there can be no shame in admitting to be a fan of the wizard of weird characters, Christopher Walken, who can be as comedic as villainous. Around the Bend (2004) is a story of how four generations of Lair family men are brought together by the eccentric patriarch (Michael Caine) to face the issues that have kept them apart for years. Turner (Walken) reluctantly reunites with his son, Jason (Josh Lucas) and meets his grandson, Zach (Jonah Bobo), for the first time. when Henry’s plan to rekindle a sense of family by taking a trip becomes altered by his death, Turner and Jason are forced to work out how to honor his dying wish, as stated in his will written at a local KFC and witnessed by an employee and patron, to have his ashes scattered at various locations throughout the Southwest where he spent his career as an archaeologist.

one of my favorite lines was delivered by Walken, describes an underlying thread of the story, and goes something like this:

“my father spent his lifetime digging up old shit.”

while it won awards at indy film fests, this otherwise little known gem digs at family values, with performances by a wonderful cast punctuated by another good weird character delivered with simple panache as only Walken can. funny, sad, riveting, it is worth renting, even adding to your indy film library.