More than two years after its debut at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, Burden has finally come to theaters. After a surprisingly long wait, especially considering how the movie took home an award at Sundance, has it been worth the wait? Well, that’s a complicated questions. At times, the film is compelling, with high quality acting. At other points, however, the writing and direction can’t stack up to the performances. The end result is a flick with something to say, but a muddled way of saying it. Unfortunately, it won’t result in a recommendation here, though it’s undoubtedly not without its charms. This film is a drama, based on a true story, that looks at the impact that racist views can have on an individual. Set in a small South Carolina town, we meet Mike Burden (Garrett Hedlund), a repo man who also happens to be a part of the local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan. Long under the thumb of KKK chapter leader Tom Griffin (Tom Wilkinson), a father figure to him, the group is prepping the opening of a Ku Klux Klan museum. Inflaming the town and raising the ire of Reverend Kennedy (Forest Whitaker), a longtime foil for Griffin. While this is going on, Mike meets and begins wooing Judy (Andrea Riseborough), bringing love into his life for the first time. The entry of Judy and her son Franklin (Taylor Gregory) into his life softens him, leading him to re-evaluate his choices. Choosing to break away from the Klan, he winds up becoming a rival of Griffin’s. With nowhere else to go, Kennedy takes him in, setting him up for a second chance at life, if the Klan doesn’t ruin things first. Andrew Heckler writes and directs, with music by Dickon Hinchliffe, while Jeremy Rouse handles the cinematography. Rounding out the cast are the likes of Usher Raymond, among others. Some strong acting hides a lot of the flaws here. Garrett Hedlund, Andrea Riseborough, Forest Whitaker, and Tom Wilkinson are at the tops of their respective games, especially in quieter moments. Hedlund has long been a reliable actor working ever so slightly below the radar, and that’s the case again here. Before the script lets him down, he’s doing some of his best work, to date. Whitaker and Wilkinson are Academy Award nominated (and in the former’s case, a winner), so their bona fides are pretty […]