Don’t Come Knocking Synopsis & Review: Plot Summary

🎯 Quick Overview

😅 Plot Summary – Badly Explained

A cowboy actor has a mid-life crisis, discovers he has a grown-up kid, and then awkwardly tries to be a family man, all while being chased by Tim Roth in a Porsche.

🍿 Don’t Come Knocking: Detailed Plot Synopsis

Howard’s Desertion

Howard Spence (Sam Shepard), a washed-up Western movie star, abruptly abandons his film set in Moab, Utah. Weary of his destructive lifestyle filled with alcohol and fleeting relationships, Howard seeks escape and a sense of meaning beyond his fading fame. He leaves behind a life of excess and heads towards an unknown future, triggering a chain of events that forces him to confront his past.

Reconnecting with His Mother

Howard travels to Elko, Nevada, to visit his estranged mother (Eva Marie Saint), whom he hasn’t seen in thirty years. Their reunion is awkward yet poignant, revealing Howard’s history of irresponsible behavior and emotional detachment. During his visit, Howard learns about a past relationship in Butte, Montana, that may have resulted in a child he never knew.

The Search for His Son

Driven by a newfound hope and a desire to rectify his past, Howard sets out to find Doreen (Jessica Lange), the woman from Butte, and potentially his child. Meanwhile, the film’s insurance company dispatches Sutter (Tim Roth), a bond man, to bring Howard back to the production. Sutter’s pursuit adds a layer of pressure and absurdity to Howard’s already complex journey.

⚠️ Spoilers and Ending Explained

🎬 Cast & Characters

• Howard Spence (Sam Shepard): A washed-up Western movie star who abandons a film set to reconnect with his past and discovers he has children he never knew.
• Doreen (Jessica Lange): Howard’s former lover and the mother of his son, Earl, who has built a life for herself in Butte, Montana.
• Sutter (Tim Roth): The insurance investigator tasked with tracking down Howard and bringing him back to the film set.
• Sky (Sarah Polley): A young woman carrying her mother’s ashes who seeks out Howard, believing him to be her father.
• Earl (Gabriel Mann): Howard’s estranged son, a struggling musician with a volatile temper, who is conflicted by his father’s sudden reappearance.

💬 Memorable Quotes

• Howard Spence: “Mind if I turn the radio on?” – Howard asks Sutter while driving, seeking a distraction or connection.
• Sutter: “Yes, I do, as a matter of fact. I don’t like outside influence. The world at large. It’s a nasty place. Why allow it in? Livestalk reports, Navajo chanting, beheadings, bestiality. Nothing’s changed. Black Death, the Inquisition, the Crusades, conquest of Mexico. What’s changed?” – Sutter responds to Howard, revealing his cynical view of the world and desire to remain isolated.

💰Box Office

• Budget: $11,000,000
• Domestic Gross: $440,793
• Worldwide Gross: $4,663,501

💥 Don’t Come Knocking Reviews

Personal Review

I have mixed feelings about “Don’t Come Knocking”. The cinematography is beautiful, capturing the vastness of the American West so perfectly. However, the slow pace and sometimes unlikeable characters made it a bit of a slog. I felt for Jessica Lange’s character, Doreen, and her struggles. A poignant story, but not exactly a feel-good movie. I was hoping to see a bit more character development, especially from Sam Shepard. His performance lacked depth. It felt as though he was just as lost as the character he was portraying. A little disappointing.

• Who would enjoy:
  • “Fans of Wim Wenders’ films”
  • “Viewers interested in character-driven dramas”
  • “Those who appreciate stories about family and redemption”
  • “People who enjoy neo-Western films”
• Content warnings ⚠:
  • “Alcohol and drug use”
  • “Mature themes”
  • “Brief strong language”

Professional Reviews

• IMDb: “Beautifully shot but a colossal bore. Wim Wenders has lost it! Open spaces often transfigure Wenders’ heroes, but everything that happens to Shepherd is lapidary and impersuasive. The acting is good, the drama is forced and the lines are often downright silly.
• Film Critic: “Sam Shepard and Wim Wenders delivers something that’s not the best work for the duo, while beautiful, the storyline is quite worn. It may be one of the worst films to come out in 2006.
• IMDb: “An original and sad story about existential and identity crisis of a man that reaches the third age with his career and personal life in a complete mess, totally disconnected from family and friends and maybe missing a different lifestyle with a family of his own.

Audience Reactions

The visuals were stunning, especially the landscapes and casino scenes.: Most viewers appreciate the beautiful cinematography but find the storyline and characters lacking depth.

I appreciated the homage to John Ford’s Westerns, though the story itself felt a bit meandering.: The film evokes a sense of classic Westerns but fails to deliver a compelling plot.

Overall Consensus: Visually stunning and emotionally poignant, but ultimately suffers from a slow pace and underdeveloped characters.

Awards

🛠️ Behind the Scenes

• “Sam Shepard wrote the character of Sky as part Native American, but this aspect was set aside to cast Sarah Polley, whom Wim Wenders greatly admired.”
• “Wim Wenders had wanted to film in Butte, Montana for twenty years prior to making this movie.”
• “Sam Shepard’s son, Jesse, an expert horseman, performed the riding stunts for his father in the movie.”

🖥️ How to Watch Don’t Come Knocking?

Don’t Come Knocking is available for purchase or rental on various platforms. Check streaming services like Prime Video, Apple TV, and Google Play Movies for rental and purchase options. Availability may vary by region.

🎥 Similar Movies

If you enjoyed Don’t Come Knocking, you might like these similar films:

• Paris, Texas (1984): Also directed by Wim Wenders and written by Sam Shepard, explores similar themes of identity, family estrangement, and redemption in the American West.
• Broken Flowers (2005): A man embarks on a journey to find out if he has a son after receiving an anonymous letter, exploring themes of fatherhood and regret.
• Lone Star (1996): A sheriff investigates a murder that unearths long-buried secrets in a Texas border town, dealing with themes of family history and reconciliation.

🛒 Don’t Come Knocking Related Products

• Paris, Texas (Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]: A critically acclaimed film directed by Wim Wenders, starring Harry Dean Stanton and Nastassja Kinski, that shares similar themes of identity and redemption with ‘Don’t Come Knocking.’ Presented in a beautiful Criterion Collection Blu-ray edition.
• Sam Shepard: A Life: Dive into the life and works of Sam Shepard, the writer and actor behind ‘Don’t Come Knocking’. This biography provides insights into his influences, creative process, and the themes that run through his work.
• Wim Wenders: The Road Trilogy (Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]: The Criterion Collection Blu-ray features “Alice in the Cities”, “The Wrong Move”, and “Kings of the Road”, offering a comprehensive look at Wenders’ early road movie style.
• Jessica Lange Unseen: Jessica Lange is a famous actress, and also an incredibly talented and dedicated photographer. This book contains various personal, ‘unseen’ photographs by her.

🎧 Soundtrack

Don’t Come Knocking features a captivating soundtrack that enhances the movie’s atmosphere and emotional impact. Here are some notable tracks:

• “Lonely Man” – performed by Gabriel Mann
• “Original Score” – performed by T Bone Burnett

You can find the complete soundtrack on Amazon Music and Apple Music.

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