Premiered at the Sundance Film Festival January 21, 2018
a Andrew Hecker film
Plot (Spoiler Alert)
Mike Burden, a Klansman, is becoming a new man with the help of a black minister, Kennedy, and a single mom, Judy, he falls in love with.
Blaine: Andrew Hecker has never made a movie before. He devoted himself to “Burden” for twenty years. In 1986, Andrew read an article about Klansmen opening a Redneck shop and KKK museum in a small southern town in South Carolina. It got more interesting for Andrew 11 years later when there was a new article saying a Klansman sold the museum to a black Baptist minister. Andrew couldn’t believe it, but that’s what it said. Andrew went to visit South Carolina and meet the people there, Mike Burden, the man who sold the museum, and the minister, Reverend David Kennedy. Andrew wasn’t expecting to stay that long, but there was so many things down there that he found interesting, like the people. Andrew got to know everyone down in South Carolina, including the Klansmen.
Andrew wanted Mike Burden and Reverend Kennedy’s story be a movie and for fifteen years, he was writing different drafts for this project and trying to figure out which one worked best. It took a little longer to figure out when “Burden” was going to get made, but producer Robbie Brenner really believed in the project and she was positive that making it was going to happen. Andrew almost gave up on “Burden", but Robbie Brenner wasn’t going to make it without him because he was the one who put so much time into the script and she believed he was the man with the vision. Even Andrew’s wife didn’t think he should give up because she knew how passionate he was about the project and how many years he spent with it too. Those two really believed in Andrew and he was back in the game after that.
Andrew said they almost hired the entire “Avengers” cast to play the roles in “Burden”. The first actor who signed on to the project was Forest Whitaker and that was in 2006. But they didn’t make the movie right away because they kept delaying. However, Forest stuck with the project for more than a decade because he believed in this story and wanted it to get out there. So Forest was another big believer. Forest was also able to help get other actors involved with “Burden”. Forest is a big actor and with him involved that attracted other actors, like Garrett Hedlund and Andrea Riseborough.
Andrew has spent his career as an actor and he knows how actors think. He allowed his actors to have the freedom to perform as their characters they way they wanted to because these guys are professionals. They met with the people they were playing, Mike Burden, Reverend Kennedy, Judy and others. Mike Burden is a different person now compared to who he was back in the 90s, but he explained who he was and what he was going through to Garrett Hedlun and Garrett had an idea for how he could perform. Andrew thought a lot of Garrett for the work he was putting into his performance as Mike Burden and he was so happy to have gotten him involved with the project.
Andrew Hecker has had some experience in directing plays, but with film things work really different. “Burden” is the very first movie Andrew has directed in his life and he was very prepared when principal photography began because this project took twenty years of his life. Although, Andrew wasn’t making it convincing enough that he was in charge even though he knew what he wanted to see. And there are still some things Andrew had to learn about filmmaking too. One of them is having an open mind. A lot of people who work on a movie love it just as much as the director and the people who work with him or her on set will sometimes have ideas of their own for how a scene should go. Andrea Riseborough had an idea for how she could act in a scene and Andrew was against that because this was his movie and he wanted to be in charge of how things should go. But scenes can be done in different ways when you’re shooting takes.
Andrea really wanted to try out her way first and Andrew allowed that. The plan was to shoot Andrea’s way first and then Andrew’s, but Andrew didn’t want to shoot it his way after seeing how Andrea’s way was going. Andrew was very impressed with how Andrea acted in that scene and he loved it so much that it got to be in the final cut of the film. Andrew learned that he should listen to everyone else whenever they have a suggestion.
Andrew was experimenting with how things work when directing a film. Andrew didn’t know too much about the camera work. He felt he messed up at times, but his cinematographer was there to help because it’s the cinematographer’s job to be in charge of the camera work.
Judy doesn't have things easy in life, but she manages to stay strong and do everything she can to survive. Plus she has her son to think about and she knows God is looking after her. Judy’s life is about to get a lot better when Mike Burden comes into it. When Mike and Judy first meet, Mike and his friend are taking Judy's T.V. for payment purposes. Mike is a gentleman to Judy by helping her start her car. Mike treats things fare with Judy and wants to help make things better for her.
Mike has never met a woman like Judy before and Judy herself hasn’t met a real gentleman like Mike. Judy likes to cuddle with Mike a lot. They can’t even keep each other’s lips apart. Although there are some things about Mike that need to change like the fact that he’s a Klansman. But deep down inside his soul he has nothing against the black people. Judy doesn’t know Mike is a Klansman until shortly after and she doesn’t know how to feel about that. I mean Mike is perfect for Judy, but she is against the Klansmen. Judy asks why people should get picked on just because their skin color is different. She also knows the KKK is dangerous. But even though Judy despises the KKK, still she loves Mike deeply and he shows her kindness. Judy thinks Mike to show his good side to the blacks. Judy speaks her mind and asks Mike certain questions about himself that makes him think. Mike is having trouble figuring out who he really is.
Mike used to be friends with a black man, Clarence, played by Usher, when he was a kid, but Mike’s father changed all of that. Mike had it rough as a child. His father pushed him into becoming something he didn’t choose to be, a racist. Mike never got to have his own free will. He just does what he does because his father raised him that way. Mike does however have something inside of him that can never be taken away, a soul. Judy helps bring out the best in Mike. Judy is always there for Mike and is like his therapist. Mike tells Judy everything about him and he’s nothing but honest with her. Mike’s feelings for Judy are strong and he has known that from the moment they met each other.
Reverend David Kennedy is always the person who deals with situations around the town. He sees that Klansmen have put together their own museum and it’s the worst thing his eyes have ever seen. Kennedy won’t allow this, so he protests with other people to have the museum close. Reverend Kennedy’s son, Kelvin, and his friends want to take care of things physically. Reverend Kennedy’s way is not fighting with violence, but with your spirit. Mike Burden is supposed to assassinate Kennedy from a high angle. Mike has a clear shot at Kennedy, but something is holding him back. Mike is suffering from a painful memory from his childhood when a deer was shot right in front of him by his dad. The deer was harmless and innocent and it didn’t deserve that. And Kennedy is not doing anything. The Klansmen are just rubbing stuff in his face and Kennedy is brave enough to stand up against them without fighting back.
Mike Burden’s eyes are starting to open up and see that the KKK is evil. Mike Burden quits the KKK and Judy is so proud of him. She knows it must have been hard to do that, but really it didn’t look hard at all. Mike wasn’t just doing this for Judy, but for himself as well. Mike thought supporting the KKK was his purpose in life, but now he has a new purpose, to be there for Judy and her boy. Although, Mike still needs to work on a few things, like his behavior around black people.
Judy’s boy is best friends with a black boy and they enjoy each others’ company. Judy tests Mike to see if he is the man she truly deserves. Mike wants to take the boy fishing and his best friend is around, which leaves everyone thinking how things are going to go. Mike takes both boys fishing and everything is alright. Mike forgets about it because he is all about having a good time.
Every time there’s a peaceful moment the Klan ruins it all. The Klan is trying to make Mike and Judy’s life a living hell. The Klan has them kicked out of their own home, Judy loses her job because of them. It goes to show how cruel the Klansmen are, but Mike and Judy find themselves in a better presence.
Reverend David Kennedy is able to help. The news about Mike leaving the Klan comes as a bit of a surprise to Kennedy, but it’s a sign to what he has been praying for and he must do everything he can to help Mike. A lot of people think Reverend Kennedy has lost his mind in helping a former Klansman out, including his own family. Kelvin is having trouble understanding his father. He feels he’s not seeing things clearly.
Reverend Kennedy admits to Kelvin that he didn’t want to help Mike Burden, but he could hear God’s voice and he was just doing as instructed. And as a Christian it’s his job to help others. Kelvin now understands that his father is doing this because he wants to believe in something. Reverend Kennedy is doing everything he can to help Mike change his ways.
Then a miracle happens. Mike Burden owns the deed to the museum and it’s the only thing he has left that is worth anything. Mike Burden really needs to provide a shelter for Judy and her boy and because he’s no longer a Klansman, he has no problem giving away the museum. Mike sells the deed to Kennedy and this blows Kennedy’s mind. Kennedy has been praying for something like this to happen and it has come true. Now that Kennedy owns the building he can do whatever with it, even make it go out of business. This is the happiest thing the Kennedy family has felt in a while. His wife, Janice, and Kelvin were against what David Kennedy was doing by helping Mike, but it has all payed off because they have won the battle of taking down the Klansmen museum. Janice and Kelvin realize how right David Kennedy was and they are so proud of him.
All Mike Burden wants is to have a better life for himself and in order to do that he must speak up and say what is coming from his heart. He confesses in front of a video camera that he beat up a black man. The black man was getting on Mike Burden’s bad side because the guy was being a bit of a dick, but he didn’t deserve what Burden gave him. As Mike listens to himself speak he feels regret.
Mike is evolving into a better man and things are lightening up, until the Klansmen ruin another perfect moment. The Klansmen are like bad luck. Mike Burden and Clarence Brooks are just minding their own businesses, having a peaceful moment and the Klansmen show up and beat them up. Mike Burden chooses not to fight this time. Every time the Klansmen knock Mike down, he finds the strength to pull himself back up. They plan to burn Clarence alive and Mike uses himself as a shield to protect Clarence. One of the Klansmen hears a voice saying it’s not right to burn people alive and so he stops it and the Klansmen just walk off.
Mike finds Religion and Reverend Kennedy baptizes him. Mike Burden is seeing things in a bright way at the end of the film. He sees a deer and it is glowing. For him it resembles peace.
“Burden” meant a lot to Andrew Heckler. It was the first movie he both wrote and directed, he spent twenty years trying to put the story together in the best way and he became close with the people this movie is based on. Andrew is close friends with Mike Burden, Judy and Reverend David Kennedy.
