Main Street movie review

Main Street

The movie Main Street (2010), directed by John Doyle, written by Horton Foote, has a Texas stranger, Gus LeRoy (Colin Firth), come to town with a questionable business idea that could save the dying city of Durham, North Carolina.  To initiate the first part of his plan, Gus rents an old tobacco warehouse from Georgiana Carr (Ellen Burstyn), the daughter of a past tobacco business owner, for 6 months.  This sets his business plan in motion for the warehouse and the town.  But it is all a bit mysterious with big trucks and men guarding the warehouse doors 24/7.

Georgiana is now struggling in her old age to pay the bills, so she cannot refuse the rent money he is offering.  She doesn't even ask or care what her family warehouse will be used for, because she is in such dire straights. She is extremely relieved that her prayers have been answered and she does not have to sell her daddy's warehouse or the family mansion.

After the tobacco industry closed down years before, the city has struggled to stay afloat.  We see the destructive aftermath of jobs lost and younger inhabitants moving out of town to find jobs.  It rips families apart.  Parents who no longer have children who can help them in their older age.  Sons and daughters who are forced to move to cities far away, struggling to get by just to have a chance in life.  Or forced to stay in town to help their parents, whom they resent, while their siblings leave to never return.

Harris Parker (Orlando Bloom) has stayed, working as a police officer, to help his mother, Myrtle Parker (Margo Martindale), survive, after his brother abandoned them both to travel the world.  Harris is dating, Mary Saunders (Amber Tamblyn) who only dreams of leaving Durham for a better life.  She is slowly moving away from Harris, because he does not want to abandon his mother or leave Durham.  Harris attends a local college law school at night, trying to become a lawyer to impress Mary.  But he wants to remain in town to practice law and help his neighbors.  Mary wants him to move once he gets his law degree.  Her mother, Miriam (Victoria Clark), and step - father, Frank (Tom Wopat) seem to be working together with Myrtle to keep Harris and Margo together, so they both will stay in Durham and marry.

Meanwhile, Georgianna gets a bad feeling about what her warehouse might be used for, so she calls her niece, Willa Jenkins (Patricia Clarkson) to help her investigate.  Once they find out what Gus' company is storing in the warehouse, which may endanger the town, Georgianna and Patricia devise a plan to get the company out of their warehouse.  Even if it means selling Georgianna's beloved family mansion.

Gus retaliates with overwhelming charm and kindness to convince the two women and the leaders of the town that his company cannot only provide jobs for people in town, but they could effectively save the city's economy and drive business to their area.  With such high hopes, the people of the town start to consider his proposal.  Even if what the company is shipping and storing in the warehouse could be harmful to the town or even for the country.

In the end, the townspeople have to decide, if their town and their people are worth the risks they have to take to open their doors to this business, or, if they need to find another way to help their town thrive.  Is the risk too great?

This is the same story we see happening to towns all over America today.  Industries die out and towns are left decimated in their path.  They find it hard to pick up the pieces after these corporations pull out of town, because they have known nothing else for years.  The corporations pay no taxes to the cities and get many financial breaks, which also leaves the city government broke and treading water to stay afloat or go under.

Main Street takes a look at how these factors effect a town.  Should they let another company come in, use their town and people to do the same thing the last company did to them?  Or should they find other ways to band together as a town to bring their city back to life?  Some will run away from the responsibility and never come back to town.  But others will stay, stand strong, and fight the good fight to find a way to make it work, helping others along the way.  That is really what the American spirit is truly about.  When times get tough, the tough get going to get back their American dream.  For themselves and all those in their city it was stolen from.

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