Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri: Three Stunning Performances Elevate Martin McDonough’s Emotional Flick

©2017 Twentieth Century Fox

If you think Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is a mouthful of a title, try being one of the residents in Ebbing, Missouri. A simple act of defiance from the venom-spitting Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand, in a role that begs for an Oscar) becomes a state-wide phenomenon whose desire for vengeance is one that will leave many wounded as deeply as she. Billboards is more than just an intimate character study, it is an example of how to build narratives, create winning chemistry, and tinge even the darkest of stories with humor.

Seven months prior to the beginning of Billboards, Mildred’s world was turned upside down when her daughter Angela was raped and burned alive by her assailant. With no leads and a seemingly stalled case, Mildred rents three abandoned billboards outside her home just outside the town of Ebbing, Missouri. In order they read: RAPED WHILE DYING; AND STILL NO ARRESTS; and HOW COME, CHIEF WILLOUGHBY? They go unnoticed for about a day until being spotted by a patrolling Officer Jason Dixon (a bumbling, yet winning, Sam Rockwell), who is angered by the defamation of his department.

The action that follows is too juicy to discuss. You’ll appreciate the action more if you have no clue what is going to happen next. Along the way, all three of the main characters duke it out in psychological and philosophical battles which continue to escalate as Billboards builds to one of the most rewarding climaxes of the year.

Not even her daunting set pieces are able to overshadow McDormand's powerhouse performance.
Photo by 1996-98 AccuSoft Inc. ©2017 Twentieth Century Fox.

McDormand specifically deserves every bit of praise she will surely receive for this role. She delivers each of her lines with such verve that it feels she could jump off the screen and smack you at any moment for daring to laugh at any one of her numerous zingers. Her chemistry with her co-stars is to be commended as well, particularly Rockwell. Their dynamic rises to levels far beyond simple rivals. Even when warring with one another there is a certain admiration that each one has for those on the other sides of the divide.

Billboards works thanks, in large part, to a pitch-perfect script by Martin McDonough. There is a bluntness about the dialogue making each scene feel more true-to-life than most character-driven dramas. No one holds any punches. Conflict is generated by more than a series of actions but through the words which are pelted back and forth among the warring factions of Ebbing, Missouri. While McDonough touches on topical issues like police brutality, he recognizes this film, about a white woman’s struggles, is not the place to make larger statements on such a racially charged issue.

Many times I found myself asking why I was laughing at the action on screen. People are talking about rape, murder or general violence throughout. It takes a lot of skill to make these topics accessible and anything but depressing. Thankfully, there is so much humor to be found in Billboards. My mother despises any movie that doesn’t have a happy ending and, while she might not find a happy ending in this film, I would still recommend it simply for how fun the ride is.

The best rivalry of the year: Jason Dixon (Sam Rockwell) versus Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand).
Photo by Merrick Morton. ©2017 Twentieth Century Fox.

I’m not normally a fan of simpler orchestrations, preferring full orchestras to play beautiful melodies to enrapture me. Carter Burwell has made me a believer, however, with his simple and effective music. The country twang never falters from the film but, while it would be easy to fall into full-on Western territory, stays firmly planted in the midwest. Each strum of the guitar is like a knife in the heart for the audience during some of the quieter scenes of this emotional work.

Simple movies like this can be a little bit frustrating because everyone ends up recommending and praising them. They can become overhyped. If you want to wait out awards season and enjoy this movie in the quiet of your home when it is available on Netflix, Hulu or Amazon go ahead and do that. Unlike some of the other large films this year, you’ll still have all of the emotional depth when viewing on a small screen. That being said, Frances McDormand’s mean-mugging faces are worth the cost of admission to any theater (and if you have MoviePass like I do, you don’t even need to worry about that).

Every time Billboards has won a large award, the recipient always talks about how important it is for smaller films to be given their due. For the sake of audiences everywhere, I hope distributors take this film’s success to heart. The best stories are still to be told in intimate portraits painted by artists like McDonough, McDormand, Rockwell, and Harrelson. If we ever want to know more about who we are as people, it’s important for artful works like these to continue being celebrated.

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