Midlothia (2007)

Based on the play "Pluck The Day" by Steven Walters
Directed by Bill Sebastian
Starring Bill Sebastian, James Thomas Gilbert, Jessica McClendon, and Eric Reeves
Runtime 89min. - Not Rated

3.5 Stars (out of 4)

"Midlothia" is part of the IndieRights film library. It's available on DVD.
Other IndieRights films I have reviewed include Delivered, Less, and Spilt Milk.

If Shakespeare was born in Texas he may have written "Midlothia". There's really only four characters involved, but a flowchart explaining their relationships would be indecipherable. The threads tying these characters together barely support their weight and when one thread is cut they fall into chaos.

The film delivers its opening act without its central character, Fred (Sebastian). He is referenced by his friends and ex-fiance but the only visual account of Fred is his long walk back home. He woke up near his truck after a night of hard drinking and the battery was dead. This gives the viewer time to learn about Fred from the people who know him best. They all have a love/hate relationship with him. They believe Fred is moving out of town and while they will all miss him, they also look forward to life without him.


When Fred finally arrives home his entrance is grand. He gives a monologue describing his night of spiritual clarity in which he battled and defeated a seven-headed dragon wreathed in flames. His comrades reckon he's been smoking peyote. Fred insists that his vigor is spiritual in nature and that he has made up his mind that he wants to spend his life with his one true love. What he doesn't know is that his roomate Bill (Reeves) was seen kissing his one true love April (McClendon) by their mutual friend Duck (Gilbert).

Duck's not the most intellectual of the bunch, but he is loyal. The instant he gets some time alone with Fred he tells him about the kiss. He also says he saw them "rawdoggin' it" in April's red minivan behind the Harris Teeter. That incident is not shown on screen and the viewer is left wondering as to it's truthfulness.

Fred does not take the news lightly. In fact, he takes nothing lightly. Duck prefaces his bad news with some thoughts about lifelong choices. As soon as Fred senses something's wrong he begins to threaten violence. Before long he's toting a double-barrel shotgun and pointing it at anyone who dares to speak.

These characters speak to me. They're rednecks for sure. Their clothes are tattered and covered in sweat. They appear to bathe infrequently. They follow the SlimFast diet except they substitute beer in place of a nutrition shake. In spite of these attributes they also have real human qualities. With the exception of Duck, they're all capable of intelligent conversation. Even Duck has a wisdom that transcends formal education.

This is a low-budget film, but Bill Sebastian shows some real prowess with his limited resources. He also shows an amazing screen presence as an actor. Like Shakespeare, you get drawn into the intricate relationships. Once you're able to lose yourself in the story, you won't give another thought to the production values.

I should mention that the film is comedy. I feel I've made it sound too serious thus far in the review. Early in the film Duck heads to the convenience store to pick up beer. It's so early that the story hasn't opened yet and Duck naps on the sidewalk waiting on the owner to show up. That shenanigan sets the pace for the rest of the film. The characters take things seriously of course, but as a viewer you never feel bogged down in negativity.

For someone who's never seen the lower-budget side of indie filmmaking, "Midlothia" is a great place to start. It's easily watchable. The production value is good enough not to distract from the story. Those who are well-versed in low-budget goodness should consider this a nice addition to their collection.