Well, it’s been a while.
Recently, I have been catching up with a handful of movies on VOD and most of them are kind of underwhelming. I’m talking to both of you, “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” and “First Cow”. I’ve been also reviewing them on YouTube as well. A week ago, I saw one of a handful of movies I was planning myself to see back in March before lock down started. That is the Sundance Festival U.S. Dramatic Award winner back from 2018 (I said it), “Burden”, the directorial debut of minor character actor Andrew Heckler.
“Burden” illustrates the time encompassing in 1996 where good ol’ South Carolina opens a museum celebrating the Ku Klux Klan, where racist souvenirs there would ignite anger, especially with African-Americans. David Kennedy (Forest Whitaker), a church reverend, not only plans to prevent the racial tensions where the store is located, but also to plan to protect Mike Burden (Garrett Hedlund) from his violent past. When Reverend Kennedy gets into a rage with the grotesque KKK leader Tom Griffin (Tom Wilkinson), the Reverend must pursue a path in order to heal his wounded community.
When watching the trailers for this film, it looked like it was another film about racism that felt conventional and cliché, but as always like with every movie, I had to go in with an open mind. Thinking about the talent involving Forest Whitaker and Garrett Hedlund had potential to be great though. After it’s short theater run in March, it soon came onto VOD on Xfinity in June and I finally planned to watch it last Saturday. It is actually quite gripping.
“Burden” is absolutely required as an important watch reminding us how horrendous it was in South Carolina, which can still be relevant as of today. However, I can definitely see this film being not for every audience because it has that safe, PG-13 tone like “Green Book” and “The Blind Side”, which like “Burden”, they are all movies about racism that play it safe. With “Burden”, it has a LOT more higher stakes due to it’s R-rating. That does mean director Andrew Heckler makes this film as a more lighter, heartwarming version of Spike Lee’s “BlacKkKlansman”.
What makes “Burden” such a powerful watch is its performances. One in particular that stands out in it is Garrett Hedlund’s tremendous Oscar-worthy role as Mike Burden. He perfectly captures the stubborn, hicky redneck attitude from South Carolina. The same goes for his wife played by Andrea Riseborough. As built as a performance-driven film, we as an audience feel for this human being to escape out of this museum area, which is lead by Tom Griffin, whom Tom Wilkinson plays such a love-to-hate antagonist that you want to smack him. Forest Whitaker is incredibly moving as Reverend Kennedy. Sure he plays the typical “big boss” or “chairman” role in every one of his films, but he really pulls it off in “Burden”. What makes his performance as Reverend Kennedy different than Whitaker’s others is he is more of an encouraging character. Usher also makes an appearance in this film as Clarence Brooks, Mike Burden’s best friend and is also really strong, too.
“Burden” is without its major flaws, which can definitely be with its syrupy, cartoon dialogue here and there. Examples can be in certain scenes where Mike’s family goes to an ice cream parlor or at a race track watching one of their family members race. The film can also be cut 25 minutes long making it feel like a long, uneventful draft script. It should not be 128 minutes long.
Overall, although conventional, Andrew Heckler’s “Burden” is without denying an important, unsettling watch about the power of racial tensions at a museum. Every actor commits to their character in such an intense degree. Audiences can get through the hokey dialogue and pacing, but they will be glad that they watched it. It’s basically an R rated film stuck in a PG-13 script, but not in a bad way of course. You know what is never going to leave in your minds? It is going to end up being one of those films students will watch in high school at a U.S. History class from a substitute teacher.
Grade: B
