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Jeff Bridges’ Concern About Levels Of Aggression In America Today

By Stacey Cole
Published on: 01:16 PST, Feb 5, 2017

Jeff Bridges is concerned about the aggression in today’s America, calling for patience and understanding among all people of America and asking them to put a check on their aggression. CNN Media reports that the actor speaks of Zen and peace.

Bridges spoke to CNN Money from his home in California.

“We point fingers at people, we point fingers at [Donald] Trump, he points fingers at people. How are we going to come together and realize that we’re on this little dust spec in space, you know?… How are we going to work together to make the most beautiful existence that we can?”

The talented Bridges has just received his seventh Academy Award nomination for his role as Texas Ranger Marcus Hamilton in the already highly-successful movie Hell or High Water. The Western heist film revolves around two brothers who save their family ranch by robbing banks. In fact, it’s Bridges’ character in the movie who inspires some of the patience and understanding that the actor is speaking about.

“That’s what I think is needed today, to kind of put a check on ourselves and knowing what’s right or wrong and being so sure that Trump is an a**hole and that he’s going to be terrible… You can have very strong opinions, but to go after this peace and this beauty that we’re after I think we gotta show up and give a little space for something beautiful to bloom out of it. As the Dude might say, ‘this aggression will not stand.'”

Hill or High Water had a $12 million budget, and has rapidly become one of the highest-grossing independent films of 2016, bringing in $27 million nationally. It seems this movie is appealing to audiences everywhere, in both Texas and Oklahoma where the movie takes place, and Los Angeles and New York. Last week, the film also picked up an Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing. Perhaps this story appeals to Americans because it’s something people can get behind – a celebration of individualism in the face of exploitative financial institutions.

“A lot of people are saying this is the movie of our times: it represents what we’re going through currently, but for my money that’s how human beings have rolled since the beginning of time. We’re very selfish folks. One of the themes is this idea of looking out for only your own self-interests, whether you’re a bank ripping people off, or you’re farmers robbing banks to protect your family, or you’re oil companies or whatever – that sort of selfish act has consequences.”

With Trump’s proposals and how people are reacting to them, Bridges believes that these are very stimulating times in America.

“And that’s where the movie leaves us: What are we going to do with this situation that we find ourselves in?”

So, let’s meet the actual sheriff behind the story of Hell or High Water! WFAA reports that Parnell McNamara has been a lawman for more than 50 years, and it was McNamara that Bridges approached to tap into his wealth of knowledge for his role in Hell or High Water. Bridges’ character in the movie has been inspired by McNamara’s life, which is set in Texas. Incidentally, the movie was written by Taylor Sheridan, McNamara’s cousin.

“They got along really well,” Sheridan said of McNamara and Bridges. “They were palling around all night during the Austin premier.” Both McNamara and the critics agree that the actor’s dedication to detail and getting it right has certainly paid off. It seems that the movie is a winner because, not only might Bridges win another Academy award, but the story accurately portrays Texas law enforcement and depicts both the heart of Texas and the men and women who serve and protect it.

[Featured Image by Richard Shotwell/AP Images]

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