The 'Evening' of an old man's discontents

Writer-director Scott Teems' big-screen adaptation of William Gay's short story is more than just a country tale. "That Evening Sun" is a touching film that depicts the real essence of the South, free of clichéd Hollywood misrepresentation.

Abner Meecham, expertly played by Hal Holbrook ("Into the Wild"), is an elderly man who has been trapped in a nursing home by his well-meaning but misguided lawyer son. Although Meecham eventually admits that the home isn't the worst place ever, he also claims to feel more alone there, surrounded by people, than when he's peacefully secluded on his farm.

We see his suffering and loneliness in the opening scene, in which he blankly stares out his window, disinterested in everything going on around him. The scene is wordless but accompanied by rhythmic country blues music; the song, by Jimmie Rodgers, inspired the original short story and uses the evening sun to symbolize the end of life. Meecham is on his "last go-round," he tells us.

He decides to leave the nursing home and arrives on his farm only to discover a new tenant occupying it: his old enemy, Lonzo Choat (Ray McKinnon). The hardheaded men refuse to give in, and Meecham declares that he will stay on the land until it is returned to its rightful owner. Now the true battle begins: the resolute octogenarian versus the lazy, white-trash drunk.

The two women in the story, Choat's wife Ludie (Carrie Preston) and teenage daughter Pamela (Mia Wasikowska), get caught in the middle of the vicious turf war. While Ludie initially sympathizes with the old man, her compassion recedes because she's afraid of her husband's drunken violence. Pamela forms a bond with Meecham, partly because of her aversion to her father and partly because of her longing for an understanding friend.

Holbrook is believable in every way as the bitterly sarcastic — but still jovial — Meecham. He respects the versatility of the character, shifting between modes: stern or funny, fearless or weak. He never flinches from the role, portraying Meecham's frustrated disappointment towards his son, his unflinching bravery in the face of death, and, at one point, a physical battle with the much younger Choat.

The rest of the performances are equally genuine and moving. Wasikowska in particular — who plays the title character in Tim Burton's upcoming "Alice In Wonderland" — adds a sensitivity and innocence to the film with her portrayal of Pamela.

With strikingly memorable characters, beautifully moving country music and a patient yet engaging story of relationships, ownership, class and morality, "That Evening Sun" is definitely a film to see — and remember.