TheDraw said:

---

To me Sam Rockwell will always be the president from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

---

guy

Good, not great, movie. Well acted. I liked it, didn't love it.

I really liked it. It was an experience for sure. Still have In Bruges as my fave from this guy.

BTW. Rockwell as should have won an Oscar for Moon

That was great. Woody Harrelson and Frances McDormand were both awesome.

Didn't realize it was the same guy who did In Bruges. Will be one guy to keep an eye on.

This movie was awful. As soon as the Chief came to her home all I could think was "Why is this the police department's fault?"

Awful film.

Disagreeing with a character's motivations makes it an awful film? Wtf?

Storyline felt pointless at that point...I had a lot of issues with the movie. This is the one that lost me early on. Why do I care about any of these characters?

At one point, I did feel like you did. "Who am I supposed to root for?"

But, I think the main theme of the movie is, to echo that [hilarous] line, "Violence begets violence."

At some point you realize that hate, violence, and revenge will never get you anywhere.

In many ways, I think the person you SHOULD be rooting for by the end is Sam Rockwell's character. I feel like his redemption was the primary thing I walked away appreciating the most.

And I loved that they started doubting themselves in the car at the end there, exactly what I was hoping for. They're finally breaking that cycle of violence.

I agree with Spilner. What afflicts the three major characters--the sheriff, the deputy, and Mildred--is anger at the injustice of the cosmos.

The sheriff is a beloved man in the town, with a young wife and young children, and much to live for. His life is being cut short way too soon.

The deputy is a victim of birth--low intelligence, low socio-economic status, few choices in life.

Mildred, of course, has lost a child in a barbaric way.

Each character responds differently to this injustice.

The sheriff refuses to take out his anger on others: he creates one last beautiful day for his family, a memory that he hopes may sustain them. Not only does he refuse to hurt others, he works to heal those around him with the letters he writes. He offers a model in the movie of how to deal with the cosmic absurdity.

Mildred feels terrible guilt for saying something that all of us have said in some form or other, but in her case, her curse came true. She lashes out at a symbol of authority and control (the police; the sheriff) because she has decided not to hurt herself and she cannot reach God or "the universe" or whatever is operating at the grand scale that controls our lives. In the process, she dehumanizes those around her, refusing to acknowledge that her son is also suffering, refusing to see the sheriff as a human being who is also hurting.

The deputy has gotten his revenge on life by using his position of power to inflict the injustice he feels on others.

The sheriff's letter to him changes him. His change helps Mildred reconsider her blind rage.

Chances are excellent that the deputy and Mildred will not harm the fellow they are headed out to find. Their grief and rage have been transformed, and their emptiness has been somewhat filled.

Well put. It is mostly a story about people who deal with anger poorly.

One of the most touching moments was when the sheriff coughed blood on Mildred and apologized and she immediately went to mother mode and called him "baby".

It showed how she really had love for him deep down and that they had a long relationship knowing each other. But only for that second did she let that side be shown.

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

The sheriff's letter to him changes him.

---

And I think the actions of Red helped on this, as well.

---

Saw it today and really liked it. Didn't love it but it will and should get nominations for Picture, actress, supporting actor and screenplay. It's also one that might grow more on me, as I've thought about it a lot since seeing it today.

It felt very Coen-esque to me at times with its combination of dark and humor and outright weirdness at points.

A few scenes felt weird to me, like her talking to the dear. I would have cut that scene. It was odd and it looked like crap. It very much looks like the deer was added to the shot. Just looked fake and felt weird.

I was very glad the guy didn't end up being the right guy at the end. It would have been too much to me for Sam Rockwell to just have magically overhead the right guy flapping his gums.

The guy was however the same guy that came in and intimidated her in the gift shop wasn't it? Looked a lot like him.

Not for everyone but I was entertained throughout.

Yes, it was the same guy.

Thought so. That felt a bit odd or too much to me. I mean what is a dude from Idaho doing that for? Obviously the guys got problems, so maybe the explanation was simply he's a psycho, but if he didn't do it then why does he give a **** about the case or the Billboard's? I just didn't get the motivation to intimidate her.

OldArmy71 said:

---

Yes, it was the same guy.

---

Pretty sure it was Lane Kiffin

Saw this tonight and it was possibly my favorite movie of the last year. So funny and so conflicted. Really damn good movie

Fantastic movie... so funny but gut wrenching. And superbly acted by everyone. Good to see John Hawkes in a movie again, feel like I haven't in a while. And always awesome to see the great Lester Freamon.

Loved Woody and Frances McDormand, but Sam Rockwell is easily the MVP. Hopefully he parlays it into the Oscar. I would think he's the favorite now.

Also, BES and OldArmy71 made some great points about breaking the cycle of violence, and I loved the ending and the doubt they were having. But...

Am I the only one who thinks that he was indeed the guy? I know that's awful convenient and almost silly, especially for a movie like this. But it works because of what Sheriff Willoughby said to her earlier in the film. And even if he's not the guy, I do believe that they are going to kill him. Remember, she doesn't know that it's the guy who came in and intimidated her. They are going to get to Idaho, she'll see who it was and it will be too much of a coincidence for her.

Even if it wasn't him that did it, he messed with her for some reason. His encounter with her, and what he said in the bar is enough evidence for them to decide he did commit some kind of heinous crime... I don't know, I really like y'all's take on it, and that almost feels like a better ending. But I think they are going to kill him.


Either way, I really loved the ending and the movie.

It reminded me of Shawshank Redemption in the fact it was a very well made movie with strong characters behind a solid story depicting a drama with some great funny moments intertwined within the story.

As for this type of movie doesn't get a sequel but I would actually love to see "The Road to Idaho" come to theaters in 2019

I wanted to like this movie, but I couldn't. I'm actually quite surprised that it is getting any praise at all. The whole story is contrived and unbelievable. Sam Rockwell's character is totally unbelievable. Somehow, the old chief of police in nowhere, Missouri has a hot 20-something Australian wife.... I could go on, but overall this movie is just a mess. First bad Sam Rockwell movie I can recall.

Here's part of a review I read that talks about another really strange part of this movie.

Trust me, this explanation is funnier than the execution. -In a small town where a teenage girl was raped and burned alive, Willoughby and wife leave their children to fish as they go off to have sex (seriously).

Decided to go see this last night based on all the Oscar talk it's getting. Thanks to MoviePass, I'm more likely to go see stuff like this.

I can certainly see all the Oscar talk around Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell. They all did great jobs at playing what I would consider the everyman(woman). As far as the story goes, it's very depressing and sad. Very gut-wrenching. Not my type of movie but I can appreciate the acting jobs.

To Sex Panther's spoiler section - I think you're right. The coinscidence was too much for there not to be something there. I kept wondering if the truck may have been owned by the guy who was with him at the bar and not himself.

Late to the party as im that guy who waits to watch movies on the airplane when I'm travelling for work.

Great movie. Excellent points. Bit of a mystery of the coincidences between the actual killer and the Idaho Gut, but I kinda like the vagueness.

I never watch trailers ( tough to do) and I'm sure glad I didn't here.

Rockwell and Harrelson both got supporting actor Academy Award nominations. That's an interesting competition.

Deputy Travis Junior said:

---

Rockwell and Harrelson both got supporting actor Academy Award nominations. That's an interesting competition.

---

I loved Harrelson in it, and his end/narration of his "note" was probably the strongest scene in the film, but by the end Rockwell had completely stolen it for me. He was outstanding.

I agree. Harrelson did a great job and his narration of his letters was incredible, but Rockwell had a much more complex role (and by extension a more difficult one). But still, what a job by the cast. Two nominations for best supporting actor and a nomination for best actress for McDormand

Watched it last night - really enjoyed it. A little more dark than I anticipated.

I lol'd at Chief W's letter to Dixon, "Hey this is dead Chief Willoughby, sorry about that"

I haven't read the entire thread but...

that guy was clearly the killer right??? I like to think they caught up to him and once she had visual confirmation that he was the guy posing as family/friend of Willoughby in her shop (pressuring her to take billboard down) he got gunned down.

No DNA match.

Not a good movie. Read it was a dark comedy, yet not one funny part. Purpose of ex w young wife and those would never get together. Older black cop? Guy who shows up and claims he might have did the crime etc.

None of it came together. People that pissed about billboards and cares nothing about a girl raped and burned to death?

Oscar Winner Sam Rockwell

I really like Sam Rockwell, but this should not be his Oscar winning performance. Something is weird. This movie was so flawed, and now it looks like it's the Oscar darling. Oh, well.

Not one funny part? This movie was hysterical.

snowdog90 said:

---

Sam Rockwell's character is totally unbelievable. Somehow, the old chief of police in nowhere, Missouri has a hot 20-something Australian wife....

---

1) what part of Rockwell's character was unbelievable? 1st half or 2nd half?

2) seems like woman being disposable was an underlying theme. I can believe the old police chief has a young hot wife as easily as i can believe Charlie has a hot 19 year old slam piece. Small towns are full of that.

Also shout to John Hawkes as Charlie. Dustin Powers lives again.

Reverse shout out to whoever censored/overdubbed friendlier language for the United IFE version of the film. I feel like it was a different person overdubbing the curse words every time even for the same characters

This movie was abysmal.