Two Soldiers (2003)

Director:

Aaron Schneider

Writers:

William Faulkner (short story)
Aaron Schneider (written by)

Genre:

Short | Drama | War

Plot:

Mississippi, just before Pearl Harbor. Two brothers, Pete, about 19 and Willie, about 10 years younger...

Plot Keywords:

Bus | Sheriff | Football | Child Traveling Alone | Tear Jerker

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 wins

Cast

Jonathan Furr	...	Willie Grier (as Jonathan 'Furrball' Furr)
Ben Allison	...	Pete Grier
Ron Perlman	...	Colonel McKellog
David Andrews	...	Lieutenant Hogenbeck
Mike Pniewski	...	Sheriff Foote
Deacon Dawson	...	Mr. Grossnickel
Joanne Pankow	...	Mrs. Habersham
Danny Vinson	...	Pap Grier
Suellen Yates	...	Maw Grier
David Hall	...	Private
D.H. Johnson	...	Colonel's Driver
Al Wiggins	...	Man on the Bus
Allan Hamilton	...	Bus Driver
Warren Hendon	...	Old Man Killegrew (as Warren Jack Hendon)
Nancy Saunders	...	Old Lady Killegrew

Runtime:

40 min | USA:39 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Filming Locations:

East Bend, North Carolina, USA

Company:

Shoe Clerk Picture Co. Inc.

Trivia:

Made its Midwest premiere on June 26-28 in Peoria, Illinois, the hometown of writer/director Aaron Schneider. Both Aaron Schneider and Ron Perlman attended the screening, which was followed by a reception at the Hotel Pere Marquette.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: At 12:49 on the DVD as Willie Grier is walking down the road in the moonlight, he seems to be walking on a path in the middle of the road. At 10:23 in the 3rd (director and cinematographer) commentary Aaron Schneider mentions that Bill Eaton, who owned the farm where location shots were made, assisted by spreading quarry gravel (granite dust at 08:44 in the documentary "Behind the Scenes") over the yellow lines to conceal them and avoid an anachronism.

Quotes:

Colonel McKellog: Aside from Army versus Navy and World War II, my day is entirely free.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Independent Filmmaking in Wilmington, NC (2004)

Fantastic heart-warming story depicted brilliantly on film!

Two Soldiers is an excellent example of fine film-making. The director and producer took a heart-warming story and brought it to life with a very skilled and dedicated cast, excellent cinematography, and very creative artistry.

The relaxed back-woods lifestyle of the brothers was depicted with great details, and contrasted sharply with the militaristic lifestyle that they were thrust into. The interaction between the brothers brought laughter and tears, as they struggled with a hard but peaceful life in the back-woods of North Carolina and an even harder life of war.

The acting was great, particularly from the younger brother who is new to the big screen (played by Jonathan Furr), to the older brother (played by Ben Allison) and the powerful performance by the Colonel (played by Ron Perlman). The performance was extremely well cast.

It was a pleasure to enjoy the magic of Two Soldiers, and I heartily recommend it to audiences of all ages.