Billy Bob Thornton is more often associated with acting rather than working behind the camera. I always forget he wrote and directed the excellent SLING BLADE, likely the best movie of his career. The only other directorial effort from Thornton is the movie DADDY AND ME. But, after 12 years since his last foray he is back with JAYNE MANSFIELD’S CAR.
The family drama features a phenomenal cast including Thornton, Robert Duvall, Kevin Bacon, John Hurt, Frances O’Connor, Robert Patrick, and Ray Stevenson. The movie reminds me of the trailer for AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY but with a lot more humor.
The film is set in 1969 Alabama, with three World War II vets, the Caldwell brothers (Thornton, Bacon and Patrick), and a World War I patriarch (Duvall) whose family is in a cultural clash with a London family that due to unforeseen circumstances, finds them in the Caldwell’s town.
The trailer looks like a fun flick if not anything worth comparing to SLING BLADE but it does have a hell of a line-up of solid actors. Since it is premiering On Demand on August 20th, I may check it out. For everyone else it hits theaters on September 13th.