The first thing you notice about Lebanon, Pa. is how freaking gorgeous it is. There was a time when you came to a festival like SXSW expecting its indie world premiere slate to largely feature movies that look like they were shot through a screen door. Ben Hickernell's second feature, "filmed" on a $15,000 Red One camera in Philadelphia and surrounding communities, looks as good as any moderately budgeted studio feature, and better than most. The fact that filmmaking has become so cheap anyone can do it is repeated so often that it's become a truism, but I'm not sure any movie has illustrated it as starkly as this one. The effect is amplified by the fact that I saw Hickernell's debut, Cellar, five years ago at the now-defunct Philadelphia Festival of World Cinema. It did not look like this. Watch Lebanon, Pa. Movie Online
I traveled to SXSW seeking a film that would truly move me; and after days of searching I had some brushes with greatness but nothing really fit the bill, that is until I took the journey to Lebanon, PA.
Lebanon, PA follows Will and CJ as they struggle with decisions that will change their lives. Will lives in Philadelphia and has just been informed via post-it-note that the father he never knew has died, and now he must pack up his house in the small town of Lebanon. After a promising encounter with Vicki at a local bar, he starts to wonder if a small town life would help with his big city problems. CJ is a 17 year old girl that’s current pregnancy has her struggling with the path she will take and when Will and his left wing bumper stickers roll into town he provides her with the advice that her right wing home town can not.
The presentation of the differing point of views is what makes Lebanon, PA so great. It gives equal thought to both points of views. Will and CJ are learning to change their opinions and discovering themselves through difficult decisions. There is one particularly touching moment when Will is confronted with the reality that his beliefs are too big for this small town. Politics aside, the film is so touching that it transcends moral beliefs and gives the audience that direct connection that most films are lacking. Watch English Movie Online
Along with a great moral direction, all of the actors give a tremendous performance, but Rachel Kitson outshines them all in her first film. Her performance as CJ is honest and emotionally overwhelming, so much so that I will be shocked to hear that her theater career hasn’t transcended to film in the near future. To say that Rachel’s performance was outstanding would be an understatement and I look forward to her next film.
Josh Hopkins (Cougar Town) plays Will with a sense that he had a strong closeness to the material. His emotional range is outstanding, as he shares a strong connection to all the characters that is easily transferred to the the audience.
Director Ben Hickernell and Marc Jeff Schirmer have also created a beautifully vibrant world with the help of the newly developed RED camera. The vibrant colors contrast beautifully against the film’s melancholy tone. Ben not only did a great job with the film’s overall direction, but he also wrote and edited the film. Doing triple duty in a film can really rattle a director and harm the overall result of the film, but for Hickernell it just helps to show off his overall talent. Hickernell is a true talent and he should have no problems finding his place in the world of film.
I can’t express enough how much I love this film, the real emotion of the film can only be felt by seeing it’s beauty. It would be a cinematic tragedy if it was not picked up for some form of distribution. It’s stays with you and becomes a part of your inner core making us all residents of Lebanon, PA.
I traveled to SXSW seeking a film that would truly move me; and after days of searching I had some brushes with greatness but nothing really fit the bill, that is until I took the journey to Lebanon, PA.
Lebanon, PA follows Will and CJ as they struggle with decisions that will change their lives. Will lives in Philadelphia and has just been informed via post-it-note that the father he never knew has died, and now he must pack up his house in the small town of Lebanon. After a promising encounter with Vicki at a local bar, he starts to wonder if a small town life would help with his big city problems. CJ is a 17 year old girl that’s current pregnancy has her struggling with the path she will take and when Will and his left wing bumper stickers roll into town he provides her with the advice that her right wing home town can not.
The presentation of the differing point of views is what makes Lebanon, PA so great. It gives equal thought to both points of views. Will and CJ are learning to change their opinions and discovering themselves through difficult decisions. There is one particularly touching moment when Will is confronted with the reality that his beliefs are too big for this small town. Politics aside, the film is so touching that it transcends moral beliefs and gives the audience that direct connection that most films are lacking. Watch English Movie Online
Along with a great moral direction, all of the actors give a tremendous performance, but Rachel Kitson outshines them all in her first film. Her performance as CJ is honest and emotionally overwhelming, so much so that I will be shocked to hear that her theater career hasn’t transcended to film in the near future. To say that Rachel’s performance was outstanding would be an understatement and I look forward to her next film.
Josh Hopkins (Cougar Town) plays Will with a sense that he had a strong closeness to the material. His emotional range is outstanding, as he shares a strong connection to all the characters that is easily transferred to the the audience.
Director Ben Hickernell and Marc Jeff Schirmer have also created a beautifully vibrant world with the help of the newly developed RED camera. The vibrant colors contrast beautifully against the film’s melancholy tone. Ben not only did a great job with the film’s overall direction, but he also wrote and edited the film. Doing triple duty in a film can really rattle a director and harm the overall result of the film, but for Hickernell it just helps to show off his overall talent. Hickernell is a true talent and he should have no problems finding his place in the world of film.
I can’t express enough how much I love this film, the real emotion of the film can only be felt by seeing it’s beauty. It would be a cinematic tragedy if it was not picked up for some form of distribution. It’s stays with you and becomes a part of your inner core making us all residents of Lebanon, PA.
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