W Stands For Wrong? How ‘Bout W Stands For Walking Tall?

by John Hawkins | October 1, 2004 4:30 pm

You know why that’s such a great poster? Because Walking Tall, the original, not the pale imitation with the Rock in it, is such a great metaphor for the war on terror.

Read these excerpts from a review of the movie by Adam J. Hakari[1] and you’ll see what I mean…

“All Buford Pusser wanted for his family was a good, clean life. He gave up a career on the professional wrestling circuit to move his wife and kids back to his old hometown in McNairy County, Tennessee. But when he arrives, Buford senses that the place has undergone some changes. Townspeople are living in fear of the State Line Mob, whose business is booming in the county thanks to the various small-time casinos, brothels, and moonshine stills scattered about. The sight of all this vice and sin taking over Buford’s childhood home makes the man sick, and he sets out on a quest to cleanse the town. But Buford finds himself on a solo mission, as he’s the only man brave enough to take on the State Line Mob, dispensing justice with his brute strength — not to mention a 2 x 4 club used to beat the bad guys up with.

….While Buford’s one-man assault on the mob, walking into local bars and starting up trouble with that d*mned club of his, can be seen as one vulgar display of unflinching violence after the other, others can see the meaning behind the bloodshed. Buford Pusser is a man who is truly appalled at how much has gone bad in his town, how much people have gotten away with and how others have let them get away with it. The only way to make things right in Buford’s eyes is to do what the State Line Mob did to gain control, which is using as much force as possible (just see how tough things get in the final scenes, when Buford suffers a tragedy and really gets mad). And Buford doesn’t just get a few scratches and a punch here and there. How the on-screen Buford and the real-life one survived these is beyond me, but during his quest, Buford is shot, stabbed, cut, and beat-up to the point of nearly losing his jaw. But the man keeps on coming, because he has a family and a town to protect, and he’ll be d*mned if he lets them fall victim to Billy Bob and his moonshinin’ crew.

…Walking Tall is about how, once in a while, you have to take the rough route to get to where you want to go.”

The terrorists have already hit us and they may very well hit us again, but as long as W. is in the White House, nothing on God’s green earth is going to keep him from going after them.

Hat tip to Free Will[2] & Knowledge Is Power[3] for the awesome graphic.

*** Update #1***: My movie review for the new version of Walking Tall featuring The Rock is here[4]. The verdict? “(T)humbs up, just barely.”