Customer Reviews

Things Behind the Sun

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Things Behind the Sun tells the story of an up-and-coming singer, Sherry McGrale (Kim Dickens), whose haunting, biographical song is starting to get regular airplay on college radio airwaves. The song, about a rape she experienced in middle school, may be her ticket to stardom. But there is a lot standing in her way, as she has never fully recovered from the experience. If anything, her symptoms and problems are getting worse by the year (she even shows signs of post-traumatic stress disorder). Shes never heard of EBay, doesn't know one of her favorite rock singers is dead. She is in that space that some people go to, that "In Between" space between being fully alive, and almost dead, or at least numb to the point of it (a Pink Floyd song comes to mind here). We meet her in this space and it is our true hope as viewers that she can find some sense of light in all the darkness, some reason to get past it, and that she will be able to move on to a more fulfilling life, a second chance.

When the film begins, an LA rock journalist for the fictional 'Vinyl Fetish' magazine (helmed by Pete, played by Rosanna Arquette), is assigned an article about McGrale and her new song. But not just 'any' journalist. Owen (Gabriel Mann) knew Sherry in middle school, she was his first girlfriend. And not only that, he knows the story behind the song, as he experienced the event first-hand as well. The experience has like-wise haunted him for years, in different, but not necessarily less significant ways. When he admits to his editor that he knows who raped Sherry, she immediately sends him to Florida to cover the story. He goes with that intent, but theres more to the story than that.

When Owen and Sherry were children, they bonded immediately over their shared love of music, and became fast friends. Their mutual appreciation for music has only grown since, and both have built their lives around it. Sherry's talent as a singer-songwriter is undeniable, and Owen is enjoying a successful run as a senior editor at his magazine. His life, with a couple of irritating (though important) exceptions, is coming along fine. Sherry, however, though on the cusp of 'making it' in the music world, is held back by the haunting trauma of her rape, which has led her into a self-destructive spiral of alcohol, careless promiscuity, and failed relationships. We see that her success as an artist too, so close at hand, is only possible if she can find some way to deal with what has happened to her. She has been emotionally damaged to such an extent that a normal life has become almost impossible.

Sherry has a savior of sorts in the dedicated, honestly devoted Chuck (the explosive and amazing Don Cheadle  his acting is *incredible* in this film). But there's only so much he can do. He cleans up the mess when she drinks, makes sure she eats and gets to her gigs on time, not to mention attending her AA meetings, but beyond a certain point, saving his "baby girl" is beyond his hands.

When Owen travels to Cocoa Beach to interview Sherry (and come to terms with their shared past), the opportunity presents itself for them both to find a way to heal, however difficult. Sherry's difficulties haven't ruined merely her own life. The repercussions of the sexual abuse have rippled out into the lives of Owen, Chuck, Sherry's band members, and any of Sherry or Owen's sexual partners. Their scars run deep.

Eric Stoltz aptly plays the leader of the rapists, Dan, who has a repulsive and upsetting disregard for even the most sacred of personal boundaries and concerns. We watch the destruction stemming from the brutal attack affect each of the characters like a line of trauma dominoes, and we see his inability to accept and take responsibility for his actions, and we hate him for it.

Dickens' performance is pitch-perfect, and she lets go of any movie-star pretensions to let us see Sherry as genuinely bruised and battered, genuinely broken-hearted.

Director Allison Anders tells this story with remarkable realism, and the soundtrack (most notably a tailored score by Sonic Youth, several pieces by the Left Banke, a heart-breaking cover of a Smiths song (by Mike Johnson), and some amazing songs by Anders' daughter, Tiffany), is finely tailored to the events in the film, creating a rich and emotional viewing experience.

The film was shot on digital video in the space of about 20 days, but the result is anything but sloppy or rushed. This film is remarkable, and will leave its mark on its viewers for a long time to come. The impressive acting, the muted/bright colors and the haunting emotive force of the films music come together to create an enduring, important, memorable film. A difficult, but ultimately beautiful and inspiring, journey. Recommended.

This film is up for three Independent Spirit Awards, Best Feature Film, Best Actress (Dickens), and Best Supporting Actor (Cheadle).

(The impact of this film is made even more significant when one realizes it is based in part on the real-life rape experienced by director Allison Anders when growing up in Cocoa Beach, Florida. And in an amazing turn of events, the rape in the film was shot in the very same house in which Anders experienced her trauma. (I may be wrong, but I think Anders makes a cameo in one of the AA scenes, towards the end of the film.)

This is an absolutely wonderful film that I had never heard of before chancing upon it at a public library. Someone there should get a raise. There are two excellent reviews here by eurotrashgirl and jhclues, and I have only a few things to add.

If you are close to someone whose life has been degraded by childhood cruelty, you must see this film. If you merely love superbly realistic storytelling and wonderful acting, see it as well. In addition to the performances mentioned by the other reviewers, the lovely and gracious Elizabeth Pena has a brief but crucial role as the young mother who now lives at the house where Sherry was raped those many years ago. Her character sets a beautiful example of overcoming disdain and disgust to sense someone else's pain and reach out in compassion. Very moving and inspiring.

Be warned that this is definitely not for the immature or squeamish. There are several torrid sex scenes that push the boundaries of an R rating. They all serve the needs of the story in one way or another, but most are at least disturbing and two rapes of young girls are both terrifying and heartrending. Think hard before letting your kids see this.

All in all, a film I would like to add to my collection and see again (but not more often than I can stand something this intense).

Who we are as individuals, and what we become, is nothing more than who we have always been and will always be; but within the psyche there are paths that lead to a myriad number of possible destinations, and often the choice of which to take is not ours. More often than not, circumstances-- some beyond our control, some not-- will determine which road we follow, and in our youth, even a single, significant emotional experience can dictate who we become and where life will take us. A shadow cast over one in adolescence is not easily dispelled, and all the beauty of life to that person may forever be elusive or clouded, hidden by a dark secret of the heart which prevents that person from ever being whole or capable of stepping out into the light of day. "Things Behind the Sun," written by Allison Anders and Kurt Voss, and directed by Anders, is an examination of the causes and effects of journey's taken that are not of our own choosing, but which nevertheless define who we are. It explores the complexities of human nature and the inescapable dictates of fate that make each of us unique; it's a study of survival and need, and the struggle of attempting to extirpate oneself from the darkness while reaching out to the light-- a light perhaps never offered and ever denied.

Owen (Gabriel Mann), a Los Angeles based writer for a magazine that covers the rock scene, becomes involved with the story of a young singer in Florida, Sherry (Kim Dickens), who has just been arrested for being drunk and disorderly. Sherry's band has risen beyond garage status or playing local Legion halls, but 120 people in the audience at a gig in some small dive they still consider good. They've been getting some notice, though, with a song gaining popularity on college campuses in the area, and Owen has a personal interest, also: They are old childhood friends. So Owen heads to Florida for the story. But he knows even before he leaves that what he's after isn't really the story, but a catharsis-- for Sherry as well as himself-- to relieve the pall cast over their lives by a haunting incident that occurred when they were only fourteen-years-old, and which Owen hopes may alter Sherry's self-destructive lifestyle. It's a journey through which he will seek to change the course determined for them so long ago by forces beyond their control. He has no idea where it will lead them, but he knows he has to try; try to repair damage that just may be irreparable.

Extraordinarily crafted and delivered by Allison Anders, this film is intensely personal and affecting. The way it was written, filmed, acted-- everything-- has an honesty that rings true every single moment. And the way it is presented-- the pace, timing, the gradual way the information is revealed-- is impeccable. With this film Anders bares her soul, as well as that of her characters, to tell the story. She takes you into those dark corners we've all known in one way or another, those sometimes so brief-within-a-whole-lifetime, yet defining moments we'd probably just as soon forget, but can't, and exposes them for what they are: The appointed time in which Evil insinuated itself into our hearts and pierced it so deeply that the bleeding will never stop. That moment in which the soul is branded and scarred and penetrated so thoroughly that the rest of your life is spent treating the wound. It's a rare film that goes far beyond being mere entertainment, and may actually serve as a catharsis for someone who has experienced the darkness it so succinctly illuminates. And, in the same vein as "You Can Count On Me" or "Sling Blade," it says so much for the importance of independent film and the truth that can be found outside the dominant studio system.

There are some remarkable performances in this film, beginning with Kim Dickens as Sherry, whose deep, unpretentious and detailed presentation of her character is as good as it gets. It's dismaying that a performance and a film like this can be lost so easily amid the Hollywood shuffle. And under closer scrutiny, the work Dickens does here gets even better. There's not a single moment when she is on screen that is false; not a blink of her eye nor a nod of her head. Everything she does is honest, and it makes Sherry not only believable, but very real and very human. What she does here is not only entirely effective, but pure in every sense. And like with Bjork in "Dancer In the Dark," you have to question the absence of an Oscar nomination for it. Another dark corner over which we have no control.

Gabriel Mann (very reminiscent of a young James Spader here) gives an excellent performance, as well, and develops his character with subtle precision. Like Dickens, he comes across in such an unaffected manner that it really brings his character to life. And it's one of the things that makes this film work so well-- the fact that the characters are so very real and true-to-life. Moreover, it demonstrates what a talented actor can do in the hands of a gifted director.

Not to be outdone by his costars, Don Cheadle turns in the kind of performance we've come to expect from him, as Chuck, the manager of Sherry's band. He's a talented actor and a definite asset to this film. And it must be noted that Eric Stoltz, with limited screen time, turns in what is arguably the best performance of his career, as Owen's brother, Dan.

"Things Behind the Sun" is a triumph for Anders, who not only has exemplary insights into human nature, but knows how to transfer them to the screen. This is a film that gradually draws you in and involves you emotionally; and ultimately, it provides a genuinely memorable experience.

I usually always see anything that stars the slightly trashy-for-some-reason-always-sexy Rosanna Arquette. It's a fetish and I'm getting help for it. And Don Cheadle has methodically established himself as a bankable Hollywood talent. I also love the earnestness of independent films. Although not many people have seen this film, it showcases a performance from Don Cheadle that could've served as an aggregate preview of his future work. I must admit though, I'm not quite yet a Gabriel Mann fan. I think he sometimes comes off as a skinny, spaced-out younger version of James Spader. For those of you who don't appreciate independent films, you may not enjoy this movie, because it does take a while to come together. But with a little patience this film delivers. This film also shows a bit of courage, as it delves into some of the rarely talked about fallout only rape victims can identify with; namely, the subsequent preferring or needing of abusive situations for sexual satisfaction and the revolving door of guilt that scenario consequently opens. Although Things Behind the Sun is predictable in spots, the strength and depth with which the characters are explored makes this film an underrated winner.

This is a movie I would recommend to all women, especially young women who need to know how men really are. It is a movie written by women, for women, and it's about rape.
If any woman is wondering why she does things she's not proud of, please watch this movie.
It changed my life.

This isn't an easy film to watch, but I'm glad I did. Don Cheadle plays Chuck, one of the most understanding boyfriends on earth. It's his character that I had the most questions about after finishing the film -- questions the more I pondered, the more they helped. Gabriel Mann plays Owen, a rock journalist doing a piece on Chuck's songwriter girlfriend, Sherry, who has a hit song about her traumatic past, which stirs up memories of Owen's own traumatic past. Owen decides to turn the piece into an "I'll get 'em for you" story on the boys that hurt her, and includes himself for good measure.

This is Allison Anders most personal film, and probably her strongest. A lot of times I wish these films dealing with abuse would give more backstory on the assailants, not to justify the behavior, but to attempt to understand the causes. Without being shown any hope of redemption, I suspect many abusers are more likely to keep up the bad behavior; and without being shown the causes, many potential abusers may miss the warning signs. Then again, you could just label them all evil and wipe them off the face of the earth to make room for more strip clubs and shopping malls.

Things Behind the Sun (Allison Anders, 2001)

When you make a movie like this-- a deeply personal autobiographical flick whose main characters are played by relative unknowns, but whom you've surrounded with top-flight actors who are consistently underrated by Hollywood-- you're bound to make either a film that will eventually be called one of the greatest ever made or a piece of utter crap. There's really no middle ground-- or at least, there wasn't before. Along comes Allison Anders and changes all that. Things Behind the Sun is not the kind of deathless filmmaking we've all been aware, in the back of our heads, she's capable of since we all saw Four Rooms. But it's certainly not bad, not bad at all. It's a little manipulative, kind of cheesy in spots, but if you're aware that this is autobiography, you can't not watch this movie and keep thinking to yourself "this could have been so much worse than it is."

Sherry McGrale (Deadwood beauty Kim Dickens) is an up-and-coming singer-songwriter in Florida with a past so ugly she's repressed it, but everyone around her knows something very bad happened; she shows up drunk on the lawn of the same house three years running. Chuck (Don Cheadle), her manager, tries to get her through and best she can and keep her from derailing her career. An intern at a music magazine in LA gets ahold of one of the group's demos shortly after and plays it for her boyfriend Owen (Dominion's Gabriel Mann, doing his best James Spader impersonation), a writer at the magazine, who is stunned by it, and campaigns stridently for the magazine to go interview the young singer. Owen, of course, has a catch-- he, and his older brother Dan (Killing Zoe's Eric Stoltz), are directly involved in the traumatic events in Sherry's past.

It's the kind of coincidence that simply doesn't fly in fiction, which is likely the main reason that the movie's publicity (and the DVD's jacket copy) goes to such lengths to impress upon potential viewers that, yes, it really did happen this way. And once you swallow the mother of all coincidences, Things Behind the Sun becomes an intriguing movie about memory, guilt, and forgiveness, brave enough to ask the questions and never provide satisfactory answers for them. Despite her closeness to the material, Anders takes almost a hands-off approach to directing-- put the actors in front of the camera and let them do their thing. You need a strong stable of actors for that, and Anders has them. Just to back things up, her minor characters read like a who's-who of the best B-list talent Hollywood has to offer-- Elizabeth Pena, CCH Pounder, Patsy Kensit, Rosanna Arquette, Alison Folland, and a number of others. (It helps to have your main character's backing band made up of members of Redd Kross and Dinosaur Jr., as well.)

Anders has put together quite a good little film here, one that has been unjustly overlooked. Do yourself a favor and rediscover it. *** ½

The best way to kill a technically well made film is through a bad screenplay. Exhibit 1A: filmmaker Allison Anders' 2003 Showtime film Things Behind The Sun. Ostensibly based upon Anders' real life `trauma' of being raped as a child, the film wallows in every manner of cliché on the subject of victimhood imaginable, as well as wasting some fine performances, save that of the ever PC and increasingly hyperbolic Don Cheadle, whose performance here presages his terrible role in last year's Oscar-winning Crash.
Yet, for all the potential this film has- and which a better and/or more objective director may have well exploited, it bogs down in the sort of Feminist PC clichés that made Monster such a bad film. The men are either unrepentant beasts- like Dan and his rapist pals, or wimpy excuses for men- like Owen and Chuck, straight out of the Alice Walker school of misandry. The film even ends with a trite dedication to Anders' long dead grandmother, described as a rape `survivor,' not `victim.'
Yet, despite this seeming sensitivity, instead of showing how the vast majority of rape victims actually do adjust, mature, and cope with their violation, then move on, Anders indulges the Hollywood cliché of the eternal victim who cannot move on. This is, however, in keeping with the film's immature schizophrenic attitudes toward sex and psychology. As example, it also has too many pointless T&A scenes of sex, yet no male genitalia. Yes, we know Owen is impotent, so why do we need to see him try banging two different women, and failing? That such gratuitous, and sexist, sex is in this film is startling since the rest of the film is so PC. And, as a whole, the film is far too long at two full hours, and could lose much of its first forty minutes by just getting Owen back to Florida, and cutting the scenes of him shooting blanks. Yet, if that were not enough, there is the bizarre threesome scene with Sherry and two of her groupies, climaxing to furious rock music- an obvious steal from the famous drug scene of Martin Sheen in Apocalypse Now, to the music of The Doors' The End. Even worse, though, is the whole device of the flashbacks tells too much of the story, and lessens the impact of Owens' telegraphed guilt, as well the impact of the film.
Things Behind The Sun is, ultimately, an example of the old good intentions lead to....trope, and fails as a work of art, despite glimmers of breaking through its self-imposed political strictures. In that way it recapitulates its main characters' failures to move beyond themselves. If only such a trope had been ameliorative. Ah, well, there's always tomorrow, Allison. <cringe>