Texas Heart

Might be what you'd get if Bill Forsythe's Local Hero ventured into John Grisham territory about a city slicker lawyer who finds his true purpose and redemption in a small Texas town. Heartfelt, soulful, gripping and gut-wrenching, Texas Heart grabs you with a tense, rapid fire opening courtroom scene and never lets go. It works so well because, as other reviewers have said, the script, acting, editing and overall production values (other than a tad underpopulated final courtroom scene) are all first rate. The dialogue really crackles. Favorite line: "That's what you get for messin' with Texas!" Great to see John Savage in a meatier role than his cameo in Return to Twin Peaks. Lin Shaye is a terrific, take-no-prisoners villain. The movie has a wonderful feel for small town life and great affection for its denizens, even the losers. It's like sinking into a great novel. The denouement is pretty damn unlikely but undeniably satisfying. Hey, it's a movie that believes in fate. And its heart, its great big Texas heart, is always in the right place.

A brilliant film! Great performances, great script, witty and moving. The story spans a number of different directions, following multiple characters and it's to the filmmakers credit that when the drama really comes knocking, you really give a damn. Again to make a film that takes you through such an array of different emotions is a real triumph. This independent production is worth the time!

"You can run forever. But you can't run from your heart." This beautiful movie is an emotional rollercoaster. Kam Dabrowski's acting was awesome! Wonderfully directed, starred and written.

I enjoyed watching Texas Heart, it had several funny moments and the joke about the pie is quite the zinger. With enough suspense to hold you until the end, you'll find some solid performances by the cast. What I particularly enjoyed was the performance of the mentally challenged Tigger. This could easily be an over the top SNL skit, but it was played with finesse and the proper tone. The dog kinda fell flat in his performance as Buddy. The lead actor, he was good too, but the thugs chasing him could have been more menacing, but the courtroom scenes come off as convincing.

Overall I recommend Texas Heart.

A wonderful, character-driven story about a loveless mob lawyer on the lam who ends up in small town Texas hoping to reinvent himself (and stay clear of the pursuing mob). Terrific performances from relative newcomers Kam Dabrowski (as a mentally-challenged young man, Tiger), Erik Fellows (as Peter, the mob lawyer on the run), and Jared Abrahamson (playing the rebellious, volatile football star, Roy), along with truly memorable work by Johnny Dowers as the Sheriff, Susie McPhail as the 'Pie Lady', Blake Clark as the local barkeep/gun seller, Stid, and the incomparable Lin Shaye, of INSIDIOUS fame, (as Ms. Smith, the mob boss) and THE DEER HUNTER'S John Savage, as the alcoholic father--all this makes Texas Heart an emotionally involving ensemble film with committed actors directed by the energetic and amazing indie director, Mark David. A must-see!