Comedy

A Bag of Hammers

ComedyDrama

Ben and Alan, two misfit best friends incapable of growing up, find direction for their lives by taking in an abandoned child and creating the family they've always needed.

Year

2011

Duration

1h 25m

IMDb

6.5

Trailer

Cast

Jason Ritter

Ben

Jake Sandvig

Alan

Chandler Canterbury

Kelsey

Rebecca Hall

Melanie

Todd Louiso

Marty

Gabriel Macht

Wyatt

Carrie Preston

Lynette

Johnny Simmons

Kelsey - Age 18

Josh Cooke

The Cop

Micah Hauptman

Vince Ortega

BR

Barb Rossmeisl

The Hobo

Devika Parikh

Interviewer 1

GC

Greg Clark

Interviewer 2

Ricardo Chacon

Jorge

Dale Waddington

Neighbor

JG

Jordan Green

Scott Owen

Sally Kirkland

Older Jewish Lady

Elmarie Wendel

The Mark

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Comments

10 comments

Asif PatelDec 8, 2023

source: A Bag of Hammers

mira mdgDec 8, 2023

It is really good movie and heartly story but it is funny and i'm glad those guys are good people but in the bad way and that's life how they have to survive to take care plus looking out for street kid who was neglected by his mom. I give 10 stars.

SimranDec 8, 2023

It's so great to be surprised by a film you guess is just OK, and then it turns out to be a real gem. The title is just what it is - A bag of hammers. A depiction of life when it's not on the sunny side. This film is like what Tom Waits would be, if he was a film. Two best friends, living on the edge of the law after having a rather bad upbringing, still have both brains and hearts. They notice th little neighboring boy on 12 which has a similar upbringing they had. A smart, cute kid, which is very much neglected by his "bad mother", which is poor, out of job and depressed. One day they realize they have to take action. The film is definitely from the shadow-side of life, and you may expect to shed more tears than laughter. Well payed by all involved, the film slowly steals your heart, and makes you think what life is all about. The film manages to be funny as well as serious in a very rare way. The actors manage to make this both believable and rare. Recommended!

Luchresse Power FathDec 8, 2023

The film deserves all ten stars. It has everything. Great acting, good plot, but the themes - oh, my, the themes! There is friendship and the influences that tug and tear at it. Would the two men who are slacker/criminals stay together and remain the 'bros' they seem to be for life? There is family and what makes a family. What used to be revered - the role of father - is denied by one man and assumed by two others. No one seems qualified to assume the role, not even the state providing services. But then, that is what every man who becomes a father needs to ask himself: am I good enough for this job? There is the role of the mother. Being a biological mother with a strong love for her child, a woman fails and fails again. Ultimately, she can't cope with the repeating failure and she removes herself from the family - permanently. How a woman can feel the total responsibility on her weak shoulders is portrayed so accurately in this film, it brings tears. At one point, she asks an interviewer, 'Can you help me?' The shock is: he can't. Or he won't. There is the role of teacher. Someone who has to go by the rules, even when he may suspect that the rules are going to not play out to the benefit of a child. Then there is, for me the most important, what makes a stable relationship without sex? My impression was that these two men are not homosexuals and don't become homosexuals. Yet, their bond is strong enough to keep them in the project of a lifetime - raising a child to adulthood. At the very least, you hope that when a man and woman marry, they can get that far - to raise a child to be a young successful independent adult. But often don't! Even same-sex marriage suffer from the same maladies. Two friends? What are the odds that they could? There is the resilience of the young boy. Does every young person come so well equipped? Why did he turn out to have a future NOT behind bars but with a chance at a real education? Why is the fear that the child with a background stained by tragedy is somehow less equipped to deal with bad influences, whether while growing up or when operating as an adult? There is so much to think about having seen this movie - that it is almost TOO thought-provoking. It's a feel-good movie AND a downer movie. People are poor. Women suffer in relationships that strain their abilities to cope, and when they and children are abandoned. All too acceptable and 'normal' in today's world. There are no easy answers, not from watching this story unfold. Yet, it is worth every second of watching!

Nuha’s DesignDec 8, 2023

I love the story, the characters, the actors, the message, everything about this movie!

gilsandra_spencerDec 8, 2023

Just saw this beautiful little movie about a difficult subject. I loved it! Two young adults taking on the responsibility of a young neglected boy......I should say two young adults, who's job is to steal cars, with their own set of family secrets, take on the responsibility of a neglected boy. That story seems impossibly unrealistic, but the way it unfolds makes you (the viewer) a believer. I do have a criticism, the home the boy lived in was a mess, but it didn't quite look as horribly bad as described by Melanie. However the character was on point about how terrible a life Kelsey was living in. Carrie Preston's portrayal of an overwhelmed mother, she kind of played this role before in Law and Order Criminal Intent, but this time she got to stretch and really explore the complexities of a woman on edge. Very creative to end the movie credits with more movie. So many use the outtakes as a lasting laugh, but director Brian Crano, tells more story. Thought this was brilliant!!

Megha_p1Dec 8, 2023

I was first drawn in by the poster to watch this film. A friend of mine had recommended it and I thought I would give it a chance. I was looking to watch a film that made me laugh and cry, and this is exactly what this film did! I am a fan of Carrie Preston and Rebecca Hall as well. I am now a fan of the other actors as well! Everyone fit their role so wonderfully! The plot moved along very nicely and I was surprised to find myself so emotional after I had just been laughing at something in the prior scene. I wish there were more independent films like this. A wide audience can identify with each of the characters. A beautiful film.

Fakhar AbbasDec 8, 2023

first - watch this movie! it is a must see for anyone who is a fan of independent art cinema. i was captivated from the start. each actor pulls their role off to perfection. the plot line is compelling. and no, i do not believe the two lead characters are gay. anyone who can claim otherwise has never had a close personal friend. their relationship is based on like minds with one goal - they called it 'the plan'. until a third partner shows up and brings their conscience selves to the forefront. why only 9 stars then? well please watch the movie and pay extra attention to the little boy in the automobile with the social services agent. was that a wish for the future by the little boy or was it flashbacks? the time line there became confusing for me. but so what! this is a marvelous film!

Mysterylook®Dec 8, 2023

I would like to give this movie a higher rating. There were some good parts. The positive feelings toward the abandoned child were good and well expressed. The scene with the homeless lady was also good. But the movie simply glorifies stealing. Toward the end, they even have the boy helping them steal a wallet. I would also add that it is unrealistic that two thieves could get away with the same scam (pretending to park cars for those attending funerals, then selling the vehicles) over and over and over. I really believe the movie could have been made with the plot involving some lesser moral failures... at least less than grand theft auto. That part was unrealistic. They would not have been able to pop in and out of jail so easily.

Lintle SenekaneDec 8, 2023

The thing that makes me connect with independent films is that they make you think. Hollywood blockbusters just don't seem all that poignant anymore. For this reason I am glad that Netflix suggested A Bag of Hammers to me. It tells the story of two lifelong friends whose bond was developed over hardships in childhood. To make ends meet these two have a very lucrative career as con men. Their lives and friendships are tested when they inherit an orphaned boy, a boy in whom they see a lot of their own struggles of youth. I really connected with the cast and was genuinely touched by Jason Ritter's speech on the Bag of Hammers that is in the film. It had the perfect feel for a modern independent film with a modest budget, realistic locations and important message that tackles modern-day dilemmas. It is a unique take on the coming of age story, not just for the orphaned boy, but for the two con men who must finally come to grips with growing up.