CS Weekly Archive > Weekend Read > 09/07/07

Pretty Tame

By elizabeth rivera

Fierce People

Screenplay Dirk Wittenborn
Based on his book

Finn (Anton Yelchin) was supposed to spend the summer in South America studying the Ishkanani Tribe with his father, but after being arrested during a drug run for his mom, (Diane Lane), mother and son flee the city to the country estate of her rich friend, Osbourne (Donald Sutherland), where Finn studies a different type of tribe. We meet the eccentric members of this super-rich society slowly but the idea that they are a clan never really materializes. Despite the attempt to highlight how tangled and exclusive the tribe is by revealing the not-so-secret secrets of other members, the feeling that these people form a tribe doesn't stick. The presence of several characters is neither explained nor commented on, such as an African princess who sort of disappears from the film. The feeling that this is a fierce tribe doesn't work and instead comes off as a group of somewhat clichéd characters stuck together in a movie with a semi-interesting angle. Finn studies these people as he would have the Ishkanani tribe, which leads to an interesting voiceover narration but not necessarily an interesting film. These so-called fierce people do perform fierce actions, in particular one very violent altercation that Finn is the victim of, but they are not themselves fierce. They are weak characters we've seen before. There is Bryce (Chris Evans), the charming, handsome nephew of Osbourne; his mother, a perpetually drunk, bitter socialite; and the stoic, black policeman, to name a few. Not only are the characters themselves clichés, but the turns the movie takes are also quite predictable. While Wittenborn does a great job of presenting a very violent situation in a way that is gripping without being gory, this is only one success in a sea of predictable sins for this film. In the end there is nothing truly fierce about this movie.

Fierce People
Autonomous Films
Rated R; 112 min.

Buy tickets now

Elizabeth Rivera is a freelance writer (e.g. poor person) who lives in Los Angeles. She can usually be found roaming the streets of the greater L.A. area looking for story material and general mischief.

Fierce People courtesy Autonomous Films

From the Trenches
Working screenwriters discuss in their own words a particular aspect of screenwriting, from the mechanics of writing to the personal and professional impact that writing has had on their lives. > VIEW ARCHIVE

The Big Picture

Features that cover all aspects of screenwriting, from our "Seven Best" lists to analysis of old favorites and new classics. > VIEW ARCHIVE

Weekend Read
Film, book, web site and technology reviews from a writer’s perspective. How can these items help a writer on his or her journey, or make that journey more enjoyable? > VIEW ARCHIVE

DVD Review of the Day
DVD reviews from a writer’s point of view. What aspects of this script and features of this DVD illuminate the writing, development, and storytelling process? > VIEW ARCHIVE