Homefront (2013 film)

Homefront is a 2013 American action thriller film directed by Gary Fleder and written by Sylvester Stallone, who also produced the film with Kevin King Templeton and John Thompson. The film, which is based on the novel of the same name by Chuck Logan, stars Jason Statham, James Franco, Winona Ryder and Kate Bosworth. In the film, Phil Broker, a retired DEA agent, leads a peaceful life with his daughter Maddy, but trouble ensues as Broker and Maddy gets entangled with Gator, a crime boss, due to a school bullying incident.

Filming began on October 1, 2012 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Homefront was released on November 27, 2013.

Plot
Phil Broker, a DEA agent, raids a methamphetamine lab owned by Danny T, a biker gang boss, and retires from the agency. Broker moves to a small Louisiana town with his daughter Maddy. One day, Maddy gets into a schoolyard fight with a bully Teddy Klum and Broker is called to her school. As they prepare to return home, Teddy's mother Cassie instigates a fight between her husband and Broker, which Broker wins easily. An enraged Cassie asks her brother Gator, a crime boss running a meth lab, to intimidate Broker.

While working, Broker's friend Teedo warns him that the locals might engage in an old-school fight and not to trust them. When Broker and Maddy go horseback riding, Gator breaks into their house and finds old DEA personnel files. Gator discovers that Broker was responsible for Danny T's arrest, which resulted in the death of Danny T's son. Hoping to expand his influence, Gator tips off Danny T, who sends members of his gang to kill Broker.

Meanwhile, Broker attempts to smooth over the situation with Teddy's family, and Maddy invites Teddy to her birthday party. As tensions between the two families slowly ease, with Teddy and Maddy even becoming friends, Gator warns Cassie to stay away from Broker. Broker's DEA contacts warn him that Gator may be involved with Danny T. Later, Broker heads to Gator's meth lab and sets traps, but he is subdued and tortured by Gator's thugs. Broker manages to escape and defeat his captors, but before he and Maddy can leave town, the gang members arrive. Though Broker ambushes and kills most of the gang members, Teedo gets injured while helping Broker and Maddy escape.

Meanwhile, Gator’s girlfriend Sheryl kidnaps Maddy in a boat. Maddy uses her cell phone to call Broker. From Maddy's descriptions, Broker realizes that Maddy has been taken to Gator's meth lab. Cassie arrives at Gator's warehouse after hearing news of the gunfight, where she is horrified to find Maddy there. Cassie angrily confronts Gator and demands to release Maddy, before accidentally setting off Broker's traps and causing the entire building to explode into flames. Disgusted with her brother, Cassie attempts to flee with Maddy, leading to a struggle in which Gator accidentally shoots Cassie.

Gator flees with Maddy in his truck, with Broker in pursuit. When Broker crashes his car, Gator prepares to shoot him, but is distracted by Maddy whom he attempts to force back into his truck. Taking advantage of the distraction, Broker frees himself and savagely beats Gator before reuniting with Maddy. Gator and Sheryl are arrested, while Teedo and Cassie are taken to the hospital. Later, Broker visits Danny T in prison, letting him know that he will be around when Danny T is eventually released.

Cast
In addition, Marcus Hester portrays Jimmy Klum, Omar Benson Miller plays Teedo, and Chuck Zito appears as "Danny T" Turrie.

Production
Sylvester Stallone wrote the script, which is based on the novel of the same name by Chuck Logan. The film was originally intended to have Stallone in the lead role, but Stallone stayed on as the producer and passed on the lead role to Jason Statham.

Box office
Homefront grossed $20.2million in the United States and Canada and $31.5million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $51.7million, against a budget of $22million. It opened at number 5 at the US box office in its first weekend, and spent its first three weekends in the top 10 at the US box office.

Critical response
Scott Foundas of Variety notes the reliable presence of Statham, but blames director Gary Fleder for "making an incoherent jumble of most of the action scenes". He calls Bosworth's performance the film's "greatest surprise", and Franco's performance as its "biggest disappointment". Foundas calls the film "surprisingly joyless" and "less than the sum of its parts."