Earthwork (2009) User Reviews

Must See Indie

[gail-996-144755 · 8/10 · 9 March 2011]

Stan Herd is a Kansas farmer out to show the art world that he can make it in New York. He faces countless obstacles on his journey. He also finds support and friendship among the homeless men who help him. He in turn gives them hope and purpose. The film explores the mind and determination of an artist.

I ran home after this viewing and looked up all of the actors as they made quite an impression on me. Some I recognized and some were completely new. I must admit that I didn't recognize John Hawkes at all from his role in "Winter's Bone". It's a nice contrast and I look forward to seeing him in more movies.

Jeff Daniels was amazing and although her role was small, Laura Kirk's portrayal of Janis Herd was memorable.

This small independent film is a must see.

John Hawkes Delivers in this Sweet Film

[ljmclark · 9/10 · 7 October 2010]

The film opens with a young Stan Herd living on a farm finding ways to use his imagination creating art on the land. He uses pretty much whatever he can find. For all the joy he finds creating his art in the dirt, he finds the real place to see it is from the air. While living on a farm near Lawrence, Kansas, he has the luck to have his work photographed by a New York photographer who suggests he find a way to do a project, an earthwork, in NYC. Stan Herd has enormous gumption and heart. He makes the trip to New York and convinces Donald Trump to let him do an earthwork on land Trump plans to later develop.

All of the actors deliver performances that are in the category of what I would call sublime. There's an unusual cast of characters who arrive one by one in the New York portion of the film. Stan Herd's Kansas family is supportive, kind and caring. These are people deserving of a quiet portrayal, with real emotion that comes through without having to rise to a passion that is bombastic. They make their points softly. John Hawkes becomes a very focused Stan Herd in this film. He shows us a strong minded, talented, trusting and sweet natured man. The audience gets pulled into his world, which is actually quite beautiful and full of sunshine.

earthwork

[will-996-277501 · 9/10 · 9 March 2011]

I was struck by the film story. The fragile nature of the actual earthwork process, the complete commitment to realizing the installation against all odds: a fraying marriage, rupturing finances, a lack of real community support both back in Kansas and then on the Upper West Side of Manhatten. It is David and Goliath, with David's currency dissipating like so much sand leaking from a bag into the wind. All this against the harsh glare of New York City, huge corporate interests, the fickleness of the national media - all carried on a story line about a vulnerable family dynamic, a profound message of hope and a poignancy about a vulnerable planet, the challenge of conveying a message of sustainability and an example of respecting the earth and all that it is asked to do for us. I was very moved by the film and feel it's message is very strong and hopeful and needs to be heard by a very broad audience.

A stunning film that should be seen by the masses!

[micheleseidman · 10/10 · 20 June 2010]

From the films open with Stan as a young man first finding his passion in an instant as rain drops fall, to the title credits so nicely woven in to the fabric of the stunning cinematography all the way to final credit roll, you cannot take your eyes off the screen. Every aspect of this just works.

You must see the beauty of this film for yourself. I could never have expected a film of this subject matter to keep me glued to my chair while concerned if Stans plan will pan out. The hurdles he faces, the mounting debt, the needs of his new surrogate family in the city, his wife and child and his passion for the earthwork draw you in. Everything flowed. I forgot there were editors, camera people, grips, actors, and all of the other folks who make movies come to life. This was seamless and stunning to watch. Without car crashes or special effects, this film captured my heart and attention. It brought tears to my eyes and laughter to my world. I will never look at a plot of land the same again. The entire team should be proud! (This is an excerpt of a longer review that I wrote)

Must See Movie

[Jayhawk13310 · 10/10 · 9 March 2011]

Like anyone on IMDb, I'm a movie lover. I see a lot of movies, so it takes a very good film for me to take the time to write a glowing review on IMDb. I was fortunate enough to see it at the Austin Film Festival and I loved it. It opened my eyes to an artist and story that I had never heard of. Earthwork is a beautifully crafted indie that I hope breaks out when it is released in late April. It's one those movies that sort of sneaks up on you and days or weeks later you think about certain shots of Stan Herd's crop art, the opening title sequence and the heartbreaking story and you think...damn...that was a good movie. Big ups to the director Chris Ordal and the whole crew for representing Kansas in a big way! Ordal definitely has a bright future in the film industry. He doesn't beat you over the head with flashy shots and camera moves like most debut directors...he tells the story like it should be told and he lets the actors act. Kudos

Stirring and entertaining movie

[kkravas · 10/10 · 4 March 2011]

A simple, yet moving portrayal of a man committed to his art and his vision of the world. I loved this movie and can't recommend it enough to indie film fans. Great performance by John Hawkes and very strong debut for Chris Ordal. Ordal is definitely someone to watch. Although fans of Stan Herd will most certainly love the film, I think new viewers will be captivated by his story and his "crop art". The crop art is both epic and visually stunning. Also has one of the best opening credit sequences of the last couple of years. Hard to believe they pulled this movie off for $1m. A real credit goes to the filmmakers and crew for pulling that off.

Sweet little film shot in Kansas

[lindaloucarpenter · 10/10 · 14 October 2010]

I saw this film with my 3 sisters at the Kansas International Film Festival in Overland Park last week. We loved it. We had no real idea of what the movie would be and I thought it was to be documentary. The director and one actor (I believe most of the actors were Kansans) were available for a Q&A and we learned that the artist has made his living from his art without ever having to take another job. The characters he met in NYC are endearing and are based on actual people, I think. He has done art in several countries. It was interesting to see how his vision was translated into a work of art although we never got to see it. During the credits, however, there are shots of some of the art he has created and it is lovely. I liked the movie a lot.

Heartwarming

[jeff-996-517291 · 8/10 · 9 March 2011]

I saw this film in a private showing and enjoyed it. I am predisposed to like indie films and this one did not disappoint. The story contained drama, heartbreak and wonderful interactions between the characters; and believe me, they were characters. The events will have you saying "You can't make this stuff up". Fact truly is stranger than fiction.

It was interesting to see John Hawkes as an entirely different character than the one he played in "Winter's Bone". He is a chameleon. James McDaniel was memorable as "Lone Wolf" and Laura Kirk played the long suffering wife with delicacy and grace.

A good movie about an artist and his art.

[an_imal · 7/10 · 10 June 2010]

This is an excellent film about art and the artist. In this case, Stan Herd, a man compelled to make temporary works of art from mother nature using plants, rocks, timber, and his remarkable vision. The best parts of the film are John Hawkes as Stan Herd and the actual earthwork art. The supporting cast have many great moments. I would rate it higher if the art made more appearances during the movie, because they are awe inspiring.

The set they recreated of the graffiti wall and grassy lot - looked identical to the original location footage in New York City. I would never have known it was shot in Kansas. There were times when the movie felt boxed in, because the filmmakers were limited to shooting in one direction - at the wall set piece.

An artist takes the earth's raw materials and creates spectacular works of Art!

[bobbyclo · 10/10 · 9 March 2011]

I thought it was beautifully shot! And i think this was the Director's first feature which is amazing! In these fleeting moments we call life only an artist can force you to stop and see the beauty and Stan Herd does just that with his spectacular creations and life story! John Hawkes in the title character is great! It's well cast, they all do more than a competent job with a quiet standout performance by Laura Kirk as Stan Herd's wife! I saw her in a film called Lisa Picard is Famous a couple years back and she's as beautiful as ever! Anybody who can convince Donald Trump of anything must have very strong convictions and Stan Herd has just that and does his magic in New York but i can always tell when something was suppose to be shot in New York and it's not New York! In any case it's well worth watching! Congrats to them!

Meditative piece on the question of art's importance

[jennableecker · 8/10 · 25 May 2011]

EARTHWORK was especially moving to me because I was raised in Kansas and moved to a big city (Los Angeles) to pursue art (acting) so I relate to the lead character, Stan, in many ways. The naiveté, the wanting to make friends with everyone (and expecting them to be just as nice), blind ambition and the self doubt. John Hawkes was excellent as Stan. I had seen his disturbing performance in Winter's Bone and he was so convincing that I was pleasantly surprised to see him as a sweet, gentle character. Now I'm convinced he's a sweet, gentle Kansas man! Sam Greelee and James McDaniel were also stand-outs. EARTHWORK to me was meditative, funny, and heartbreaking. A unique true story. Take the time to enjoy EARTHWORK.

An artistic inspiration

[joejc80 · 9/10 · 8 April 2011]

This is a film that you root for. An indie film with great heart and honesty. John Hawkes, Chris Bachand and the rest of the cast deliver truthful performances that inspire. The audience can feel their passion, pain and most of all hope and the importance of friendship. The production makes most of what I'm sure was a limited budget.

This film deserves to be seen and hopefully as it continues to play and word of mouth continues to spread Chris Ordal, the screenwriter/director will have more opportunities to share his vision.

A side note: The opening credit sequence that represents the artist's work is truly beautiful.

A triumph of Art over Enterprise

[denirephillips · 10/10 · 18 May 2011]

This film just jumped to the top of my "will see again" list. In telling the story of Stan Herd's Earthwork, the filmmakers captured the essence of artistic passion - the absolute need to express, coupled with the vision and desire to create something from nothing. In this way, the film mirrors the filmmaker's with Herd's story, making an even more compelling case for seeing this elegant act of heart and soul.

John Hawkes portrays Stan Herd, a Lawrence Kansas artist whose canvas is the land. When the movie opens, with the support of his family he has been creating earthworks for an undisclosed period of time - they are expensive and he requires some measure of success to keep on doing what he loves. With a few words in a few well-played scenes we learn that money is holding him back. So he takes a gigantic risk -- and that is the core of the movie -- the risks we take for love, for art.

I fell in love with the men in the two-acre field - each of them an artist in some way. Each of them self-contained and yet dependent on each other. Surrounded by an ensemble of intelligent actors, Hawkes character works around them and with them to do what must be done. The subtlety of each man's acceptance of his lot or his choice reaches into your heart. For a time you may not know you have entered their world of homelessness until you are saturated in it, so smooth is the way paved through Herd's frustration and tenacity.

Written and directed by Chris Ordal, he dons a velvet glove, beckons you onto the dance floor, then guides you surely and gently until you are a dancer. More triumph than tragedy, bit by little bit, this film sucks you in and leaves an impression - like a tattoo on the heart. I saw it yesterday. I expect to see it again and again. You must see it. Bravo to you, Earthworks filmmakers. Well played.

This movie should appeal to all audiences based on the reality of the story and the depth of the characters in the movie.

[bachandj-11-199125 · 10/10 · 26 March 2011]

Earthwork is a very inspiring true-to-life movie. Stan Herd is a unique artist who has spent his life providing beautiful works of art for others to enjoy. Interestingly, high schools study what he has contributed to the art world. It is time that he is given well-deserved recognition. John Hawkes' portrayal of Stan Herd conveyed the true sense of feeling that Stan Herd must have had through his ordeal in the city. The performance of Ryan, one of the homeless, brought a sense of empathy for someone who had so much talent and never got to reach his full potential. There were moments in the movie that brought me to tears. This story should be told in all theaters. The actors were well-cast. I look forward to attending another viewing in New York City in April.