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Copperhead (2013 film)

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Wikipedia article




'Copperhead' is a 2013 drama film directed by Ron Maxwell and starring Billy Campbell, Angus Macfadyen, Augustus Prew, Lucy Boynton, Casey Thomas Brown, and Peter Fonda. The film is based on the 19th-century novel 'The Copperhead' by Harold Frederic. The film was shot at Kings Landing Historical Settlement in New Brunswick, Canada and is set in upstate New York. It was released in the United States on June 28, 2013.

Plot



In a rural community in upstate New York in 1862, farmer Abner Beech is a Northern antiwar Democrat. While his neighbors take up the Union cause in the ongoing American Civil War, Beech believes that coercion in resisting the secession of the southern states is unconstitutional, and gradually becomes more and more harassed for his views, derisively called a "Copperhead". His son, Thomas Jefferson Beech, enlists in the Union Army. Beech also arouses the ire of militant abolitionist Jee Hagadorn, whose daughter Esther (Lucy Boynton) loves Jeff.

Cast



* Billy Campbell as Abner Beech

* Angus Macfadyen as Jee Hagadorn

* Peter Fonda as Avery

* Augustus Prew as Ni Hagadorn

* Lucy Boynton as Esther Hagadorn

* Key Williams as Neels Robert

* Casey Thomas Brown as Jeff

* Franois Arnaud as Warner Pitts

* Josh Cruddas as Jimmy

* Genevieve Steele as M'Rye Beech

* Ryan Doucette as Byron Truax

Production



The film had the working title 'Copperhead: The War at Home'. Filmed at Kings Landing Historical Settlement in New Brunswick, Canada, Jason Patric initially starred, but was replaced by Billy Campbell after production commenced due to what director Maxwell called "creative differences". 'Copperhead' was produced by Ron Maxwell and co-produced by John Houston.

Reception



Box office

'Copperhead' opened in limited theatrical release June 28, 2013, playing in 59 theaters and was simultaneously released in video-on-demand platforms including Amazon Video. The film ultimately grossed $171,740.

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes holds an approval rating of 21% based on 19 reviews, and an average rating of 4.74/10. On Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, the film has a score of 34 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".

Stephanie Merry of 'The Washington Post' gave the film two out of four stars, remarking, "The story offers uncommon insights on the endlessly parsed period in history, but its execution sometimes falls short. Both the production quality and the persistent, sentimental soundtrack create a made-for-TV feel" Mark Olsen of the 'Los Angeles Times' shared similar criticism, opining, "Where Tony Kushner's screenplay for Steven Spielberg's 'Lincoln' found energetic drama in political wrangling and historical events, 'Copperhead' crams far too much of its action into its last 30 minutes after a rambling, drawn-out set up. Painfully lugubrious, any sting 'Copperhead' might contain for its contrarian's view of history is undone by its wayward sense of storytelling."

Christine N. Ziemba of 'Paste' magazine wrote 'Copperhead' a fairly mixed review, stating "Despite good performances throughout the film, the pacing of 'Copperhead' is slow, with many long takes and establishing shots that seem a bit over-indulgent, as if to remind viewers that they're watching an 'important, yet little-known, historical drama.'" Despite ultimately giving the movie a mixed review, John DeFore of 'The Hollywood Reporter' optimistically stated, "Theatrical prospects are meager [...], but history buffs may appreciate its earnest look at an underexplored subject on small screens."

Relation to director's previous works



'Copperhead' is Maxwell's third Civil War film, though the director does not consider it to be part of the trilogy he has planned along with 'Gettysburg' (1993) and 'Gods and Generals' (2003), as he expects to conclude the series with a final film based on Jeff Shaara's 'The Last Full Measure'.

See also



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References




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