Asleep in My Palm

I THINK IT'S GOOD TO MAKE FILMS ABOUT THE MARGINALIZED PEOPLE IN OUR COUNTRY WE CERTAINLY GOT A SENSE OF THAT WITH THE DEPICTION OF THE CHARACTER JOSE (JARED ABRAHAMSON) & THE OTHER MEMBERS OF HIS TRAILER PARK COMMUNITY. HOWEVER, THIS FILM NEVER GIVES ANY INDICATION OF WHETHER THE MAIN CHARACTER, TOM (TIM BLAKE NELSON) EVER TRIED TO MOVE AWAY FROM HIS LIFE OF PETTY CRIME,. W E DO GET A BRIEF SENSE OF HIS PAST WHEN HIS DAUGHTER, BETH ANNE (CHLOE KERWIN) ASKS HIM ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCE IN THE 1991 IRAQ WAR, & HE ABRUPTLY CUTS HER OFF. I REALLY WISH THAT DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER HAD USED THAT MOMENT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO REMIND PEOPLE OF HOW OUR GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO DO MORE TO HELP THE VETERANS OF ALL THE WARS. I DID LIKE THE FACT THAT MR. NELSON MADE THE MANAGER OF THE 7/11 STORE THAT TOM FREQUENTS A VETERAN OF THE VIETNAM WAR BECAUSE SOME MEMBERS OF THE ANTI-VIETNAM WAR MOVEMENT TENDED TO BLAME THE VETERANS OF VIETNAM FOR THE WAR (WHEREAS THE BLAME FOR THAT WAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN PLACED ON THE HEINOUS HO CHI MINH). WE ALSO GET TO SEE A VULNERABLE SIDE TO BETH ANNE WHEN SHE TELLS A YOUNG WOMAN FROM THE COLLEGE IN THAT AREA THAT SHE IS ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO "GETS TO GO TO PLACES THAT SHE'LL NEVER GET TO GO." AND, WHEN BETH ANNE LATER BRIEFLY TAKES A CELLPHONE FROM THE HAND OF A SLEEPING MALE COLLEGE STUDENT (AFTER HAVING TOLD THE OTHER YOUNG WOMAN THAT SHE HAS NEVER HAD A CELLPHONE), & THEN STARTS LOOKIN G AT THE PHOTOS ON HIS PHONE BEFORE SHE PUTS HIS PHONE BACK IN HIS HAND. THE FACTOR THAT MAKES THIS SCENE EVEN MORE POIGNANT IS THE WAY THAT BETH ANNE TENDERLY BRUSHES HER FINGERS THROUGH HIS HAIR , WHICH MAKES IT LOOK AS IF THIS IS HER WAY OF THANKING HIM. HOWEVER, THE FILM BECOMES VERY TROUBLING WHEN TOM MAKES A DEADLY ATTACK ON THE POLICE OFFICERS WHO COME TO ARREST HIM, & BETH ANNE ALSO PHYSICALLY ATTACKS THE OFFICERS. WHEN WE LATER SEE BETH ANNE TALKING TO A DETECTIVE IN THE POLICE STATION, SHE ASKS HIM ABOUT HER FATHER, BUT DOESN'T ASK HIM ABOUT THE OFFICER WHO WAS WOUNDED (& POSSIBLY KILLED) BY TOM. AND, WHEN THE DETECTIVE GIVES HER INFORMATION ABOUT PEOPLE THAT TOM HAS HURT IN THE PAST, SHE DOESN'T OFFER ANY SYMPATHY TOWARDS THEM, EITHER. AND, INSTEAD OF SHOWING BETH ANNE TRYING TO gET IN TOUCH WITH PEOPLE WHO MAY HAVE KNOWN THEM, MR. NELSON ENDS THE FILM BY HAVING BETH DO SOMETHING COMPLETELY NONSENSICAL, & THERE'S NO INDICATION OF WHY SHE MADE THAT CHOICE OR OF WHAT HER LIFE WILL BE LIKE AS A RESULT OF THAT CHOICE. ALTHOUGH I THOUGHT THAT TIM BLAKE NELSON GAVE AN EXCELLENT POERFORMANCE IN "THE BALLAD OF HENRY SCRUGGS," IT'S HARD TO FEEL SYMPATHY FOR HIS CHARACTER IN THIS FILM BECAUSE HE PLAYS SOMEONE WHO TRIES TO MURDER INNOCENT POLICE OFFICERS. THAT MAKES HIS CHARACTER JUST AS EVIL AS WHITE SUPREMACIST ASSASSINS LiKE JAMES EARL RAY & BYRON DE LA BECKWITH.