Homestead

What I really liked about this film are the characters and the acting, especially Brian Krause (the father Robert). I thought he gave a really good performance. But what surprised me was how much I liked all the other characters. Often you see a film and you only get to know about the lead performers. In Homestead you get insight into all the characters. The outlaws are killers, but they aren't the typical cookie cutter bad guys. You can see that they are real people with mixed emotions, and moments of humor. It was impressive how much the actors can convey about "who they are" in such a few shots. So in the end, even though they are the bad guys, you still have a sense of affinity towards them.

What I LOVED about the film is that I got to see women in their REAL power. Not having to watch women look and act like men to be thought of as strong, or like in early films, that showed women as weak and falling down and needing to be saved. I really enjoyed when Beth releases her "mama bear" energy when her kids are threatened. Also, Irene (the 12 year old loud-mouth) has true grit! Loved her! She always speaks her mind for the benefit of the survival of the family. Homestead is one of those rare movies that gives credit and respects women's intuition and shows female courage and fortitude in a way that is relatable.