Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Friday, January 27
    Trending
    • This Day in History on January 27th
    • History Short: Who Really Invented the Light Bulb?
    • Animated Map of the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine (through January 26th, 2023)
    • This Day in History on January 26th
    • History Short: Who is the Octomom?
    • This Day in History on January 25th
    • History Short: The Rise and Fall of Sir Walter Raleigh
    • Headline: The Doomsday Clock Has Moved Closer to Midnight Than Ever Before!
    History and Headlines
    • Arts & Entertainment
      • Cinema & TV
      • Games
      • Literature
      • Music
      • Sports
      • Video Games
    • Bizarre Bulletin
      • Misconceptions
      • The Bizarre
      • The Paranormal
      • The Unexplained
    • Lifestyle
      • Animals/Pets
      • Fashion
      • Food
      • Health/Medicine
      • Home Improvement
      • Horoscopes
      • Travel
    • Science & Tech
      • Inventions
      • Nature
      • Vehicles
    • Society
      • Business and Economics
      • Crime
      • Military
      • Politics
      • Religion
      • Society
    • About
      • Welcome to Our Site!
      • This Day in History
      • Table of Contents: A History of the World
      • Online History Textbooks
      • A Guide to Some of Our Favorite Scholars and Educators
      • Advance Screenings and Movie Reviews Archive
      • Schedule of Video Adaptations of Our Articles
    • Friends
      • Armchair History TV
      • Fact Fiend
      • RealClearHistory
      • Simply Charly
      • TopTenz
      • ​Unique Interpretations
    History and Headlines
    You are at:Home»Arts & Entertainment»Cinema & TV»November 14, 2017: Review of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
    Cinema & TV

    November 14, 2017: Review of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

    Major DanBy Major DanNovember 14, 2017Updated:June 11, 2020No Comments5 Mins Read
    Email Facebook LinkedIn Pinterest Reddit Telegram Tumblr Twitter VKontakte WhatsApp

    A Brief History

    On November 14, 2017, we take the opportunity to review the new film, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri that we had the chance to screen last night in a full theater.  Briefly, two things stand out about the movie.  The first thing, is that the audience enthusiastically clapped at the end.  Such applause is always a darn good sign.  The other main takeaway from the movie is that the star, Frances McDormand, is almost certain to get a nomination for the Best Actress Oscar.  The film has already been released on November 10, 2017 in selected US markets, and will be released in Cleveland and other cities on November 17, 2017.

    Digging Deeper

    McDormand plays the role of Mildred, the worn out looking mother of a teenage girl that had been raped and murdered, with no suspect identified by the local police.  McDormand, previously a winner of the acting “Triple Crown” (Oscar for Best Actress, Tony Award, and Emmy) is frustrated and totally dissatisfied with the lack of progress into the investigation of her child’s death.  Other big name stars in the movie include Woody Harrelson (as the dying, embattled police chief Willoughby), Sam Rockwell (as the sort of anti-hero), Peter Dinklage (of Game of Thrones fame) and John Hawkes (as Mildred’s ex-husband).  These actors turn in their usual great performances, selling each character completely, as do the other cast members.

    The title of the movie stems from Mildred renting 3 long unused billboards on a country road to taunt the police into forcing some progress into the rape/murder investigation.  This action infuriates the police department and many prominent townsfolk that love and revere the Chief, who coincidentally is dying of cancer.  One cop in particular, a drunk, mean spirited goof that should not be wearing a badge, takes the billboards personally and reacts with unprofessional vitriol to the perceived insult.

    The cinematography is great.  The picture is high definition clear, with no typical movie fuzziness.  Direction is great as well, and the dialog is realistic and sometimes so realistic you just have to laugh.  The audience laughed at all the right times, even when the subject matter was somewhat dark, a careful blend of heavy and light that worked rather well in the film.

    Certain aspects of the movie stretch the observer’s suspension of disbelief, specifically, some of the criminal acts performed during the story would certainly get people arrested on the spot in real life.  This nit-picking fact does not seem to matter to the acceptance of the story line and flow of the film, and is the sort of thing that only comes up later when dissecting the movie.  The simple fact is, the audience loved the film, confirming previous critical reviews and audience ratings.

    In spite of the numerous laughs during the film, the subject matter is dark, with the central event being a young lady raped, murdered, and burned to death.  A police chief dying of cancer, a bitter, worn out divorced woman’s futile attempts at achieving justice for her daughter and committing crimes herself in the pursuit of justice, the mean, creepy ex-husband, the teen age son facing negative peer pressure, bumbling cops that are racist and smart alecks to boot, a good-hearted dwarf that is treated as less than a whole person, and the mysterious stranger that seems like some sort of psychopath.  Just about everyone in the film has serious hubris to deal with.  None of the main characters really come across as particularly good people, so the movie is far from a “feel good” film, and yet, at the end, it almost seems that way!

    Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a 95% approval rating, and already there is rumbling about a Best Film nomination.  We enjoyed the film and recommend it for adult and older teenage audiences (due to various “bombs,” such as “N-bombs,” “F-bombs,” and “C-bombs,” as well as such a negative portrayal of police that younger minds may be unduly affected).

    NOTE:  The rate of murders being solved in the United States is shockingly abysmal, in spite of the impression television and movies often provide, and in spite of technical advances in crime scene investigation.  In 2013, the state of Missouri had an unsolved murder rate of 36.7%, ranking 10th worst among the states.  (Washington, D.C. was worse than any state, with 56.1% of murders unsolved!  The national average for unsolved murders in the US during the 21st Century so far is between 35 and 40%.  Thus, the story of Mildred Hayes and her pain at the unsolved death of her daughter is a story played out again and again across the country.

    Question for students (and subscribers): Did you enjoy this film?  Please let us know in the comments section below this article.

    If you liked this article and would like to receive notification of new articles, please feel welcome to subscribe to History and Headlines by liking us on Facebook and becoming one of our patrons!

    Your readership is much appreciated!

    Historical Evidence

    For more information, please see…

    Burwell, Carter.  Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri – OST.  Varese Sarabande, 2017.  Audio CD.

    McDonagh, Martin.  Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri: The Screenplay.  Faber & Faber, 2017.

    Share. Email Facebook LinkedIn Pinterest Reddit Telegram Twitter Tumblr
    Previous ArticleNovember 14, 1889: Around the World in (Less Than) 80 Days!
    Next Article 5 Infamous Ship Collisions
    Major Dan

    Major Dan is a retired veteran of the United States Marine Corps. He served during the Cold War and has traveled to many countries around the world. Prior to his military service, he graduated from Cleveland State University, having majored in sociology. Following his military service, he worked as a police officer eventually earning the rank of captain prior to his retirement.

    Related Posts

    Headlines: 2023 Oscar Nominations Released!

    January 24, 2023

    January 17, 2023: Your Chance to Preview Women Talking

    January 16, 2023

    History Short: What was the First Morning Talk Show?

    January 14, 2023
    Follow Us!
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Patreon
    Sign Up For Our Newsletter!
    Most Recent

    This Day in History on January 27th

    January 27, 2023

    History Short: Who Really Invented the Light Bulb?

    January 27, 2023

    Animated Map of the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine (through January 26th, 2023)

    January 26, 2023

    This Day in History on January 26th

    January 26, 2023

    History Short: Who is the Octomom?

    January 26, 2023
    This Day in History Video

    Advertisements




    Amazon Affiliate Disclosure Statement

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases via links in the “Historical Evidence” sections of articles.

    About HistoryAndHeadlines.com

    Thanks for visiting History and Headlines!  This site exists primarily for educational purposes and is intended as a resource for Dr. Zar’s students.  Articles are mostly written by either Dr. Zar or his dad (Major Dan).  To any guest readers, please keep that in mind when commenting on articles.   Thank you!

    We try to present our students with historical topics that are both diverse and a bit out of the ordinary.  Our motto is “We try until we succeed!”

    Contact us at admin@historyandheadlines.com

    Guidelines and Policies for Images used on This Site, as well as for Guest and Sponsored Articles, and Other Terms of Use

    Privacy Statement

    © 2022 History and Headlines

    All-Time Most Commented

    July 28, 1866: 18 Year Old Girl Wins Commission to Sculpt Statue of Lincoln (A Truly Great American Woman)

    July 28, 2014

    December 24, 1865: Birth of the Ku Klux Klan

    December 24, 2015

    December 25, 1868: President Johnson Pardons all Confederate Veterans

    December 25, 2015

    February 5, 1909: First Plastic Invented was called Bakelite!

    February 5, 2014

    November 23, 1876: “Boss” Tweed Turned Over to Authorities

    November 23, 2013
    Recommended Book
    © 2023 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

    You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings.

    History and Headlines
    Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

    Strictly Necessary Cookies

    Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

    If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.