The Yellow Handkerchief

With a guiding title premise that has little to no bearing on the story, "The Yellow Handkerchief" is little more than a glorified student film. William Hurt gives a more than worthy performance as Brett Hanson, a convicted murderer released into the hot Louisiana sun after serving a six year prison sentence. Brett catches a ride with an unlikely but self-professed "native Indian" named Gordy (well played by Eddie Redmayne), and a 15-year-old would be sexpot named Martine (played with typecast redundancy by Kristen Stewart). Socially challenged Gordy wants to seal a romantic deal with Martine who is clearly attracted to Brett, a man old enough to be her grandfather. The trio's road trip passes through devastated post Katrina New Orleans before dead-ending at the boat house home of Brett's former love May (Maria Bello) in a narrative culmination as prosaic as they come. "Tie a yellow ribbon 'round the old oak tree," and skip this pigeon hole of independent film tropes.

(Samuel Goldwyn Films) Rated PG-13. 96 mins. (C-) (Two Stars - out of 5/no halves)