This Is Martin Bonner

This Is Martin Bonner is a 2013 American drama film written and directed by Chad Hartigan. The film stars Paul Eenhoorn as Martin Bonner, a man in his late 50s forced to relocate to Reno, Nevada, for a new job and his attempts to acclimate and make new friends. Through his work at a non-profit organization, he meets Travis Holloway (Richmond Arquette), and the two men form an unlikely friendship. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2013, where it won the Audience Award for Best of NEXT.

This Is Martin Bonner
Film poster
Directed byChad Hartigan
Written byChad Hartigan
Tara Everhart[1][2]
Produced byCherie Saulter
Starring
CinematographySean McElwee
Edited byJulio C. Perez IV
Music byKeegan DeWitt
Distributed byMonterey Media
Release dates
Running time
83 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Plot

Martin Bonner has just moved to Nevada from Maryland, leaving behind his two adult children and a life he spent more than two decades building. He is there working at a new job as the volunteer coordinator for a non-profit organization that helps prisoners make the transition from incarceration to freedom. It is Martin’s first job in two years and he has recently declared bankruptcy.

At the same time, Travis Holloway, a prisoner in the program, is being released after serving twelve years. Sent back into the world with nothing, Travis also finds life in Reno difficult to adjust to, despite the help from his program sponsor, Steve Helms.

The stories of Martin and Travis slowly converge, as the two men meet and find that they have much in common, not the least of which is an unspoken need for encouragement and support. Their unlikely friendship blossoms but is put to the test when Travis betrays Martin's trust in order to reunite with his estranged daughter.

Cast
  • Paul Eenhoorn as Martin Bonner
  • Richmond Arquette as Travis Holloway
  • Sam Buchanan as Diana Holloway
  • Demetrius Grosse as Locy
  • Kristin Slaysman as April
  • Robert Longstreet as Steve Helms
  • Jan Haley as Angela Helms

Production

This Is Martin Bonner was shot on location in Reno and Sparks, Nevada, using the Red One camera. Shooting took sixteen days during November 2011.[4]

Release

This Is Martin Bonner premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award for Best of NEXT.[5][6] Throughout the year, it screened at the Oxford Film Festival,[7] the Florida Film Festival,[8] the Nashville Film Festival,[9] the Maryland Film Festival, the Wisconsin Film Festival,[10] and the River Run Film Festival.[11] At the Sarasota Film Festival, it won the On Golden Pond Award for Artistic Accomplishment.[12]

It was given a limited theatrical release in North America on June 21, 2013.[3]

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 93% based on reviews from 30 critics, with an average rating of 7.85/10. The site's consensus reads: "Solemn but heartfelt, This Is Martin Bonner is a slow-burning drama with an outstanding performance by Paul Eenhoorn as the title character."[13] On Metacritic it has a score of 71 out of 100 based on reviews from 10 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[14]

John Anderson of Variety described it as "A mood piece, a character study and an exercise in poetic gesture possessed of a sort of evanescent, secular spirituality. Helmer Chad Hartigan's second feature is Americana of a very immediate sort, a tale of redemption that may leave its viewers with an uncanny sense of peace."[15] David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "Acted with smart restraint and shot with corresponding composure, this is a somber drama built out of small but acutely observed moments of naturalistic behavior."[16] The New York Times reviewer Nicolas Rapold commented, "It's gratifying to see the care taken with his characters, though it would be no betrayal of them for Mr. Hartigan to flesh out their world and their lives further."[17]

Accolades

This Is Martin Bonner won the 2013 Sundance Best of Next audience award[18] and the 2014 Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award.[19]

References
  1. "This Is Martin Bonner - Credits". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  2. "ISSUE #94: Tara Everhart, Ellen Siebers, GHIANT". StoryChord. January 19, 2015. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  3. "This Is Martin Bonner". ComingSoon.net. Archived from the original on June 29, 2015.
  4. Macaulay, Scott (September 2, 2013). "Day 10 of 16: Chad Hartigan and This is Martin Bonner". Filmmaker. Retrieved January 4, 2015.
  5. "This Is Martin Bonner". Sundance.org. Archived from the original on December 19, 2012. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
  6. "2013 Sundance Film Festival Awards". Sundance Film Blog. Sundance Film Festival Blog. January 26, 2013. Archived from the original on January 30, 2013. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  7. "Spotlight Screenings Revealed". Oxford Film Guide. Oxford Film Guide. February 21, 2013. Archived from the original on 22 June 2013. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
  8. "The complete Festival film lineup". Florida Film Guide. Florida Film Guide. Archived from the original on 4 March 2013. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
  9. "Want to do the 2013 Nashville Film Festival in just five films?". Nashville Scene. April 18, 2013. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  10. "Wisconsin Film Guide". Wisconsin Film Guide. Archived from the original on 6 July 2013. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  11. "River Run Film Guide". River Run Film Guide. Archived from the original on 15 April 2013. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  12. "Sarasota Film Guide". Sarasota Film Guide. Archived from the original on 2 May 2013. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  13. "This Is Martin Bonner (2013)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  14. "This Is Martin Bonner". Metacritic. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  15. Anderson, John (January 19, 2013). "This Is Martin Bonner". Variety.
  16. Rooney, David This is Martin Bonner Sundance Review The Hollywood Reporter.
  17. Nicolas Rapold (August 13, 2013). "Counselor and Ex-Con, Adjusting to New Worlds". The New York Times.
  18. Renninger, Bryce J. (January 28, 2013). "Sundance Futures: 'This is Martin Bonner' Director Chad Hartigan, Winner of Best of NEXT". Indiewire. Retrieved January 4, 2015.
  19. Webber, Stephanie (March 1, 2014). "Independent Spirit Awards 2014: The Complete Winner's List". Us Magazine. Retrieved January 4, 2015.
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