‘Eric LaRue’ Review: A Drama About the Aftermath of a School Shooting Shouldn’t Have This Much Indie Attitude and This Little Insight

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A school shooting is such an overwhelming tragedy that any film trying to depict its aftermath should be treated with gravitas. However, it’s crucial to handle these subjects sensitively. “Mass,” a 2021 Sundance drama, managed this delicately. Set in a church foyer, four parents met for a raw, healing session; two were parents of the victim, while two were parents of the shooter. The film was both heart-wrenching and insightful, balancing on a fine line of sensitivity and truth.

Eric LaRue,” helmed by actor Michael Shannon, explores a similar theme, leading towards a confrontation between the mother of a school shooter and the mothers of the three students he killed. However, instead of focusing on the central issue, the film is often bogged down by an overbearing and at times bothersome independent film aesthetic.

In this movie scene, Judy Greer’s character, Janice LaRue, who is a store clerk at a hardware and trinket shop, appears distraught and lifeless following a shooting incident that happened about a year ago. The store offers a large selection of guns for sale, and a customer named Jacob Alexander asks her to assist him despite her insistence that it’s not her department. He inquires about the best gun among those displayed, to which she responds with sarcasm, finding his question unsettling. The interaction between them is uncomfortable due to its overtness, making it seem unrealistic and forced.

The sentiment echoes when Janice pays a visit to Pastor Steve Calhan, portrayed by Paul Sparks with an unusual intensity in self-improvement, often coming across as overconfident about his life coaching skills. This character appears to believe he’s a divine gift, and the film frequently underscores this point. His motivational speech fails to lift Janice’s spirits, but its inclusion serves the purpose of providing an innovative critique on religious devotion. The movie “Eric LaRue” contains a good deal of subtle mockery towards the clergy. Janice’s husband, Ron, is characterized as a surprising introverted nerd by Alexander Skarsgård, and he appears to be in a different universe when it comes to spiritual matters compared to her.

The emotional distance between them is evident through their religious differences, as she follows Pastor Steve at First Presbyterian, while Ron has taken up with the more charismatic and arguably cult-like pastor Bill Verne at Redeemer. Ron regularly attends prayer meetings at Redeemer alongside his HR manager from work, Alison Pill’s character who is so affectionate and flirtatious that the film humorously hints at a possible romantic involvement between the two prayer group members.

In this movie scene, it’s ironic that when Ron attempts to assert himself against Janice in a traditional husband role, she effortlessly dismisses him. If the film had explored their conflict more deeply, it could have created some tension. I admire Judy Greer as an actor, and she portrays Janice’s hidden fury beneath her passive demeanor effectively, although I would have preferred a more complex character than the stereotypical Middle American drone. Even during their conversation about their son Eric and the school shooting, the film fails to create an intimate moment between them. “Jesus was with him!” Ron says at one point. And when Janice reminds him that after the shooting, Eric returned home and watched TV on the couch, Ron responds, “Jesus was with him then, too!

In a hopeful anticipation, we’ve been expecting “Eric LaRue” to make sense during his parental summit meeting filled with anguish and anger. However, when Janice and two other mothers finally convene, the focus isn’t on their words but rather on Pastor Steve, who appears more like a controlling therapist, constantly interrupting with statements such as, “Apologies don’t spark discussions. They conclude them.” The play is penned by Brett Neveau, inspired by his 2002 stage play, and it’s puzzling why Michael Shannon chose to portray this scene involving three parents grappling with an incomprehensible situation, while consistently highlighting…the self-centered pastor. Interestingly, the fathers of the victims are nowhere to be found in the narrative, which feels quite unusual as they’re never even mentioned.

The most dramatic part occurs later when Janice pays a visit to the imprisoned Eric. This is her initial time visiting him. Eric, played by actor Nation Sage Henrikson, exudes a surly, deep-toned resemblance to Ashton Kutcher’s portrayal of Norman Bates. After describing prison life for a few minutes in an intelligent manner, Janice says emotionally, “I’ve been struggling greatly.” To which Eric responds with a chilly accusation, “That’s an odd thing to tell someone in prison.” Admittedly, it might seem strange, but such a young murderer showing such arrogance is noteworthy.

As a film aficionado, I can’t help but feel disappointed by “Eric LaRue.” Eric may express remorse, yet it doesn’t seem genuine – his words lack the emotional depth one would expect from such a heavy subject matter. He admits to losing control and making mistakes, yet this explanation falls short of providing any real understanding.

Janice attempts to empathize with him by labeling the women involved as hateful and awful, but this only serves to make the movie feel off-balance. A school shooting drama should offer some profound insight, and while it doesn’t have to adhere strictly to a certain formula, I was hoping for more than what “Eric LaRue” delivered. Instead, it appears to be an exercise in indie filmmaking that ultimately signifies nothing meaningful.

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2025-04-06 02:46