''War Flowers'' is a 2012 American

war film War film is a film genre concerned with warfare, typically about navy, naval, air force, air, or army, land battles, with combat scenes central to the drama. It has been strongly associated with the 20th century. The fateful nature of battle s ...

written and directed by Serge Rodnunsky and starring

Jason Gedrick Jason Michael Gedrick (born February 7, 1965) is an American actor best known for his work on the television series '' Murder One'' and '' Boomtown'', and the motion picture '' Iron Eagle'' as Doug Masters. Early life Jason Michael Gedroic was ...

, Christina Ricci, and

Tom Berenger Tom Berenger (born Thomas Michael Moore; May 31, 1949) is an American actor. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Staff Sergeant Bob Barnes in ''Platoon'' (1986). He is also known for playing Jake ...

. It is the first feature film having been produced by Unity Studios.

Plot

''War Flowers'' is an American Civil War tale about a woman in

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

named Sarabeth Ellis whose husband has been called up for

military service Military service is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, air forces, and naval forces, whether as a chosen job ( volunteer) or as a result of an involuntary draft (conscription). Some nations (e.g., Mexico) require ...

by the

Confederate States of America The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confeder ...

. While she and her little daughter Melody suffer with food shortage, they also are threatened by a creepy neighbor who has avoided military service. After a skirmish between Union and Confederate soldiers right outside their farmhouse, they discover a gravely wounded

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

soldier named Louis who seems to be dying in their cellar. Together with her daughter, Sarabeth decides to nurse him back to health and even hides him when several renegade soldiers of the Confederacy check the house. Sarabeth and Louis develop romantic feelings, but do not seem to act on their attraction because Sarabeth is married. Once Louis has sufficiently recovered, Sarabeth tries to ensure he is taken back to the Union lines with the help of two escaping slaves. However, before they leave the farmhouse, there is one more violent confrontation with the evil neighbor. The final section of the film includes a dream-like sequences in which Sarabeth's husband seems to make a final visit to the farm, even though it is clear that he already has fallen in battle. The movie shows the war's final days with a catastrophic attack at the farm that burns the family home to its foundations. Sarabeth and her daughter appear close to starvation. Finally, Louis is able to return for a reunion. Sarabeth revives and talks about her hope for a new world of peace. "We're going to look towards tomorrow and a new life," she tells Sarabeth and Louis. Together, they walk down the road away from the farm.

Cast

* Christina Ricci as Sarabeth Ellis *

as Louis McIntire *

as Gen. McIntire * Gabrielle Popa as Melody Ellis *

Bren Foster Bren Foster (born 2 November 1976) is an Australian actor and martial artist. He is best known for his role in '' The Last Ship'' on TNT. Foster holds black belts in taekwondo, hapkido, hwarangdo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Career Foster has appe ...

as John Ellis

Reception

The Dove Foundation The Dove Foundation is an American non-profit organization based in Portland, Oregon, that issues film reviews, ratings and endorsements of movies that it considers suitable for family audiences, and that bases said reviews on Christian values. D ...

awarded the film their seal "Family-Approved" and considered it "well worth your viewing time".

References

External links

Official homepage
* * * American Civil War films Films set in North Carolina Films set in the 1860s Films set in the 19th century 2010s English-language films 2010s American films {{AmericanCivilWar-film-stub