Disappearances
Disappearances just came out on DVD and we just got to watch it tonight. I had missed it on its tour through Vermont and regret that even more now.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.
It is a depression-era (and prohibition-era) story set in the most depressed area in Vermont, featuring folks living on a farm that has been hit by a series of misfortunes.
There are several excellent characters in the story. The most important are the farmer and his son. There are several others, memorable and well-portrayed. It stars Kris Kristofferson as the farmer, described as loony, and perhaps he is a bit, because he is certainly not depressed. But he's not out of touch with reality, either, and making ends meet moves him to re-enter his previous profession of rum-runner.
The basic story is action-adventure, but there is mysterious fantasy, too. It differs in this way from the strict realism of the earlier Where the Rivers Flow North and Stranger in the Kingdom.
We see a few fantasy elements fairly early. Go with the flow; it is a delightful journey. If you want more realism, there is the "making-of" featurette; you can learn about Mud Season in Vermont. Actually that is only a minor part of the featurette. In addition to the usual elements there was quite a bit about funding, which included a benefit that Kristofferson gave during production. He was already one of my favorite song-writers and performers; his efforts with this film raised my estimation of him.
But that's not why one should see the film. One should see it because it is a magical and exciting story featuring magnificent photography of beautiful country, and is well-acted by good people.