DEATH AT CLOVER BEND

US, 2001, 95 minutes, Colour.
Robert Urich, David Keith, Barry Corbin, Erin Gray, Shane Hunter.
Directed by Michael Vickerman.

Death at Clover Bend is a police drama. It focuses on an officer, about to retire. He goes on holidays with his wife and two children and is confronted by violent criminals during a hold-up. His wife is killed. He pulls his gun and the brother of the lead criminal is wounded and eventually dies. This sets up a situation where the policeman has to face his desire for vengeance and his defence against the criminal who comes to get him. Various stances are presented: his father is the mayor and sheriff of Clover Bend but urges caution and speaks against a vigilante approach; his young son wants to be a policeman and wants his father to act decisively; the people in the town (a bit like High Noon) don't want the criminals coming disturbing their peace.

The film spends a good deal of time showing the relationship within the family, the reaction of the two children to their mother's death, their feelings of alienation towards their father, having to talk things over and deal with their grief. It also focuses well on the father-son relationship of the policeman and his policeman father. There are also sympathetic people in the town. The film also shows the relationship between the criminal, his devotion to his young brother, his attitude towards the rest of the gang. At the end, there is a kind of High Noon shoot-out in the woods outside the town. The film takes a stance against being vindictive and taking revenge, making the point that it destroys the person taking the revenge. The film was one of the last films by Robert Urich, who died the year after the film was released.

1. Police drama? Family drama? Issues of grief, revenge?

2. The city settings, the police work, homes? The contrast with the store on the highway and the robbery? Clover Bend and its isolation? Musical score?

3. The focus on Bill, the credits and his police work, his having to shoot, missing? His coming home, relationship with his wife and children, the domestic scenes? The teenage daughter and her not wanting to go on holiday? The son and his wanting to be a policeman, wanting to fire guns? The caution of the mother? On the road, the hold-up, his wife being taken hostage, his son urging him to shoot, eventually shooting when the bottle dropped? His wounding the younger criminal? His wife being wounded, her dying in his arms, the grief of the children?

4. The focus on the criminals, the hold-up, their violence? The getaway? The dying criminal and his dying for a month? His brother's devotion? The drug deals, the impatience of the others in the group? Finding out where Bill lived? The criminal's death? The decision to go and find him? Arriving in the town?

5. Bill and his decision to take his children to Clover Bend? His father as sheriff and mayor, the people in the office, Maude and the others, their wisecracks? The old lady and the council and their caution and complaints? The doctor and her support, her admiration for Bill and his wife, looking after the boy and his anger with her? The life in the town? The uncle and his drinking, his wife? Her phone call, Bill finding him on the railway tracks, their discussions, the train going past?

6. His decision to be a deputy, his motivations? The possibility of legally shooting the criminals? His father and the discussions about vengeance?

7. The build-up to the showdown, the father and his shooting, taking the criminals prisoner? Sam and his not staying with the doctor, getting his slingshot, firing it at the criminal, enabling his father to shoot? The two-gun stand-off, Bill and his not shooting the criminal dead?

8. The aftermath, his imagining his wife, the town, the dancing, his memories, being at peace with his conscience and his family?