Hushpuppy. The Hickory Footcandle Film Society.

The Hickory Footcandle Film Society presented the “Beasts of the Southern Wild” Thursday night at the Carolina Theater.  Basically, the carrier story is about people in Louisiana’s coastal swamps and bayous still trying to live in an old world which is now being reclaimed by changing weather, rising sea elevations, hurricanes and pollution from great corporate enterprises.   

Interesting story.  But I think most of the people who watched the movie detected a deeper feeling moving within themselves.  No longer are only those people still living on the ecotone between nature and civilization who are being threatened by earth’s changing environment and weather, but all of us are feeling changes coming into our lives also.  It is no longer only those “uneducated” people of our planet who are helping contribute to the deterioration of their own immediate environment, but now we all participate in the acceleration of these changes. And the changes we feel are also accelerated by our habits, our life-styles and our own “education”, which also prepared us for a world that no longer exists.  And it is not the simple superstitions of simple people who make them deny the reality of the world before their eyes but many of us now, captured by our own convictions, religions, facts and answers, are no more prepared to confront this new world we now inhabit.  The simple people portrayed in the film, who once were fully capable of functioning and living a fruitful, even bountiful life of blessings poured upon blessings, now see their world, their friends, their family and themselves slowly slipping away like a dream that is disappearing.  

The acting and portrayal of these people were very interesting.   The 8-year old actress, Quvenzhane Wallis, who portrayed a 6 year old girl, called “Hushpuppy”, was played without noticeable flaw. Her actions were impressive and easily led me to forget her age. She clearly is a product of that new world which is now replacing the ones we all remember so fondly.  Those who survive into this new future will see many more amazing stories from her.

Also, congratulations to the producers for an astonishing achievement:  no cigarettes were lit in the entire film!  Haven’t seen that in years.  Also there was no evident “product placement” anywhere in the film, although I’m not really sure that any manufacturer would really want their product recognized in this film.  There was a super abundance of cheap American beer, whiskey, and a lot of other alcoholic beverages constantly being consumed without apparent harm to the constant guzzlers.

Good movie.  If you haven’t seen it, go now – before it is too late!

Congratulations to Alan Jackson, good job.

And one more thing.  Why the focus on the nostrils near the end?  Nothing is ever done without meaning in a movie like this.  So why did the camera linger on a close up of the boar’s nostril and then VERY shortly after that do the same thing with Hushpuppy’s dad?  I even hate to bring this up because it might seem racist.  But still, I wonder.  Any ideas?