Show & Tell: Lean On Pete
A national holiday, even one as somber as Memorial Day, is usually a beneficial break from routine.
But I count on routine to tell me what I should be doing on any particular day, and when I got to work today and discovered that I had blown my usual Monday afternoon invitation to a film discussion at The Music Hall, I grew slightly impatient with myself. I may even have said, “Darn it!” or something similar.
So, with apologies, here’s your invitation to the film discussion of Lean On Pete tonight in the Historic Theater.
Lean On Pete is the latest movie from British filmmaker Andrew Haigh, who made the well-received 45 Years that won critical praise (and an Oscar nomination for Charlotte Rampling) in 2015.
Lean On Pete is a story of a kid (Charlie Plummer) whose dad, not worth much when he’s healthy, is sent to the hospital and Charlie has to fend for himself. Ultimately, Charlie decides to head off on his own with a quarter horse named Lean On Pete. Pete is nearing the end of his career, which, for racehorses, generally means winding up as pet food, and Charlie, who has bonded with him, just can’t let that happen. As you can imagine, it’s a tough road for a kid with no money and a stolen horse.
Lean On Pete is a road movie combined with a coming of age movie, and by all accounts Charlie Plummer scores big in the role, setting himself up for bigger roles to come. The movie also features Steven Buscemi as Pete’s owner and Chloe Sevigny as a sometime jockey, making for a powerful ensemble.
This is not a Disney movie, which means that things can get fairly dire for boy and horse, but the critics have loved it despite its slightly melancholy subject and tone. And everyone seems to have had their hearts touched by the story and the fabulous acting from Plummer and the rest of the cast.
So, in spite of the lateness of the hour, I still hope to see you there. And I will make sure that the announcements for Isle of Dogs (June 5) and The Endless (June 26) are delivered in a timely fashion.