Based on a true story, Burden shows how one town’s African Americans fight back against racial prejudices brought on by the local Ku Klux Klan. The film is well written by Andrew Heckler and has a fine cast that makes their characters believable. Largely unknown, the historical incident was brought to light by The New York Times writer Rick Bragg on November 17, 1996. The heart wrenching story shows how one town fought back to free itself from a racist act.
Tom Griffin (Tom Wilkinson) and his ward Mike Burden (Garrett Hedlund) decide to reopen the abandoned movie theater as a museum for the KKK in the center of their small town of Laurens, South Carolina in spring of 1996. It’s an act of pride for the hooded organization and yet an obvious planned affront to half the population of the County. But, Griffin owns the property and his long time membership in the KKK has brought him to the racist decision. The local Preacher Reverend Kennedy (Forest Whitaker) is up in arms over the audacity of Griffin’s venture and starts to gather his flock to protest the museum.
In the meantime Mike Burden has been working for Plantation Repo repossessing things like TV’s and Stereo’s from the local folks who have not been keeping up with their payments. One of them is single mother Judy (Andrea Riseborough) who gives Mike a lot of grief over taking her TV, but he sort of takes to the woman and decides to help her. They start a relationship and become a couple. But, Judy is not prejudice and she befriends neighbor Clarence Brooks (Usher Raymond IV) a hard working African American. Working for Tom Griffin Mike Burden gets called on to help stop the protest Reverend Kennedy. When he’s told to do something violent and refuses, it turns Griffin against his former ward.
Studios
The film goes on from there showing the clash between the KKK and Reverend Kennedy’s church goers. Director and writer Andrew Heckler does a good job of suspense build up and the show of racism in the small town. His actors are convincing as they clash over legal rights vs human dignity. The power of the film certainly shows how important the incident was to the history of civil rights and the shrinking power of the KKK.
Studios
Of the major cast both Forest Whitaker as the unbending Reverend and Garrett Hedlund playing the change of heart citizen make the film work. Also on the top of his game Tom Wilkinson who plays the tough and scary KKK leader who has a racist tone that will make you cringe. The three actors are superb and worth watching for their amazing performances.
Burden has been rated R by the MPAA for disturbing violent content, and language throughout including racial epithets. The following URL is a copy of The New York Times article for reference: https://www.nytimes.com/1996/11/17/us/in-a-south-carolina-town-a-klan-museum-opens-old-wounds.html
FINAL ANALYSIS: A very good depiction of a heartfelt and unyielding happening in American History. (4 out of 5 Stars)
Additional Film Information:
Cast: Garrett Hedlund, Forest Whitaker, Andrea Riseborough with Usher Raymond IV and Tom Wilkinson.
Directed and written by: Andrew Heckler
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: R for disturbing violent content, and language throughout including racial epithets
Running Time: 1 hr. 57min.
Opening Date: March 20, 2020
Distributed by: 101 Studios
Released in: Theaters
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
