends on your personality, what you like and who you are, to decide if its the type of movie for you.
It isn't something I'd usually watch, but I won it from a magazine competition, and I quite enjoyed it. It certainly entertained me for a good hour and a half of my day off from school. -
TxMike22 June 2011Set and filmed in southern Louisiana shortly after hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and much of the surrounding areas. Saw it on DVD from my public library. No extras at all on the DVD.
Right as the film starts we see three of the four protagonists meeting quite by coincidence at a small town store that also serves as a bus station. They all have different stories but one thing in common, a desire to move on down the road. They end up traveling together in a car, towards New Orleans, that just is able to get them around.
William Hurt is at his best here as Brett Hanson, and we soon learn that he had just been released from 6 years in prison for manslaughter. Only very late in the story, via flashback as he retells this to the others, do we learn the circumstances.
Kristen Stewart is teenager Martine, whose mother is absent and her dad drives a long-haul truck. This time he is leaving without her, she is curious about the rest of the world.
Brit Eddie Redmayne is "native American" Gordy, although he doesn't appear much like a native. When they hit and kill a deer at night, he quietly asks the deer for forgiveness. He is somewhat socially awkward, he likes Martine, but he has trouble showing it in the right way. He just seems very odd at first, but grows on a person once they get to know him.
Maria Bello is May, for most of the film we only see her in brief flashback scenes with Brett. They were married, had a falling out of sorts, and he wants to see if they can reconcile.
A rather small, quiet movie with excellent acting, we enjoyed it.
SPOILERS: Brett and May were arguing after she had a miscarriage, and he found out earlier in life she had an abortion, which made it more difficult to carry a baby to term. When a stranger came to help, Brett pushed him aside, his head hit a fire hydrant, the stranger died and Brett was imprisoned for manslaughter. Out now, he did make it back to May and they reconciled. Martine and Gordy in the process of getting to know Brett got to know themselves a bit better also, and what is really important in life.