Watch Jayne Mansfield's Car

Jayne Mansfield's Car is a 2012 drama film directed by Billy Bob Thornton, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Tom Epperson. The movie is set in the 1960s and takes place in small-town Alabama. The cast includes Tippi Hedren, Kevin Bacon, Robert Patrick, Billy Bob Thornton, Ray Stevenson, and John Hurt. The story starts with the arrival of a British family known as the Caldwell's. They come to Alabama to bury their patriarch, who left their mother and returned to his hometown, where he remarried and had a family with a new wife. The clash of cultures, personalities, and different ways of life sparks a tale of family, grief, and reconciliation.

The Caldwell's are led by their imposing and outspoken father, Jim Caldwell (Robert Duvall), who is a veteran of World War II and a dedicated father of three sons: Skip (Billy Bob Thornton), Jimbo (Kevin Bacon), and Carroll (Robert Patrick). The funeral brings out the tensions and resentments that have been long brewing between the family members. Jimbo has become disenchanted with his life as a soldier in Germany and is dating a German woman, making his father angry. Meanwhile, Skip is a writer and a pacifist who stays out of conflicts at all costs. Carroll is a hot-headed former soldier who deals with his stress by drinking excessively.

Adding to the already complicated family dynamic is a group of eccentric characters who represent the townsfolk. They include the local mayor, who is also a mortician, and a young car mechanic named Kingsley Bedford (Ray Stevenson) who is fascinated with the Caldwell boys' iconic car, Jayne Mansfield's car. The car is the subject of the movie's title and is a source of pride and reputation for the Caldwell family, but also a symbol of their patriarch's infidelity and neglect.

Despite their rigid father's wishes, the Caldwell boys eventually take Kingsley under their wings, and his youthful spirit and imagination breathe new life into their family. They take him on a journey where they help him confront his own inadequacies and come to terms with his past. Together, they embark on a road trip to the beach, where they confront their inner demons, past mistakes, and reveal long-held secrets.

Jayne Mansfield's Car is a family drama movie that deals with themes of acceptance, forgiveness, and moving forward. Thornton's direction is masterful in creating a period piece that captures the atmosphere, culture, and politics of small-town America in the 1960s. The film's cast delivers outstanding performances, especially Duvall, who adds gravitas, depth, and nuance to his role as the patriarch who is struggling to come to terms with his own mortality and legacy.

The movie is not without its flaws, and some critics have noted that it is overlong, meandering, and lacking in focus. However, the film's strengths more than make up for its weaknesses, and it is a fascinating and thought-provoking exploration of the human condition.

In conclusion, Jayne Mansfield's Car is a movie that is not easy to categorize or summarize. It is a complex, ambitious, and emotionally-charged drama that deals with family, grief, and reconciliation. It is a movie that lingers in the memory long after the credits roll, and its rich characters, vivid dialogue, and nuanced storytelling make it a must-watch for fans of drama and character-driven cinema.

Jayne Mansfield's Car is a 2013 drama with a runtime of 2 hours and 1 minute. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.2 and a MetaScore of 48.