The Stanton Family Grave Robbery (2008) - By Duane L. Martin

Film Reviews: The Stanton Family Grave Robbery (2008) - By Duane L. Martin
Posted on Saturday, February 28, 2009 @ 23:05:00 Mountain Standard Time by Duane

Mark Stanton (Cole Selix) and Brian Stanton (Kevin Costello) have both long since moved out of the house in Texas where their father lived with their step-mother Lori (Lisa Selix) and their younger brother Charlie (William Brand Rackley). See, Mark and Brian are basically a couple of losers who had actually tried not to be. Their business of selling rubber ducks failed, but rather than try again with something different, they just kinda gave up. The fact that one of them is a heavy drinker and neither of them seem to have any problem with breaking the law doesn't exactly help either. Charlie on the other hand is different. He's still living at home with their step-mom and studying hard for his college entrance exams.

Charlie didn't have a lot to do with his brothers, though he did care about them. When their father died however, and their step-mom buried him in Texas instead of following his final wish that he be buried in Oklahoma, Mark and Brian kidnap their brother (using chloroform no less), dig up their father's coffin, and start out on a road trip back to their home town in Oklahoma to grant their father's final wish. Along the way, the brothers come to some realizations about both life and each other, which brings them closer together and creates a brotherly bond that will last a lifetime.

The Stanton Family Grave Robbery is one of those films that fall into the category of being kind of a sleeper. The acting and line delivery throughout the film is fairly stiff and unnatural, and yet while that would be a death sentence for most films, I have to say that it really didn't matter so much in this one, and there are a few reasons for that. The story itself is well written, thoughtful and fun. This goes a long way toward overcoming any other shortcomings the film may have. You'll actually find yourself feeling for the characters as you keep pulling for them to succeed in their efforts to grant their father's final wish, while at the same time helping each other and coming closer together as brothers.

Technically, the film was pretty well done. There were a few problems here and there with lighting, but the sound was generally good throughout the film, the shots were, for the most part, all set up nicely, and the editing moved the story along at a near perfect pace. It would have been easy for a story like this one to drag at various points, but this one really didn't. It flowed nicely and keeps the viewer attentive and interested throughout.

This film is a great example of what you can do with a relatively small budget and a good script. You don't need a lot of money to make a good film. You just need the ability to tell a good story and to make people feel for your characters. The reason I had said earlier that this film is kind of a sleeper, is that it doesn't really hit you how good it is while you're watching it. I mean, it is quite good as you watch it, but for me, it wasn't until it was all over and I had a chance to reflect back on the film as a whole that I realized how good it actually was. This is a very enjoyable film, and you should definitely check it out if you get the chance.

If you'd like to find out more about this film, and even check out the production diary, you can head on over to the Singletree Productions website for all the info.