THE LEGACY OF A WHITETAIL DEER HUNTER: The Summer Of Josh Brolin Continues

If you’ve ever taken an introductory screenwriting class, you’ve probably heard the mantra of “show, don’t tell.” It’s a fairly basic and somewhat simplistic saying, one meant to emphasize how plot points and characters can be developed without an explicit explanation to the audience. But the desire to explain everything can be overwhelming, and it can sink movies from even the sharpest of directors.

As I neared the conclusion of The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter, the latest from acclaimed director Jody Hill, I finally realized why this promising comedy wasn’t quite living up to its potential. Hill has an amusing concept and a great cast at his disposal, working on an intimate scale to tell the story of a father and son who just don’t understand each other.

And yet, there’s a pervasive and frustrating tendency to over-explain everything, no matter how big or how small. This is not a complicated comedy, but Hill opts for monologues and rants over internalization, seemingly feeling the need to discuss the feelings and evolution of his characters on a near-constant basis. Even with a plethora of folksy charm, this hunting saga suffers from a few too many miscalculations.

Generational Camping Trip Gone Wrong

Meet Buck Ferguson (Josh Brolin). He’s a world-famous hunter of whitetail deer, best known for his explosive and exciting outdoor videos that look like they were ripped out of the 1980s. Armed with an arsenal of weapons and an old-school macho swagger, Buck is one of the most prolific faces in his field. Along with cameraman Don (Danny McBride), Buck travels around the world for his videos, hunting whitetail deer wherever they’re found.

But for his next excursion, Buck is going to get personal for the first time. Recently divorced from his wife (Carrie Coon), the famous hunter now gets to spend little time with Jaden (Montana Jordan), his only son. Forced into competition with “cool” stepdad Greg (Scoot McNairy), Buck wants to take Jaden on a hunting trip that he’ll always remember. With Don following every step of the way with his omnipresent camera, Buck will help his son kill his very first whitetail deer.

Of course, things don’t quite go the way Buck expects. While his father is extremely enthusiastic about seeing him take down this magnificent creature, Jaden just doesn’t really care. He’s entering his teenage years, and he’d rather be talking to his girlfriend on the phone. As the trip continues in surprising and sometimes comical directions, the tension between Jaden and Buck increases by the minute, throwing their entire relationship into question.

Warm Humor & Likable Characters Enhance Slight Stakes

With the blockbuster triple punch of Avengers: Infinity War, Deadpool 2, and Sicario: Day of the Soldado, Summer 2018 has already been pretty huge for Josh Brolin. The actor returns to smaller territory here, further demonstrating his truly astonishing range. The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter has many flaws, but Buck Ferguson is not one of them. With the help of Hill and co-screenwriters Danny McBride and John Carcieri, Brolin creates such a fully-formed and wonderfully complex character, equipped with a deep Southern twang, a rigid set of principles, and some undesirable attitudes.

Barely over an hour in length, this film essentially adopts a vignette approach, depicting isolated incidents and near-catastrophes within the confines of this camping trip. The stakes are undeniably slight, but Hill emphasizes the likability and gentleness of this quiet affair, rarely delving into aggressively unpleasant or crude territory. At its best, Whitetail Deer Hunter even resembles Stand By Me and other iconic coming-of-age films of yesteryear, examining manhood and adventures in the wilderness.

Along the way, Hill and cinematographer Eric Treml deliver some gorgeous images, basking in the majesty and beauty of the great outdoors. Best known for his goofy and vulgar McBride collaborations (HBO’s Eastbound & Down, Observe & Report), Hill shifts into more of a dramatic gear here, going for quiet moments and hearty laughs in equal measure.

Painfully Obvious Father/Son Drama

It’s unfortunate that The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter fails to resolve its central conflict in an understated way, opting for big gestures and outlandish sequences over nuanced emotion. The struggle between Buck and Jaden is a familiar one, but there are little complications that make it interesting. This is basically a film about the trickiness of fatherhood, how sharing your passions with your son won’t necessarily make him care.

That’s a delicate and unique angle, and it theoretically should produce a strong and powerful conclusion. The presence of Don’s camera makes things even more compelling, as it’s cringe-worthy to watch Buck try to stage every single emotional moment for his silly TV show. Essentially, Hill clearly has a lot of ideas to play with in this film, and there’s the potential for a father/son drama that rises above the cliches of the genre.

Instead, the film trips over itself, injecting ludicrous twists and turns as a way to bring Buck and Jaden closer together. For a journey that feels authentic and grounded in a salt of the earth feel for much of its runtime, the extent to which Hill struggles to earn the emotional payoff is almost shocking. The resolution feels manufactured and obvious, with the inner feelings of each character spelled out in such an explicit capacity that it feels like you’re being hit over the head with a sledgehammer.

The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter: Conclusion

The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter is so minor and brisk that it’s hard to feel too much dismay for its missteps. At the same time, it’s undeniably a missed opportunity, a film that nails a certain tone and feel without putting all the pieces together.

It’s almost worth seeing for Brolin‘s performance alone, which caps off an excellent summer for the Oscar nominee. It’s a shame that such an idiosyncratic father/son story still feels so rote and recycled, suffering under the weight of its silly desire to constantly verbalize and explain even the tiniest of character moments.

What did you think of The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter? Have you enjoyed Jody Hill’s prior work? Let us know in the comments below!

The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter premiered on Netflix on July 6.