Brosnan takes charge in ‘The Son’
Pierce Brosnan gives the performance of his career in “The Son.”
Alas, not much else is up to his caliber in this adaptation of Philipp Meyer’s best-selling novel of the same name.
The former James Bond stars as Eli McCullough, the patriarch of a family facing financial ruin and peril from any number of their neighbors in South Texas in 1915. Eli, as one unhappy neighbor describes him, is the sort of man who values a human life about as much as a head of cattle.
That’s probably too generous.
In a concurrent story, set in 1849, young Eli (played by Jacob Lofland, “Justified”) and his family are attacked by Comanches and their home is destroyed. Eli becomes the property of one tribe and experiences the hardships that mold him into the monster that he is. Call this portion of the show “Dances with Brutality.”
Back in 1915, Eli sees no growth in cattle herding and believes the future is in oil drilling. But he needs investors for those rigs to dig up his land. Oldest son Phineas (David Wilson Barnes, “Hell on Wheels”) runs the books and urges Eli to sell off some of the property to pay the family debts.
Younger son Pete (Henry Garrett, “Poldark”) clashes with his father often over his ruthless approach to opposition — and their neighbors — but must face the damning realization that he is more like his daddy than he ever thought possible. Pete’s wife, Sally (Jess Weixler, “The Good Wife”), wonders if she married the wrong brother. Their daughter, Jeannie (Sydney Lucas), is coming of age with some impossible questions — like why is there so much blood on the floor of the shed?
“In this life, you either move forward or you die,” Brosnan’s Eli says. He’s charming — like a cobra. Most of the supporting cast can’t come close to owning a scene. The series, shot in Austin, Texas, often looks gorgeous. The pacing gets stuck in mud and moseys along.
“The Son” rises and sets on Brosnan’s work. Everything else is distraction.