Burnt Prairie - Marvin
Genre: Drama
Director: James Ponsoldt
Writer: Chad Taylor
Cast: Colman Domingo, Kristin Chenoweth, Jahi Diallo Winston, Rebecca Naomi Jones, Will Patton and Stephan James
Plot: A rowdy crowd of parents cheer on a tee-ball game for kids ages 4-6. The African-American kid at bat is clear competitor, showing a natural tendency to sports. His speed and drive results in an inside-the-park home run. Afterwards, the coach tells his pregnant mom (Rebecca Naomi Jones) that he can already tell that this kid is going to be special. She says “he’s already special to me”. When the coach asks where his father is, the woman hesitates and declines to answer. In fact, she seems a little upset by it. Her and her kid get in the car and drive away. The title card reads “Chicago 1982”.
In 1996, it is a week since we last left off. Burnt Prairie won their Semi-State game and are all set for the state championship against Indianapolis Central, one of the largest schools in the state, at the RCA Dome. The big game is tomorrow and there is a pep rally today to send the team off (as well as families who plan on staying in Indianapolis the night before).
Marvin Murphy (Colman Domingo) sits in silence at the dinner table with son Denni (Jahi Diallo Winston). Denni is quickly eating his food so that he can meet up with Elliott and go to the pep rally. He asks his father if he is going to the rally or the game but Marvin says it is all still too close to home. Just before Denni finishes eating, Marvin tells him that he loves him and that he hopes he has fun with Elliott’s family this weekend.
After Denni leaves for the day, Marvin sits in a state of exile. He flips through the channels but can never reach any satisfaction. He suddenly hears a loud knock on the door - reminding him of the one he heard the night Von died. When he answers it, he finds Sheela (Rebecca Naomi Jones), looking older and much thinner than last time we saw her. Marvin seems upset at the sight of her. Before she can say anything, he says that he spent days trying to get ahold of her. She couldn’t even attend her own son’s funeral. She apologizes profusely but this doesn’t seem to phase Marvin. He does invite her in, however.
She asks if Dennis is here but he says he just left. She asks if he can see him and Marvin turns this request down. She tells Marvin to get off his high horse, it is not like he’d never left his family before. Marvin says that she made a conscious choice, while his was more involuntary. She says that it was his decision to move to podunk Indiana and she didn’t want to leave the rest of her family and her home. Marvin is too angry to respond. She apologizes for never responding because she was off-the-grid at the time and it has killed her every day since that she wasn’t aware that her baby had died.
Noticing the bags under her eyes and acne, he tells he thinks he knows why she was off-the-grid. She laughs at this in frustration and says he really can’t talk down to someone for drug use. He says he’s proudly been clean for five years and counting and that allowed him to be there for his sons. Now she grows angry, saying that she came to apologize and to try to reconcile with her own mistakes. She doesn’t need to be lectured. Marvin says she does need to be lectured on how to take responsibility in her life. She says just because he has moved on from his past doesn’t erase it. She tells him to think about all the years that Von and Dennis had no father to look up to. The tension grows to the point that it looks like it may grow physical but they both let things simmer. After some silence, she asks if he can at least show her the burial site. He nods his head.
On their drive there, they pass a makeshift sign under the town “Burnt Prairie” sign that reads “R.I.P. Von Murphy”. At the cemetery, they get to Von’s grave and the dirt is still fresh, which wrecks Sheela. She asks Marvin what the last thing Von said to him was and this chokes Marvin up as he doesn’t remember. They share a hug, laden with sadness, anger, and confusion. She says thank you. As they are leaving, they run into Rose (Kristin Chenoweth), who has just wrapped up a different funeral. Marvin introduces her to Von’s mother and then says that he could really use a one-on-one spiritual session soon as he is afraid of himself. She says that they were planning on leaving tonight but she may arrange her schedule to meet tomorrow morning so she can still make it to the game. She asks him if he plans on going and he says the same thing he told Denni.
After Sheela leaves, Marvin decides to go to a local bar. He is seated next to Morris Whitney (Will Patton). This is the first time they met. Over drinks, they actually bond over the different, intertwining circumstances of their sons. They both find some melancholic delight in finding out that they each keep a picture of their son in their respective wallet. Morris vents his frustration again about Cal Montgomery and the how the corrupt enforcement framed his son. He then asks Marvin an honest question: does he blame Keith for Von’s death? Marvin is honest: he blames himself. He was on his own drug benders when Von was growing up and he feels that he was never able to be the good role model that his son needed. Morris puts his arm around Marvin and tells him not to feel that way.
Later on, more drinks in, Marvin goes to the bathroom and finds Morris in their with crystal meth. Unsure what to do, he offers Marvin some and he does not seem offended. He actually contemplates it. He gets near the drug and can feel his senses tingling. After a long beat, he says that he can’t. Morris shrugs his shoulders, takes his and goes back out to the bar. Marvin breaks down to his knees and is in tears. He pulls out his picture of Von and can’t decide whether to smile or frown. He lays his head on the tiled floor before looking to the sky and saying never again. On the sink, he notices that Morris had accidentally left behind his picture of Keith. He picks up the picture and leaves the bathroom.
When he gets back to the bar, he can’t Morris. The bartender says that he left. Marvin asks if he knows what Morris drives and is told a dark blue 1986 Ford pick-up. Marvin gets in the car, still drunk, and drives to look for Morris’s truck. There are some close-calls with mailboxes and parked cars but he seems to be on a mission. Finally he spots it, but not in a place he would expect. It is in the nicer part of town and, as he gets closer, he notices it is parked at a place he had dinner not long ago: the Montgomery household.
As he gets closer still, he notices that Morris has a gun in hand - the same one he was practicing with at the shooting range when Chris ran into him.
Chicago, 1993
Marvin checks his hair and outfit in his rearview mirror before leaving his car. He exits the car and heads to the front door of a house. After some knocks, the door opens and Von (Stephan James) is standing there. “Dad?” he asks, somewhat happy and somewhat upset. Marvin tries to muster a smile and offers his son a hug. Von accepts.
In 1996, it is a week since we last left off. Burnt Prairie won their Semi-State game and are all set for the state championship against Indianapolis Central, one of the largest schools in the state, at the RCA Dome. The big game is tomorrow and there is a pep rally today to send the team off (as well as families who plan on staying in Indianapolis the night before).
Marvin Murphy (Colman Domingo) sits in silence at the dinner table with son Denni (Jahi Diallo Winston). Denni is quickly eating his food so that he can meet up with Elliott and go to the pep rally. He asks his father if he is going to the rally or the game but Marvin says it is all still too close to home. Just before Denni finishes eating, Marvin tells him that he loves him and that he hopes he has fun with Elliott’s family this weekend.
After Denni leaves for the day, Marvin sits in a state of exile. He flips through the channels but can never reach any satisfaction. He suddenly hears a loud knock on the door - reminding him of the one he heard the night Von died. When he answers it, he finds Sheela (Rebecca Naomi Jones), looking older and much thinner than last time we saw her. Marvin seems upset at the sight of her. Before she can say anything, he says that he spent days trying to get ahold of her. She couldn’t even attend her own son’s funeral. She apologizes profusely but this doesn’t seem to phase Marvin. He does invite her in, however.
She asks if Dennis is here but he says he just left. She asks if he can see him and Marvin turns this request down. She tells Marvin to get off his high horse, it is not like he’d never left his family before. Marvin says that she made a conscious choice, while his was more involuntary. She says that it was his decision to move to podunk Indiana and she didn’t want to leave the rest of her family and her home. Marvin is too angry to respond. She apologizes for never responding because she was off-the-grid at the time and it has killed her every day since that she wasn’t aware that her baby had died.
Noticing the bags under her eyes and acne, he tells he thinks he knows why she was off-the-grid. She laughs at this in frustration and says he really can’t talk down to someone for drug use. He says he’s proudly been clean for five years and counting and that allowed him to be there for his sons. Now she grows angry, saying that she came to apologize and to try to reconcile with her own mistakes. She doesn’t need to be lectured. Marvin says she does need to be lectured on how to take responsibility in her life. She says just because he has moved on from his past doesn’t erase it. She tells him to think about all the years that Von and Dennis had no father to look up to. The tension grows to the point that it looks like it may grow physical but they both let things simmer. After some silence, she asks if he can at least show her the burial site. He nods his head.
On their drive there, they pass a makeshift sign under the town “Burnt Prairie” sign that reads “R.I.P. Von Murphy”. At the cemetery, they get to Von’s grave and the dirt is still fresh, which wrecks Sheela. She asks Marvin what the last thing Von said to him was and this chokes Marvin up as he doesn’t remember. They share a hug, laden with sadness, anger, and confusion. She says thank you. As they are leaving, they run into Rose (Kristin Chenoweth), who has just wrapped up a different funeral. Marvin introduces her to Von’s mother and then says that he could really use a one-on-one spiritual session soon as he is afraid of himself. She says that they were planning on leaving tonight but she may arrange her schedule to meet tomorrow morning so she can still make it to the game. She asks him if he plans on going and he says the same thing he told Denni.
After Sheela leaves, Marvin decides to go to a local bar. He is seated next to Morris Whitney (Will Patton). This is the first time they met. Over drinks, they actually bond over the different, intertwining circumstances of their sons. They both find some melancholic delight in finding out that they each keep a picture of their son in their respective wallet. Morris vents his frustration again about Cal Montgomery and the how the corrupt enforcement framed his son. He then asks Marvin an honest question: does he blame Keith for Von’s death? Marvin is honest: he blames himself. He was on his own drug benders when Von was growing up and he feels that he was never able to be the good role model that his son needed. Morris puts his arm around Marvin and tells him not to feel that way.
Later on, more drinks in, Marvin goes to the bathroom and finds Morris in their with crystal meth. Unsure what to do, he offers Marvin some and he does not seem offended. He actually contemplates it. He gets near the drug and can feel his senses tingling. After a long beat, he says that he can’t. Morris shrugs his shoulders, takes his and goes back out to the bar. Marvin breaks down to his knees and is in tears. He pulls out his picture of Von and can’t decide whether to smile or frown. He lays his head on the tiled floor before looking to the sky and saying never again. On the sink, he notices that Morris had accidentally left behind his picture of Keith. He picks up the picture and leaves the bathroom.
When he gets back to the bar, he can’t Morris. The bartender says that he left. Marvin asks if he knows what Morris drives and is told a dark blue 1986 Ford pick-up. Marvin gets in the car, still drunk, and drives to look for Morris’s truck. There are some close-calls with mailboxes and parked cars but he seems to be on a mission. Finally he spots it, but not in a place he would expect. It is in the nicer part of town and, as he gets closer, he notices it is parked at a place he had dinner not long ago: the Montgomery household.
As he gets closer still, he notices that Morris has a gun in hand - the same one he was practicing with at the shooting range when Chris ran into him.
Chicago, 1993
Marvin checks his hair and outfit in his rearview mirror before leaving his car. He exits the car and heads to the front door of a house. After some knocks, the door opens and Von (Stephan James) is standing there. “Dad?” he asks, somewhat happy and somewhat upset. Marvin tries to muster a smile and offers his son a hug. Von accepts.
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