Mudbound Information

Mudbound is a 2017 American period drama film directed by Dee Rees and written by Rees and Virgil Williams, based on the novel of the same name by Hillary Jordan. It stars Carey Mulligan, Garrett Hedlund, Jason Clarke, Jason Mitchell, and Mary J. Blige. The film depicts two World War II veterans - one white, one black - who return to rural Mississippi each to address racism and PTSD in his own way. The film premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2017, and was released on Netflix and in limited release on November 17, 2017.

Critics praised its screenplay, direction, and the cast's performances (particularly those of Mitchell and Blige) and at the 75th Golden Globe Awards received nominations for Best Supporting Actress (Blige) and Best Original Song ("Mighty River"). At the 90th Academy Awards, the film earned four nominations: Best Supporting Actress and Best Original Song for Blige, as well as Best Adapted Screenplay. It also earned a nod for Best Cinematography, making Rachel Morrison the first woman ever nominated in the category and Blige became the first person to ever be nominated for an acting and song award during the same year.

Plot

Henry McAllan and his brother Jamie struggle to bury their recently deceased Pappy during a rainstorm. When the coffin proves too heavy for the two of them, Henry flags the passing Jackson family for help. There is tension on both sides as the request is made.

The film then flashes back to 1939, when Henry buys a farm outside the fictional town of Marietta, Mississippi, in the Mississippi Delta, and moves there with his wife Laura, with whom he shares a passionless marriage; their daughters; and his racist father Pappy. The Jackson family, led by tenant farmer Hap and his wife Florence, work the farm's cotton fields and dream of owning their own block of land one day. As World War II begins, Jamie commissions to become an Army pilot flying B-25 bomber aircraft while the Jackson's eldest son, Ronsel, enlists in the Army infantry and commands a Sherman tank. While serving in Europe, Ronsel strikes up a romance with a white woman and enjoys relative freedom from racism.

Both families suffer the threat of poverty when the Jacksons' mule has to be put down and Hap breaks his leg. Florence, who worked for the McAllans as a housekeeper, has to give up the job to help cover Hap's work, and an unsympathetic Henry forces Hap to rent the McAllan's mule, cutting his wages in half. Laura takes pity on the family and pays for Hap's doctor. Later, when Laura suffers a miscarriage, she turns to Florence for comfort.

When the war is won, both Ronsel and Jamie return home. The handsome and charming Jamie rekindles his attraction to Laura, but suffers from alcoholism, PTSD and the scorn of his father, who disparages air force bombing as easy and anonymous killing. Ronsel, on the other hand, is defiant when Pappy demands that he use the back door of a general store instead of the front door, because he is black. Henry warns Hap and Florence that Ronsel's fiery streak could provoke problems for all involved if he does not keep it to himself, and Ronsel is forced to apologize.

After Ronsel witnesses one of Jamie's PTSD episodes, the two become friends. Jamie treats Ronsel with respect, allowing him to ride in the front seat of the McAllan's truck and sharing a bottle with him. He reveals to Ronsel that during his time in the Army, his life was once saved by a black fighter pilot, an incident which has stayed with him. Ronsel eventually shares with Jamie that his girlfriend gave birth to their son and shows him a photo. Outside of his friendship with Ronsel, Jamie's life continues to crumble, climaxing in a fight with Henry about the futility of the farm and Laura being miserable, after which Henry asks him to leave. As he prepares to do so, he and Laura confront their feelings and make love.

Pappy, who had previously seen Ronsel riding in the front seat with Jamie, finds the photograph of the white German woman and their mixed-race child on the front seat of the truck. Ronsel, out searching for the missing photo, is picked up by Pappy and other members of the Ku Klux Klan and brutally beaten. Pappy then fetches Jamie and forces him to witness the "trial" prior to the lynching of Ronsel. Jamie tries to fight off the men, but is beaten and restrained, and Pappy forces him to choose Ronsel's punishment for the "crime" of miscegenation, documented by his photo: to lose his eyes, tongue or testicles. If Jamie refuses to choose, Ronsel will be murdered. Jamie is forced to watch the tongue mutilation, and Ronsel is strung up and left for his family to discover. During the night, Jamie smothers Pappy to death and Laura lies to Henry that Pappy passed away peacefully. Hap and Florence take their children and leave the farm.

The film returns to the opening scene. Eventually Hap agrees to help, but refuses to allow his sons to assist in lowering Pappy's coffin, over which he also gives a brief eulogy. Jamie gives the photo of Ronsel's son to Florence, to pass on to Ronsel.

Jamie leaves his family in disgust. The Jacksons eventually settle on a farm of their own. A mute Ronsel makes his way back to Europe where he reunites with his girlfriend and son.

Cast

• Carey Mulligan as Laura McAllan
• Garrett Hedlund as Jamie McAllan
• Jason Clarke as Henry McAllan
• Jason Mitchell as Ronsel Jackson
• Mary J. Blige as Florence Jackson
• Jonathan Banks as Pappy McAllan
• Rob Morgan as Hap Jackson
• Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Weeks
• Claudio Laniado as Dr. Pearlman
• Kennedy Derosin as Lilly May Jackson

Production

Development on the film was announced on March 21, 2016, with Dee Rees engaged as director and Carey Mulligan, Garrett Hedlund, Jason Clarke and Jason Mitchell cast in roles. On May 25, Mary J. Blige was added to the cast. On May 31, Jonathan Banks and Rob Morgan were cast, and filming began in New Orleans, Louisiana and post-production started in the United Kingdom by July 2016.

Cinematography

Dee Rees asked Rachel Morrison to focus on 'the idea of the American dream vs. the American reality', so Rachel turned to books by Farm Security Administration photographers for reference points regarding color and composition; in particular Dorothea Lange - as well as Arthur Rothstein, Ben Shahn and Walker Evans. Another primary source for her was a Gordon Parks essay in Time Life magazine in the '50s called "A Segregation Story" - regarding color that 'felt period, but it didn't feel washed-out'. Rachel's term for the goal they tried to achieve is 'subjective naturalism,' which she describes as first of all, real; and then potentially dramatized with light at main plot points - but remaining real throughout. Through that reality, the focus was on the elements in the picture and not the period itself 'The period wasn't a character in this film. The mud was a character, the weather was a character, the house was a character... we were trying to make more of a commentary about just how tough times were through experiences.' A. O. Scott in the New York Times on the result: 'Rachel.. brings the soil, the flora and the weather to life in a way that emphasizes the archaic, elemental power of the story.'

Release

Following its 2017 Sundance Film Festival premiere, Mudbound had distribution offers from A24 and Annapurna Pictures. On January 29, 2017, Netflix acquired distribution rights to the film. The film premiered on the streaming platform, as well as began a one week theatrical release in New York City and Los Angeles, on November 17, 2017.

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 96% based on 162 reviews, with an average rating of 8.2/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Mudbound offers a well-acted, finely detailed snapshot of American history whose scenes of rural class struggle resonate far beyond their period setting." On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating to reviews, the film holds an average weighted score of 85 out of 100, based on 43 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".

Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 3.5 out of 4 stars, praising the cast and direction. Writing for Rolling Stone, Peter Travers also gave the film 3.5 out of 4 stars, praising Blige's performance and Rees' direction, saying: "The director and her cinematographer Rachel Morrison do wonders with the elements that batter the people of every race and social class in the Delta. But it's the storm raging inside these characters that rivets our attention and makes Mudbound a film that grabs you and won't let go."

Accolades

Award	Date of ceremony	Category	Recipient(s) and nominee(s)	Result
AACTA International Awards	January 6, 2018	Best Supporting Actress	Mary J. Blige
AARP's Movies for Grownups Awards	February 5, 2018	Best Ensemble	The cast of Mudbound
Academy Awards	March 4, 2018	Best Supporting Actress	Mary J. Blige
		Best Adapted Screenplay	Dee Rees and Virgil Williams
		Best Original Song	"Mighty River" - Mary J. Blige, Raphael Saadiq and Taura Stinson
		Best Cinematography	Rachel Morrison
Alliance of Women Film Journalists	January 9, 2018	Best Adapted Screenplay	Dee Rees and Virgil Williams
		Best Actress in a Supporting Role	Mary J. Blige
		Best Ensemble Cast - Casting Director	Billy Hopkins and Ashley Ingram
		Best Woman Director	Dee Rees
		Best Woman Screenwriter	Dee Rees and Virgil Williams
American Society of Cinematographers	February 17, 2018	Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Releases	Rachel Morrison
Austin Film Critics Association	January 8, 2018	Best Supporting Actress	Mary J. Blige
		Best Adapted Screenplay	Dee Rees and Virgil Williams
		Best Cinematography	Rachel Morrison
Black Reel Awards	February 22, 2018	Outstanding Film	Mudbound
		Outstanding Director	Dee Rees
		Outstanding Supporting Actor	Jason Mitchell
		Outstanding Supporting Actress	Mary J. Blige
		Outstanding Screenplay	Virgil Williams and Dee Rees
		Outstanding Ensemble	Billy Hopkins and Ashley Ingram
		Outstanding Original Song	"Mighty River" - Mary J. Blige, Raphael Saadiq and Taura Stinson
		Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Female	Mary J. Blige
Chicago Film Critics Association	December 12, 2017	Best Supporting Actor	Jason Mitchell
		Best Supporting Actress	Mary J. Blige
		Best Adapted Screenplay	Dee Rees and Virgil Williams
		Best Cinematography	Rachel Morrison
Critics' Choice Movie Awards	January 11, 2018	Best Supporting Actress	Mary J. Blige
		Best Ensemble	The cast of Mudbound
		Best Adapted Screenplay	Dee Rees and Virgil Williams
		Best Cinematography	Rachel Morrison
Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association	December 13, 2017	Best Supporting Actress	Mary J. Blige
Detroit Film Critics Society	December 7, 2017	Best Ensemble	The cast of Mudbound
Dorian Awards	February 24, 2018	Supporting Film Performance of the Year - Actress	Mary J. Blige
Florida Film Critics Circle	December 23, 2017	Best Supporting Actress	Mary J. Blige
Georgia Film Critics Association	January 12, 2018	Best Adapted Screenplay	Dee Rees and Virgil Williams
		Best Cinematography	Rachel Morrison
		Best Original Song	"Mighty River" - Raphael Saadiq, Mary J. Blige and Taura Stinson
		Best Ensemble	The cast of Mudbound
Golden Globe Awards	January 7, 2018	Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture	Mary J. Blige
		Best Original Song	"Mighty River" - Raphael Saadiq, Mary J. Blige and Taura Stinson
Golden Tomato Awards	January 3, 2018	Best Limited Release 2017	Mudbound
		Best Drama Movie 2017	Mudbound
Gotham Independent Film Awards	November 27, 2017	Breakthrough Actor	Mary J. Blige
		Special Jury Award - Ensemble Performance	The cast of Mudbound
Guild of Music Supervisors Awards	February 8, 2018	Best Song/Recording Created for a Film	"Mighty River"
Hollywood Film Awards	November 5, 2017	Hollywood Breakout Ensemble Award	The cast of Mudbound
		Hollywood Breakout Actress Award	Mary J. Blige
Hollywood Music in Media Awards	November 16, 2017	Original Score - Feature Film	Tamar-kali
		Original Song - Feature Film	"Mighty River" - Raphael Saadiq, Mary J. Blige and Taura Stinson
Humanitas Prize	February 16, 2018	Feature - Drama	Dee Rees and Virgil Williams
Independent Spirit Awards	March 3, 2018	Robert Altman Award	The cast and crew of Mudbound
IndieWire Honors	November 2, 2017	Breakthrough Performance	Mary J. Blige
Location Managers Guild Awards	April 7, 2017	Outstanding Locations in Period Film	Wise Wolfe, Imre Legman
Los Angeles Film Critics Association	January 13, 2018	Best Supporting Actress	Mary J. Blige
New York Film Critics Circle	January 3, 2018	Best Cinematographer	Rachel Morrison
New York Film Critics Online	December 10, 2017	Best Picture	Mudbound
		Best Director	Dee Rees
		Best Ensemble Cast	The cast of Mudbound
		Top Ten Films	Mudbound
Online Film Critics Society	December 28, 2017	Best Supporting Actress	Mary J. Blige
		Best Cinematography	Rachel Morrison
San Diego Film Critics Society	December 11, 2017	Best Adapted Screenplay	Dee Rees and Virgil Williams
		Best Ensemble	The cast of Mudbound
San Francisco Film Critics Circle	December 10, 2017	Best Adapted Screenplay	Dee Rees and Virgil Williams
Santa Barbara International Film Festival	January 31, 2018	Virtuoso Award	Mary J. Blige
Satellite Awards	February 10, 2018	Best Film	Mudbound
		Best Director	Dee Rees
		Best Supporting Actress	Mary J. Blige
Screen Actors Guild Awards	January 21, 2018	Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture	The cast of Mudbound
		Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role	Mary J. Blige
St. Louis Film Critics Association	December 17, 2017	Best Adapted Screenplay	Dee Rees and Virgil Williams
USC Scripter Awards	February 10, 2018	Best Screenplay	Dee Rees, Virgil Williams and Hillary Jordan
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association	December 8, 2017	Best Director	Dee Rees
		Best Supporting Actor	Jason Mitchell
		Best Supporting Actress	Mary J. Blige
		Best Adapted Screenplay	Dee Rees and Virgil Williams
		Best Cinematography	Rachel Morrison
		Best Acting Ensemble	The cast of Mudbound
Women Film Critics Circle	December 17, 2017	Best Movie by a Woman	Mudbound
		Best Woman Storyteller	Dee Rees
		Josephine Baker Award	Mudbound
		Karen Morley Award	Mudbound
		Courage in Filmmaking	Dee Rees
Writers Guild of America Awards	February 11, 2018	Best Adapted Screenplay	Dee Rees and Virgil Williams

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See also

• List of black films of the 2010s