in other words
Inside Movies: Hell or High Water
This gritty tale of robbery and
revenge is a thrilling modern
day western
By Jim Bryson
When one thinks of a library, inevitably they think
of books. However, our local Vernonia Public Library has
much more to offer. In fact we are blessed with a robust and
active library that offers regular and special programs for
both children and adults, has magazines and other newspa-
pers to peruse, and computers for the public to utilize.
In addition, our library has an excellent fi lm collec-
tion offering patrons a fi rst-rate resource that you could be
making use of.
Our library is often bringing in new titles and re-
cently they acquired Hell or High Water (2016). This mod-
ern day western explores the story of two desperate Texan
brothers, Toby Howard (Chris Pine) and Tanner Howard
(Ben Foster) who have come up with a scheme to save their
failed family ranch from the local bank who intends to take
it over due to questionable debt. The elder brother, Tanner,
has recently been released after spending a decade impris-
oned for the murder of their abusive father. As a last ditch ef-
fort, the brothers decide to revert to bank robbery as a means
to save the family ranch. While Toby is the brains of the
scheme, Tanner provides the impetus for action.
In response to the brothers’ robbery spree the Texas
Rangers dispatch aging Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges) and
his Native American partner Alberto Parker (Gil Birming-
ham). Marcus is days from retirement while his partner is
mid-career. This dynamic is well explored in the fi lm and
delightfully Hell or High Water does not walk the same path
of previous fi lms in its genre, but instead turns it upside
down. While their partnership dramatically reveals this fi lm
to be a “western” in the truest sense, here the white man is
old and out of touch and the native is the progressive mod-
ern man.
The director of Hell or High Water, David Macken-
zie, is Scottish born and yet still captures the American west
in its beauty and also it s bleakness, while creating a gritty
march16
2017
9
Affordable
Homeownership
Opportunity
Available in
St. Helens
continued from page 5
and gripping tale.
There are repeated visual references to the hard
economy, with billboards advertising payday loans and fore-
closure auctions, which reminds the viewer this is a modern
story, yet the dialog and interplay between the main charac-
ters feels familiar to any fan of the western genre.
While on its face, this is simply a revenge and bank
robbery story, the fi lm not only suggests that the western
remains valid and alive, but also makes the connection be-
tween the circumstances that these two modern day outlaws
experience, and what might happen to similar characters in
a fi lm set in the 1890s as well.
As the audience, we can watch this story and feel
that, not only are the protagonists justifi ed (up to the point
of murder) in their actions, but that we too might only be a
small series of unfortunate events away from fi nding our-
selves in a similar situation.
This fi lm, and many more wonderful westerns, can
be checked out from the Vernonia Public Library. There are
also quite a few children and family movies as well, and the
library is always acquiring new titles. Please join me in this
column each month as I explore other fi lms in their inven-
tory.
With such a fi ne collection of free entertainment,
you should be watching more fi lm!
Debbie Ritthaler, Habitat home-
owner and member of the Family Services
Committee could not agree more. “I have
always said I already won the lottery! Re-
ceiving an opportunity to own a home from
Columbia County Habitat for Humanity
was a life saver - security, confi dence and
a lifelong place to call home. Now I am
blessed to be able to work with this group
to help another Columbia County resident
fi nd security in homeownership.”
Founded in 1999, Columbia Coun-
ty Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofi t
Christian housing ministry that depends
on donations from the community and vol-
unteer labor to build homes for families in
need. CCHFH is an equal housing opportu-
nity lender that offers affordable mortgages
to families that meet three requirements:
need, ability to pay, and willingness to part-
ner.
For more information call the af-
fi liate offi ce at (503) 366-1400 ext. 2 which
is located in the ReStore on Hwy 30 in St.
Helens. The information meetings will both
take place off-site at Warren Community
Church, 56523 Columbia River Hwy, War-
ren, Oregon.
For more information, please contact:
Jennifer Anderson, (503) 396-6421.
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