The three bondurant boys shia labeouf, tom hardy, jason clarke. Shia labeouf and tom hardy star as moonshining brothers in a movie too studied to do full justice to a bloodycompelling true story. On this episode of based on a true story we chat with author matt bondurant about the historical accuracy of the movie lawless. Lawless is a 2012 american crime drama film directed by john hillcoat. From a woman who made it her mission to fight for a town dying from contaminated groundwater, to a navy diver who refused to give up after losing his leg, we explore the facts behind drama movies based on true stories. This truetolife action saga profiles virginias bootlegging bondurant brothers, whose exploits during the prohibition era made them outlaw heroes. The real story behind lawless by matt bondurant newsweek. There is no reallife donna jensen the details of her story are a composite of several reallife travails. The wettest county in the world is a 2008 historical novel by matt bondurant, an american writer who features his grandfather jack and granduncles forrest and howard as the main characters in the novel. With the advent of prohibition in 1920, following passage of the volstead act as the 18th amendment in 1919, the making and drinking of alcoholic beverages was banned in the united states. Tom hardy in my opinion gives his best acting ever in this movie. Lawless, film based on fairfax county native matt bondurant. In fact all the actors give you a great performance in a story based on the book that was a true story as told by a family member.
Lawless featurette the true story 2012 movie trailers. With tom hardy, shia labeouf, guy pearce, jason clarke. Lawless the true story of the wettest county in the world. The movie more or less follows the book real well since i have read. Lawless official movie poster featuring jessica chastain, tom hardy and shia. What was meant to be a quick breakage of their siblings relationship, brought about a lingering memory of xiao lis piercing gaze, imprinting itself in qi xiu yuans heart.
Lawless was very well written and very fun to read. Nick cave, who wrote the script to lawless, explains how the film brings the violence and lyricism of the book on. Lawless on dvd november 27, 2012 starring shia labeouf, tom hardy, jessica chastain, mia wasikowska. With incredibly actions, they became legends in the bootlegging business. The screenplay by australian singerscreenwriter nick cave is based on matt bondurants historical novel the wettest county in the world 2008. That being said, lawless might be based on a true story, but. The bondurant boys were a notorious gang of roughnecks and moonshiners who ran liquor through franklin county, virginia, during prohibition and in the years after. Set in depressionera franklin county, virginia, a trio of bootlegging brothers are threatened by a new special deputy and other authorities. He also said the filmmakers tried to stay as true to the original story as. Here, we present our research into some of the most wellknown true drama movies. Mar, 20 in the movie, she was known as donna jensen and played by marg helgenberger.
Featurette for lawless takes a look at the true story behind the film. True drama movies movies based on true stories history vs. Mar 24, 2017 lawless is available now on digital, bluray disc and dvd. The film stars shia labeouf, tom hardy, gary oldman, mia wasikowska, jessica chastain, jason clarke, and guy pearce the film is about the violent conflict between three. Lawless helps grow virginia bootlegging trios legend the boston. Based on a true story lawless with matt bondurant ricardo pauling. Lawless is the souths answer to the typical gangster filmjust trade the yankee accents for southern growls. We get the story behind the story from the familys grandson who wrote the book upon which the movie is based while working as a professor at a local university. Sep 18, 2012 comradeship and vengeance are two of the major themes behind the plot. While in the search for money and good paying jobs, the brothers found out about.
Several encounters later, friendship was the underlying word to start off their relationship, yet for qi xiu yuan it had always been something more. Watch the lawless movie trailers, exclusive videos, interviews from the cast, movie clips and more at. The real story behind lawless by matt bondurant by matt bondurant on 82712 at 1. Based on the book, the wettest county in the world, author matt bondurant spins a tale of his grandfather and grand. E veryone in my family was aware that my grandfather used to run liquor when he was a young man. Bondurant boys as appalachian gangsters blue ridge. Theres an odd mix of awkward moments sprinkled throughout lawless where true events are either hamfisted into the story with cumbersome and disjointed execution or overlyembellished for the sake of the film narrative.
Lawless personal response this was one of my favorite books that i have read in my life. Gary oldman, jessica chastain, guy pearce and shia labeouf star in this dark prohibitionera drama. Aug 29, 2012 theres an odd mix of awkward moments sprinkled throughout lawless where true events are either hamfisted into the story with cumbersome and disjointed execution or overlyembellished for the sake of the film narrative. They were brothers who became outlaws, and outlaws who became heroes. Brazen and fearless, these young rebel brothers helped build the american dream. The upside true story reveals that the reallife paragliding accident happened in the savoyard reliefs of mont bisanne in the swiss alps in 1993 when philippe was 42. Dec 27, 2017 the story of hostiles may be fictional, but thanks to its onlocation filming and authentic casting, the movie paints a somewhat realistic picture of life during the days of american frontier. In this epic gangster tale, inspired by true life tales of author matt bondurants family in his novel the wettest county in the world, the loyalty of three brothers is put to the test against. Lawless 2012 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Shia labeouf plays jack bondurant in lawless in theaters aug. Aug 25, 2012 matt bondurant, the author of lawless. However, distilling the larger great franklin county moonshine conspiracy historical narrative into a captivating and. Based on a true story, this movie follows 3 brothers as they fight for their position and respect in the illegal business. Synopses for dorothy of oz, jackboots on whitehall, alien vs.
Lawless is the true story of the infamous bondurant brothers. Aug 31, 2012 the wettest county in the world is the bestselling novel based on a true story. It has now become the film lawless which is just being released in theaters. Aug 29, 2017 on this episode of based on a true story we chat with author matt bondurant about the historical accuracy of the movie lawless. Lawless is not so much a true story as a true myth film. Lawless is not so much a true story as a true myth sean ohagan. If lawless doesnt achieve the mythic dimensions of the truly great outlaw and gangster movies, it is a highly entertaining tale set in a vivid milieu, told with style and populated by a.
The movie was a solid outing for both actors, but the most interesting item to come out of the project was the report that. Aug 23, 2012 later this month, hollywood releases the movie lawless, based on the reallife story of a notorious virginia bootlegging family. Bondurant family has mixed emotions about lawless local. Matt is the grandson of jack bondurant, the man portrayed by shia. Feb 19, 2016 back in 2012 tom hardy costarred in the movie lawless withshia labeouf. The screenplay by australian singerscreenwriter nick cave is based on matt bondurant s historical novel the wettest county in the world 2008. It has now become the film lawless which is just being released in. This true tolife action saga profiles virginias bootlegging bondurant brothers, whose exploits during the prohibition era made them outlaw heroes. The weinstein company has released a new featurette for lawless, the studios prohibitionera drama based on the true story of the bondurant brothers.
Back in 2012 tom hardy costarred in the movie lawless withshia labeouf. Based on a true story lawless with matt bondurant youtube. The bondurant boys were a notorious gang of roughnecks and moonshiners who ran liquor through franklin county, virginia, during prohibition and. In this epic gangster tale, inspired by truelife tales of author matt bondurants family in his novel the wettest county in the world, the loyalty of three brothers is put to the test against. Aug 10, 2012 the weinstein company has released a new featurette for lawless, the studios prohibitionera drama based on the true story of the bondurant brothers. Illegal beer and hardliquor making began all over the united states. Follows the true story of the infamous bondurant brothers. The true story behind shia labeouf and tom hardys onset. Everything you need to know about lawless movie 2012. We all just assumed that grandpa jacks trade was small and ge. The story of hostiles may be fictional, but thanks to its onlocation filming and authentic casting, the movie paints a somewhat realistic picture of life during the days of american frontier. Lawless is a brutal drama based on a true story said to have taken place during the great depression in 1931 in franklin county, va.
The book tells of the trio during the depression and prohibition in rural virginia, who made a living bootlegging moonshine. Bondurant family attended the first showing of the movie lawless at. Gangster meets western in lawless, the true story of the freewheelin bondurants brothers, bootlegging siblings taking the law into their own hands. With the advent of prohibition in 1920, following passage of the. He had been distracted by thoughts of the workers he had laid off and hadnt been paying enough attention to what he was doing. Later this month, hollywood releases the movie lawless, based on the reallife story of a notorious virginia bootlegging family. Lawless is the souths answer to the typical gangster film just trade the yankee accents for southern growls. With a foreword by director john hillcoat based on the true story of matt bondurants grandfather and two granduncles, lawless is a gripping tale of brotherhood, greed, and murder. The film is based on a book written by one of their. In 1931, the bondurant brothers of franklin county, va. Based on the astonishing true story, the bondurant brotherhood is the stuff of legend. The book the wettest county in the world was the inspiration for the movie lawless. History vs the movie lawless with matt bondurant an audio. In the movie, she was known as donna jensen and played by marg helgenberger.
The film stars shia labeouf, tom hardy, gary oldman, mia wasikowska, jessica chastain, jason clarke, and guy pearce. Reminiscent of just about every depressionera gangster film, lawless shares the story of the bondurant boys, a real trio of brothers known. See more ideas about lawless movie, tom hardy and tom hardy lawless. Lawless is the true story of the bondurant brothers. Comradeship and vengeance are two of the major themes behind the plot. Lawless takes a unique perspective of the prohibition era away from the gangsters of the day to the people that ran the moonshine distilling and distribution businesses behind the scenes and the challenges they faced.
Lawless takes pains to inform us its based on a true story, and indeed the script is based on a book by matt bondurant, whose grandfather was jack. The wettest county in the world is the bestselling novel based on a true story. As depicted in lawless, the facebashing, bootlegging, prohibitionera bondurant brothers were, in fact, real. Sep 05, 2012 lawless is the souths answer to the typical gangster filmjust trade the yankee accents for southern growls. The movie was a solid outing for both actors, but the most interesting item to. Nick cave, who wrote the script to lawless, tells sean ohagan how the film brings the violence and lyricism of the book on which it was based to the screen and merges the genres of the urban. Lawless is available now on digital, bluray disc and dvd. Based on the true story of matt bondurants grandfather and two granduncles, lawless is a gripping tale of brotherhood, greed, and murder. Sep 11, 2012 based on the true story of matt bondurants grandfather and two granduncles, lawless is a gripping tale of brotherhood, greed, and murder. Cave has already dubbed lawless a wangster movie, a rather unfortunate label for a film that deftly merges the tropes of the urban gangster and. Plot lawless was a story about three brothers, forrest, jack, and howard, who ran moonshine in franklin county, virginia. Jason clarke standing, tom hardy left and shia labeouf are the bondurant brothers, reallife bootleggers from 1930s virginia, in the new film lawless, based on the book by mount vernon.