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This film is nominated for an Independent Spirit Award (ceremony, March 5).

That Evening Sun centers around Abner Meecham, an aging Tennessee farmer discarded to a nursing facility by his lawyer son, who flees the old folks' home and catches a ride back to his country farm to live out his days in peace. Upon his return, he discovers that his son has leased the farm to Abner's old enemy and his white trash family. Not one to suffer fools or go down easy, Abner moves into the old tenant shack on the property and declares that he won't leave until the farm is returned to his possession. But Lonzo Choat, the new tenant, has no intention to move out or give in to the old man's demands.
 
This sets up a ruthless grudge match between Abner and Choat, each man right in his own eyes, each too stubborn to give an inch. Angered by his son's betrayal, and haunted by recurring dreams of his long‐dead wife, Abner sets about his own path toward reclaiming his life. Lines are drawn, threats are made, and the simmering tension under the Southern sun erupts, inevitably, into savagery.

In what is arguably one of the most inspired performances of the year, Holbrook plays a dynamic character full of anger, wit, acumen and regret. Commanding equally arresting performances are Ray McKinnon (The Blind Side), Carrie Preston (True Blood), and the upcoming star of Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland, Mia Wasikowska.

Writer and Director Scott Teems has an eye for beautiful composition and penchant for well-crafted storytelling. The Georgia native delivers a convincing portrayal of the richness and complexities of the Deep South. That Evening Sun is based on the short story "I Hate to See That Evening Sun Go Down" by William Gay, an author from Hohenwald, Tennessee.