George Washington (2000)
Directed by David Gordon Green
During an innocent game in an abandoned amusement park, a member of the group dies. Narrated by one of the children, the film follows the kids as they struggle to balance their own ambitions and relationships against a tragic lie.
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What critics compared George Washington to
The film is a lyrical look at the lives of a group of children from Winston-Salem, a poverty-stricken North Carolina backwater and comes across as a sort of ‘Terrence Malick shoots Gummo’ – indeed, Green freely admits the influence of Malick, in particular the photography of Days of Heaven.
The most apt comparison I’ve seen is to Terrence Malick’s Days of Heaven, a beautifully photographed, quiet portrait of a time and a place.
Though other 1970s influences are also apparent—the 1969 short “A Day With The Boys,” directed by character actor Clu Gulager, also included on the disc, is a key source for the film’s kids-at-play vibe—George Washington suggests what Malick’s Days Of Heaven would have been like if it just followed the girl and never left the city.
Many critics have compared the film's style to films like "Days of Heaven" by Terrence Malick.
Candace Evanofski's molasses-toned voiceover narration reminds us of the mournfully matter-of-fact cadences of Linda Manz's voiceover in Days of Heaven, a movie with which George Washington is often compared.
Nearly every review of George Washington so far has compared the film as a cross between Harmony Korine's Gummo (1997) and Terrence Malick's Days of Heaven (1978), both great films that use mood and style over story and character as George Washington does.
Lowery has also cited director David Gordon Green’s George Washington as an influence, which makes it difficult for me, as a fan of Green’s eclecticism, not to compare The Green Knight to Your Highness , of all things, that most immediately reviled of Green projects.
Jenkins’s impressionistic and subjective shooting style isn’t so far removed from that of some of Terrence Malick’s equally personal and heartfelt films or of David Gordon Green’s George Washington.
It's also reminiscent of David Gordon Green's George Washington in its visual lyricism, and its conflict between poetic feeling and harsh reality in looking at poor black neighborhoods.
That movie was produced by Nichols' very successful North Carolina School of the Arts classmate, director David Gordon Green ("George Washington," "Pineapple Express"), but it never received a Memphis theatrical screening, so "Take Shelter" may represent an introduction to Nichols for most local moviegoers.
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(“Mitty” shares a three-legged dog with Green’s “George Washington.”)
Add one sensitive regional filmmaker (David Gordon Green of "George Washington" and "All the Real Girls") determined to have his Hollywood moment.
Director David Gordon Green (the wondrous George Washington) and his longtime cinematographer Tim Orr (both unexpected recruits by Team Judd Apatow) conjure widescreen, strangely romantic frames for the buddy bonding.
Green, whose impeccable indie credentials include George Washington and All the Real Girls , would not seem to be the best choice for this stoner/male bonding comedy, but he "gets" it and delivers.
Up to then, "Pineapple" proves a very amusing hybrid movie combining the not-quite-grown-up man-boy humor of the Judd Apatow breed with the judiciously artful directorial style of indie auteur David Gordon Green ("George Washington," "All the Real Girls").
All of this is deftly orchestrated by, of all people, David Gordon Green, the genius director of artsy, lyrical films like "George Washington" and "Snow Angels".
His work (which includes the poetic "George Washington") has never been easily confined to one category or mood.
Perhaps I’m a little over-hungry myself: Gawky 14-year-old Sky H. discovered cinema-as-art in Malick acolyte David Gordon Green’s George Washington, excited by, but then unable to express, its substitution of empathy with association.
Slashers aren’t exactly what’s expected from director David Gordon Green, but he brings his skills to the genre with the same intelligent eye he’s applied to indies ( George Washington , 2000) and comedies ( Pineapple Express , 2008) alike.
Director David Gordon Green has built up an eclectic filmography since "George Washington," his visionary 2000 debut.
Director David Gordon Green ("George Washington," "Pineapple Express"), who wrote the script with Danny McBride and Jeff Fradley, wisely eschew the myriad sequels and reboots to make a direct sequel to horror maestro John Carpenter's 1978 classic, which scared up countless imitators.
3 1/2 Stars (out of 4) Tweet Live Myers By Jeffrey M. Anderson Director David Gordon Green has one of the most fascinating and uneven careers in film right now, coming off one of the best debuts of the last two decades, George Washington, wandering in nearly every direction, occasionally failing spectacularly, but always worth watching.
Director David Gordon Green has always made films that look immaculate, from his indie films, including George Washington (2000) and Joe (2013), to his studio comedies, such as Pineapple Express (2008) and Your Highness (2011).
Now David Gordon Green, whose career has swerved from Terrence Malick-esque indie-hit George Washington to the stoner comedy of Pineapple Express and Your Highness, retreads familiar ground with added PTSD.