Podcast 16: Hell or High Water

July 9, 2021 Jon S Movies, Podcasting 0 Comments

Recorded on 6/3/2021

In this episode we review the movie Hell or High Water (2016) starring Jeff Bridges, Chris Pine, Ben Foster and Gil Birmingham. WARNING: There will be SPOILERS.

The 3 Guys Podcast

Notes From The Show

  • Quick Synopsis

  • Released:  August 12, 2016

    Director:    David Mackenzie

    Screenplay:   Taylor Sheridan

    Stars:   Jeff Bridges, Chris Pine, Ben Foster, Gil Birmingham

    Plot:      A divorced father and his ex-con older brother resort to a desperate scheme in order to save their family’s ranch in West Texas.

    How did this movie do:
    Budget: $12 million
    Box office: $37.9 million

  • The Villain

  • Who is the villain of the story?

    • The brothers are fighting the bank’s corrupt way to save their family farm for the kids

    • The sheriffs are just doing their job

    • When do the good guys become the bad guys and do the bad guys win?

    • Is the bank the bad guy?
      • Giving out loans to people they know can’t pay them
      • Knowingly letting a criminal get away so they can keep running the profitable trust

  • Reverse Mortgage

  • Reverse Mortgage: A mortgage loan, usually secured by a residential property that enables the borrower to access the unencumbered value of the property. The loans are typically promoted to older homeowners and typically do not require monthly mortgage payments. Borrowers are still responsible for property taxes and homeowner’s insurance. Reverse mortgages allow elders to access the home equity they have built up in their homes now, and defer payment of the loan until they die, sell, or move out of the home. Because there are no required mortgage payments on a reverse mortgage, the interest is added to the loan balance each month. The rising loan balance can eventually grow to exceed the value of the home, particularly in times of declining home values or if the borrower continues to live in the home for many years. However, the borrower (or the borrower’s estate) is generally not required to repay any additional loan balance in excess of the value of the home.

  • Trivia

    • The phrase “come hell or high water” typically means “do whatever needs to be done, no matter the circumstances”. It also refers to the “hell or high water clause” in a contract, usually a lease, which states that the payments must continue regardless of any difficulties the paying party may encounter. Both definitions apply to different parts of the plot in this movie.

    • The film is dedicated to David John Mackenzie (1929-2015) and Ursula Sybil Mackenzie (1940-2015), the parents of director David Mackenzie. Both died while he was making this film. You can also see references to them by their initials along with these years showing up on certain license plates throughout the film.

    • Toby offers his son a beer. Texas is one of ten states that allows underage minors to consume alcohol in specific locations, such as the privacy of home or in the presence of consenting and supervising family members.

    • Due to his tight schedule with Star Trek Beyond (2016), Chris Pine was only available for two and a half weeks, so all his scenes had to be shot very rapidly and in sequence to maintain the required level of energy.

    • Taylor Sheridan’s uncle, McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara, served as a consultant to Jeff Bridges on the shoot. McNamara had been a U.S. Marshall for over 30 years.

    • Comancheria, the film’s original title, is the region of New Mexico, West Texas, and nearby areas occupied by the Comanche before the 1860s.

    • Was originally titled “COMANCHERIA” but was changed after a title competition between interns at one of the production companies. The title that won was “HELL OR HIGH WATER”. However, in some countries (like Spain) the title is “Comanchería”, probably because the clichè within the original title does not translate properly.

    • Chris Pine, who plays the younger brother, is actually two months older than Ben Foster.

    • The first two bank robberies take place in Archer City and Olney, Texas. These were towns used in the filming of The Last Picture Show (1971), which also starred Jeff Bridges.

    • In the scene involving the thugs at the gas station, as Tanner Howard (Ben Foster) notices his drink is a Mr. Pibb he complains about wanting a Dr Pepper. Dr Pepper was invented in Waco, TX and most fans of the drink consider Mr. Pibb a poor attempt at copying Dr Pepper and usually refuse to drink it.

    • Screenwriter Taylor Sheridan drew much of his inspiration from the TV miniseries Lonesome Dove (1989) having earlier read Larry McMurtry’s 1985 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel on which the series was based.

    • Included among the “1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die”, edited by Steven Schneider.

    • The movie features three big name actors and tested well with audiences. However, the film did not receive a wide release into theatres or major publicity. This was because advertisers didn’t want to be associated with a film promoting retribution against financial institutions who feed off the working class.

    • Taylor Sheridan: The actor-turned-writer who wrote the film plays a cowboy whose cattle are chased by a grass fire.

    • The final scene of the movie was shot on Chris Pine’s last day on the film and Jeff Bridges’ first day. It’s the only scene the two share together in the film.

Released:  August 12, 2016

Director:    David Mackenzie

Screenplay:   Taylor Sheridan

Stars:   Jeff Bridges, Chris Pine, Ben Foster, Gil Birmingham

Plot:  A divorced father and his ex-con older brother resort to a desperate scheme in order to save their family’s ranch in West Texas.

How did this movie do:
Budget: $12 million
Box office: $37.9 million

Who is the villain of the story?

  • The brothers are fighting the bank’s corrupt way to save their family farm for the kids

  • The sheriffs are just doing their job

  • When do the good guys become the bad guys and do the bad guys win?

  • Is the bank the bad guy?
    • Giving out loans to people they know can’t pay them
    • Knowingly letting a criminal get away so they can keep running the profitable trust

Reverse Mortgage: A mortgage loan, usually secured by a residential property that enables the borrower to access the unencumbered value of the property. The loans are typically promoted to older homeowners and typically do not require monthly mortgage payments. Borrowers are still responsible for property taxes and homeowner’s insurance. Reverse mortgages allow elders to access the home equity they have built up in their homes now, and defer payment of the loan until they die, sell, or move out of the home. Because there are no required mortgage payments on a reverse mortgage, the interest is added to the loan balance each month. The rising loan balance can eventually grow to exceed the value of the home, particularly in times of declining home values or if the borrower continues to live in the home for many years. However, the borrower (or the borrower’s estate) is generally not required to repay any additional loan balance in excess of the value of the home.

  • The phrase “come hell or high water” typically means “do whatever needs to be done, no matter the circumstances”. It also refers to the “hell or high water clause” in a contract, usually a lease, which states that the payments must continue regardless of any difficulties the paying party may encounter. Both definitions apply to different parts of the plot in this movie.

  • The film is dedicated to David John Mackenzie (1929-2015) and Ursula Sybil Mackenzie (1940-2015), the parents of director David Mackenzie. Both died while he was making this film. You can also see references to them by their initials along with these years showing up on certain license plates throughout the film.

  • Toby offers his son a beer. Texas is one of ten states that allows underage minors to consume alcohol in specific locations, such as the privacy of home or in the presence of consenting and supervising family members.

  • Due to his tight schedule with Star Trek Beyond (2016), Chris Pine was only available for two and a half weeks, so all his scenes had to be shot very rapidly and in sequence to maintain the required level of energy.

  • Taylor Sheridan’s uncle, McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara, served as a consultant to Jeff Bridges on the shoot. McNamara had been a U.S. Marshall for over 30 years.

  • Comancheria, the film’s original title, is the region of New Mexico, West Texas, and nearby areas occupied by the Comanche before the 1860s.

  • Was originally titled “COMANCHERIA” but was changed after a title competition between interns at one of the production companies. The title that won was “HELL OR HIGH WATER”. However, in some countries (like Spain) the title is “Comanchería”, probably because the clichè within the original title does not translate properly.

  • Chris Pine, who plays the younger brother, is actually two months older than Ben Foster.

  • The first two bank robberies take place in Archer City and Olney, Texas. These were towns used in the filming of The Last Picture Show (1971), which also starred Jeff Bridges.

  • In the scene involving the thugs at the gas station, as Tanner Howard (Ben Foster) notices his drink is a Mr. Pibb he complains about wanting a Dr Pepper. Dr Pepper was invented in Waco, TX and most fans of the drink consider Mr. Pibb a poor attempt at copying Dr Pepper and usually refuse to drink it.

  • Screenwriter Taylor Sheridan drew much of his inspiration from the TV miniseries Lonesome Dove (1989) having earlier read Larry McMurtry’s 1985 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel on which the series was based.

  • Included among the “1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die”, edited by Steven Schneider.

  • The movie features three big name actors and tested well with audiences. However, the film did not receive a wide release into theatres or major publicity. This was because advertisers didn’t want to be associated with a film promoting retribution against financial institutions who feed off the working class.

  • Taylor Sheridan: The actor-turned-writer who wrote the film plays a cowboy whose cattle are chased by a grass fire.

  • The final scene of the movie was shot on Chris Pine’s last day on the film and Jeff Bridges’ first day. It’s the only scene the two share together in the film.

The 3 Guys Rating

3.75/5

About The Movie From IMDB

Hell or High Water (2016) Action, Crime, Drama | 102min | 26 August 2016 (USA) 7.6
Summary: In Texas, after the death of his mother, the unemployed oil and gas worker Toby Howard is losing his ranch to the Texas Midlands Bank. Toby is divorced from his wife who lives with their two sons. When his brother Tanner Howard is released from the prison, they team up to rob agencies of the Texas Midlands Bank to raise money to pay the loan so that Toby may leave the real estate to his sons. Meanwhile the Texas Ranger Marcus Hamilton who is near retirement and his Native American-descendant partner Alberto Parker try to anticipate the next move of the thieves. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Photos


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Videos


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Cast

Dale Dickey
...
Elsie
Ben Foster
...
Tanner Howard
Chris Pine
...
Toby Howard
William Sterchi
...
Mr. Clauson
Buck Taylor
...
Old Man
Kristin K. Berg
...
Olney Teller (as Kristin Berg)
Jeff Bridges
...
Marcus Hamilton
Gil Birmingham
...
Alberto Parker
Keith Meriweather
...
Rancher
Jackamoe Buzzell
...
Archer City Deputy
Katy Mixon
...
Jenny Ann
Amber Midthunder
...
Vernon Teller
Joe Berryman
...
Bank Manager
Taylor Sheridan
...
Cowboy
Howard Ferguson Jr.
...
Vernon PD Officer (as Howard S. Ferguson Jr.)

See full cast >>
Countries: USALanguages: EnglishBudget: $12,000,000 (estimated)
Source: imdb.com

Quotes From The Movie

7.6
Hell or High Water (2016) 102min | Action, Crime, Drama | 26 August 2016 (USA)
Summary: A divorced father and his ex-con older brother resort to a desperate scheme in order to save their family's ranch in West Texas.
Countries: USALanguages: English
Source: imdb.comDisclaimer: This plugin has been coded to automatically quote data from imdb.com. Not available for any other purpose. All showing data have a link to imdb.com. The user is responsible for any other use or change codes.

Quotes

Toby Howard: I've been poor my whole life, like a disease passing from generation to generation. But not my boys, not anymore.

[last lines]

Toby Howard: Hey. I rent a little house in town. If you wanna stop by and finish this conversation, you're welcome anytime.

Marcus Hamilton: Oh, I'd like that. I'll be seeing you.

Toby Howard: Yeah. Soon I hope. I'm ready to be done with this.

Marcus Hamilton: You'll never be done with it no matter what. It's gonna haunt you, son, for the rest of your days. But you won't be alone. It's gonna haunt me too.

Toby Howard: If you stop by, maybe I'll give you peace.

Marcus Hamilton: Maybe. Maybe I'll give it to you.

Marcus Hamilton: This is what they call white man's intuition.

Alberto Parker: Sometimes a blind pig finds a truffle.

Alberto Parker: Do you want to live here? Got an old hardware store that charges twice what Home Depot does, one restaurant with a rattlesnake for a waitress. I mean, how's someone supposed to make a living here?

Marcus Hamilton: People have made a living here for 150 years.

Alberto Parker: Well people lived in caves for 150k years, they don't do it no more.

Marcus Hamilton: Ahhhh well maybe your people did.

Alberto Parker: You're people did too. A long time ago your ancestors was the indians until someone came along and killed them. Broke em down made you into one of them. 150 years ago all this was my ancestors land. Everything you could see, everything you saw yesterday. Until the grandparents of these folks took it. Now it's been taken from them. Cept it ain't no army doin' it, it's those sons of bitches right there. points at Texas Midland Bank.

Tanner Howard: Are you trying to make me mad? I said Dr. Pepper, this is Mr. Pibb.

Toby Howard: That's all they had.

Tanner Howard: Only assholes drink Mr. Pibb.

Toby Howard: Drink up.

Bear: I am a Comanche. Do you know what it means? It means 'Enemy to everyone'.

Tanner Howard: Do you know what that makes me? A Comanche.

Marcus Hamilton: [Referring to a TV evangelist] He wouldn't know God if he crawled up his pant leg and bit him on the pecker.

Tanner Howard: Maybe we should hit another branch.

Toby Howard: You know, you talk like we ain't gonna get away with this.

Tanner Howard: I never met nobody get away with anything... ever, you?

Toby Howard: then why on the hell did you agree to do it?

Tanner Howard: because you asked, little brother.

Toby Howard: You got a gun on you, old man?

Old Man: You're damn right I got a gun on me. Y'all going to steal my gun too?

Toby Howard: We ain't stealing from you. We're stealing from the bank.

Tanner Howard: Lord of the plains... that's me.

Marcus Hamilton: Howdy ma'am. How are you doing today?

T-Bone Waitress: Hot . And I don't mean the good kind. So, what don't you want?

Marcus Hamilton: Pardon?

T-Bone Waitress: What don't you want?

Marcus Hamilton: Oh, well, uh. I think I'll just, uh...

T-Bone Waitress: You know. I've been working here for 44 years. Ain't nobody ever ordered nothing but T-Bone steak and a baked potato. Except this one asshole from New York tried to order trout back in 1987. We don't sell no goddamned trout. T-bone steaks. So either you don't want the corn on the cob, or you don't want the green beans. So what don't you want?

Marcus Hamilton: I don't want green beans.

Alberto Parker: I don't want green beans either.

T-Bone Waitress: Steaks cooked medium rare.

Alberto Parker: Can I get my steak cooked just a...

T-Bone Waitress: That weren't no question.

Alberto Parker: All right.

T-Bone Waitress: Iced tea for you boys.

Alberto Parker: Iced tea'd be great.

Marcus Hamilton: Iced tea, yep. Thank you ma'am.

T-Bone Waitress: Uh-huh.

Marcus Hamilton: Well I'll tell you one thing. Nobody's gonna rob this son of bitch.

Alberto Parker: My word.

Marcus Hamilton: I know their faces was covered, but could you tell their race? Black, white?

Elsie: Their skin or their souls?

Tanner Howard: Boy, You'd think there were ten of me.

Old Man: You fellas robbin' the bank?

Tanner Howard: What's it look like, old man?

Old Man: But you ain't Mexicans.

Marcus Hamilton: Oh, who knows. Maybe one of these bank robbers is gonna want a gunfight and I can dodge my retirement in a blaze of glory.

Alberto Parker: Well, I've seen you shoot. There won't be much glory in it.

Toby Howard: How the fuck have you managed to stay out of prison for a year?

Tanner Howard: It's been difficult.

Marcus Hamilton: [Rangers encounter cowboys driving cattle across the road before a brush fire] Hey! What you all doing? You burning this field?

Cowboy: Why in the shit would we do that? This kicked up on the highway, been chasing us ever since.

Marcus Hamilton: Wish we could do somethin' for ya.

Cowboy: Ought to let it just turn me to ashes, put me out of my misery. *Cut that fence!* 21st century, I'm racing a fire to the river with a herd of cattle. And I wonder why my kids won't do this shit for a living.

Alberto Parker: I'm starving.

Marcus Hamilton: I doubt they serve pemmican.

Alberto Parker: You know I'm part Mexican, too.

Marcus Hamilton: Yeah, well, I'm gonna get to that when I'm through with the Indian insults, but it's gonna be a while.

Bank Manager: You rangers are an odd bunch.

Alberto Parker: No, just him.

Bear: Do you know what "Comanche" means? It means, "Enemies forever."

Tanner Howard: Enemies with who?

Bear: Everyone.

Tanner Howard: You know what that makes me?

Bear: An enemy.

Tanner Howard: No... it makes me a Comanche.

Tanner Howard: You know I love you, don't you?

Toby Howard: I love you too.

Tanner Howard: Hey Toby, go fuck yourself.

Toby Howard: Go fuck yourself.

[they cheerfully laugh]

Tanner Howard: Why is it always the sweet ones that are such devils when you get them revved up?

Toby Howard: Wouldn't know, never had a sweet one.

Tanner Howard: Yeah you like them pissed off, lookin' for someone to blame

Toby Howard: Sure seems that way.

Toby Howard: Slow down.

Tanner Howard: I ain't speeding.

Toby Howard: I need you sober.

Tanner Howard: Who the hell gets drunk off a beer?

Archer City Deputy: Tweakers, maybe?

Alberto Parker: Maybe.

Marcus Hamilton: A little early in the morning for tweakers.

Alberto Parker: Tweakers don't sleep. They just tweak.

Marcus Hamilton: God, I love West Texas.

Tanner Howard: We would be obliged if you would provide accommodations, though we failed to call ahead.

Clerk: Boy, you are trouble.

Tanner Howard: Oh, the worst kind, darling. In your last days in the nursing home, you'll think of me and giggle.

Toby Howard: [looking at the bank in Post] It's too big.

Tanner Howard: That's what she said.

Toby Howard: It's no good.

Tanner Howard: This ain't the first rodeo.

Toby Howard: Big bank.

Tanner Howard: More money.

Tanner Howard: The women in this place.

Toby Howard: [Looks around the bar and sees several middle-aged women] What the hell you talkin' about?

Tanner Howard: We should get another shot. They'll be pretty soon enough.

Marcus Hamilton: Care to give it a watch while I wander over to that burger joint?

Alberto Parker: Would you order me something while you're there? I'm starving.

Marcus Hamilton: I doubt they serve pemmican.

Alberto Parker: You know I'm part Mexican, too.

Marcus Hamilton: Yeah, well, I'm gonna get to that when I'm through with the Indian insults, but it's gonna be a while.

Tanner Howard: Suck my D. Eat my A.

Bear: [blocking his path] Do you know what Comanche means? It means enemies forever.

Tanner Howard: Enemies with who?

Bear: Everyone.

Tanner Howard: You know what that makes me?

Bear: An enemy.

Tanner Howard: No. It makes me a Comanche.

[repeated line]

T-Bone Waitress: What you don't want?

Toby Howard: Now, you may be hearing a lot of things about me and your uncle. Don't be like us. You hear me?

Justin Howard: Whatever I hear, I won't believe.

Toby Howard: No, you believe it. I did all of it. Now, you, you do it different... Ain't gonna drink it?

Justin Howard: You tell me not to be like you, and then you offer me a beer. Which is it?

Tanner Howard: Fuck you, old man!

Toby Howard: [to Marcus] I've been poor my whole life. So were my parents, their parents before them. It's like a disease passing from generation to generation, becomes a sickness, that's what it is. Infects every person you know, but not my boys. Not anymore. This is theirs now.

Toby Howard: Now, I ain't never killed no one in my life, but if you want me to start with you, let's get on with it, old man. See if you can grab that pistol before I blast you off this porch.

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