Straw Dogs

There are many reasons to do a remake, but when one does it is more satisfying when the film is given a fresh take. In Straw Dogs (2011) the film has been moved to the American South instead of a small remote English village. And in contrast to Dustin Hoffman’s mathematician the main character is now a screen writer played by James Marsden. His wife (Kate Bosworth) grew up in this backwater town and to quote her ex-lover Charlie she’s had the bus schedule memorized since she was fifteen.

David Sumner (Marsden) never questions why his television star wife wasn’t keen to move back to her hometown. All he knows is that her childhood home has been left to them and it would provide a remote, quiet place for him to finish his latest historical film. At first Amy Sumner is a big celebrity returning home. Everyone wishes her well, welcomes her back and offers condolences on the cancelation of her series. But it is only a matter of time before her husband sees who the real town celebrities are, the ex-winning football coach (James Woods) who is now a drunk and his star team who is still reaping the glory of their championship season.

In the south, football rules and Amy was a cheerleader and Charlie (Alexander Skarsgard) was the quarterback. All these years he’s never forgotten about her but she has found a different kind of man to warm her bed. She loves her husband very much, but in this culture he is not considered much of a man. His khaki pants, oxford shirts and shoes without laces are a source of amusement to the men. For them if you don’t drink, hunt, and play football you might as well be wearing a dress.

Without consulting his wife, David hires her ex-boyfriend to fix their roof but he’s so wrapped up in his book research that he’s not aware of the signs. His wife is distressed and there is obviously some history going on other than the book that David is writing. Charlie is clearly lusting after Amy and his crew is equally disrespectful. When Amy asks David to defend her honor he demurely plays it off. Amy is mad because David just doesn’t get it. In this culture you need to protect what is yours.

David’s apparently weak nature and non-confrontational ways lead him into a tragic mistake. When this mistake escalates to disaster, we find what kind of man David truly is. Straw Dogs examines the definition of manliness, and the dynamic between husbands and wives. Things have changed a lot since the first film in 1971 but these are issues still worth examining.
 
It was really nice to see James Marsden given an opportunity to exercise his dramatic chops. It was also satisfying to see James Woods in an unlikable character role. I was also impressed with Alexander Skarsgard. His performance is multi-layered which keeps him from playing a stereotypical role. I like the change of setting for this film. I think the south was a good choice and added a lot of interesting elements. If you are going to do a remake, make it fresh. I believe that Straw Dogs has met that goal.

Rating: First Run A fresh look on what it means to be a man