# Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 26, 2017, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-billboards-outside-ebbing-missouri/802758 "2017-11-26T16:15:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![eunoia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eunoia/32/97_2.png) [@eunoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eunoia)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2018, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-billboards-outside-ebbing-missouri/802758/81 "2018-05-27T19:12:13Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > How did she know the guy was from Idaho? She said she was planning to go there before Dixon showed up and told her the guy was from Idaho. Did I miss something? I think you missed something. Dixon calls Mildred to tell her the results of the DNA test, and later: DIXON I know he isn’t your rapist. He is a rapist, though. I’m sure of that. MILDRED What are you saying to me? DIXON Got his licence plate. I know where he lives. MILDRED Where does he live? DIXON Lives in Idaho. MILDRED That’s funny. I’m driving to Idaho in the morning. DIXON Want some company? ---
**Author:** ![Biffster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biffster/32/339_2.png) [@Biffster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffster)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2018, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-billboards-outside-ebbing-missouri/802758/82 "2018-05-27T19:32:06Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > How did she know the guy was from Idaho? She said she was planning to go there before Dixon showed up and told her the guy was from Idaho. Did I miss something? She didn’t know he was from Idaho. She decided she would be going to Idaho when Dixon told her that was where the guy was from. Whether they go through with the revenge plot or not is open to interpretation. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2018, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-billboards-outside-ebbing-missouri/802758/83 "2018-05-28T11:15:56Z")
on google street view go to Main st. in Sylva NC. You can see the movie set there. Google car just happened to pass through during the filming. You can see the burned out police station building and the Ebbing newspaper building. ---
**Author:** ![eunoia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eunoia/32/97_2.png) [@eunoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eunoia)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2018, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-billboards-outside-ebbing-missouri/802758/84 "2018-05-29T06:15:47Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > on google street view go to Main st. in Sylva NC. You can see the movie set there. Google car just happened to pass through during the filming. You can see the burned out police station building and the Ebbing newspaper building. [Awesome!](https://www.google.com/maps/@35.3736169,-83.2235292,3a,68y,150.4h,85.74t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s2Z6kfCUOpgtPcwMKCsSQaA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en) The Ebbing Herald is a bit east of there, as opposed to across the street. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2018, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-billboards-outside-ebbing-missouri/802758/85 "2018-08-01T09:19:58Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > Et cetera, et cetera. Wikipedia calls this a ''black comedy" and Google calls it “Crime film/Comedy.” ‘Comedy’ isn’t the word that would come to my mind — but the film is sort of unfunny slapstick. > > _ **I did enjoy the movie** _ … a little, with its excellent acting and unpredictable plot developments. But I’m rather stunned that it was well-received enough to get so many awards. Some people liked the movie; some people hated it for its racism and other misanthropy. Could it be that some of those who liked it, liked it _because it fit their own misanthropy_? :eek: Yeah, I gave this movie a very tepid thumbs up because after the first few minutes (when I almost punched out but kept going because of all the acclaim) I was reasonably entertained. But IMO it is absurd for this to get all the critical and award recognition it did, and to have been at one point the frontrunner for the Best Picture Oscar. Srsly? There are the problematic elements of making light of police brutality (including against black prisoners) and of domestic violence that made me uncomfortable, and the way Peter Dinklage’s character was treated (why did he even take this part?). And I’m one who often thinks “problematic” is trotted out way too easily, but here I think it was deserved. There were plot holes described above, the weird shifts in tone, the characters who disappeared or had no point. Throughout, it would be unclear if we were even supposed to take any of it seriously, but then they would hit us with stuff you absolutely have to take seriously. And McDonagh clearly doesn’t know rural heartland America—and neither do most of the critics and award voters, which is probably part of the disconnect. I lived for many years in rural Missouri, and I don’t recognize it in this movie. In that vein: I’m assuming that in Ireland, where Donagh lives, there is a more centralized national system of police or something like that? He portrays a situation where the local sheriff (or was it chief of police?) is no longer able to do the job, and a guy arrives from out of town who has been “assigned” to take over. Say what? If it was the chief of police, the mayor, city manager, or city council will decide on a replacement and in the meantime, name someone already on the police force to be the acting chief. If it’s the sheriff, that’s an elected position. Either way, you don’t just get “assigned” someone you’ve never heard of. That was a real WTF moment. BTW, the people falling all over themselves praising McDormand in this role should really see the HBO miniseries “Olive Kittredge”. There are some similarities to the roles, but OK is much better overall and McDormand’s acting is more nuanced (in part because the character is written in a more nuanced way). ---
**Author:** ![eunoia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eunoia/32/97_2.png) [@eunoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eunoia)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2018, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-billboards-outside-ebbing-missouri/802758/86 "2018-08-01T18:02:52Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > …He portrays a situation where the local sheriff (or was it chief of police?) is no longer able to do the job, and a guy arrives from out of town who has been “assigned” to take over. Say what? If it was the chief of police, the mayor, city manager, or city council will decide on a replacement and in the meantime, name someone already on the police force to be the acting chief. If it’s the sheriff, that’s an elected position. Either way, you don’t just get “assigned” someone you’ve never heard of. That was a real WTF moment. … I’m curious about this now. McDonagh’s characters refer to Willoughby as “Chief” enough times, I’m assuming he’s the Chief of Police. Is there no way for the mayor, city manager, or city council to replace the chief with someone from outside the station? I’d interpreted the arrival of the new chief as a coup that was planned way ahead of time because of the racist incidents, maybe even by Willoughby himself (who definitely was a planner). ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2018, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-billboards-outside-ebbing-missouri/802758/87 "2018-08-01T19:47:40Z")
I just saw this movie this month on a flight. I was very disturbed by the ending. It was not the lack of closure, it was the sudden change in direction. First, Dixon’s contrition and reinvention was far too abrupt and complete. Second, I could not believe that the two of them would team up to go murder someone based on a story he told in a bar. Dixon seemed to be convinced the man was guilty of something, and Mildred decided if she couldn’t bring her daughter’s killer to justice, she would bring \*someone \*to justice. As tough-as-nails as she was I just did not think she would cross the line to murder. Whom did Mildred think she was calling when she phoned the police station just before she threw the Molotov cocktails? It was late at night, she couldn’t have expected Dixon to be there, and in fact couldn’t have expected anyone to be there. She seemed to be expecting someone to answer the phone, and when nobody did, she said, “Fuck it” or words to that effect, and started lobbing. For all of Mildred’s energy and anger, why didn’t she go off to do her own investigation, or take that $5K and hire a private detective? She didn’t do the least little thing to contribute to finding her daughter’s killer. She expended a huge amount of effort in fighting the police chief and half the whole town in the process. That effort could have been channeled to something more productive. > [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > “I read it on a bookmark. I was reading a book about polio. O is it polo? The one with the horses?” Funny line but who is really that stupid? That was a cartoon character. > [@Mahaloth](#): > > However, I found that flashback moment in the script for Billboards to be very weak. It felt like “screenwriter 101” type scripting and I didn’t think the directing of the actors made it much better. > > I cringed at how it seemed…cliche? Obvious? I am with you 100% on that. It was too pat. Really, that conversation wasn’t necessary to convey the guilt that Mildred felt. It might as well have been: “I hope I get burned and raped and murdered and then the police can’t find the killer and then you harass the police chief until he commits suicide!” “Oh, yeah, well _I_ hope you get burned and raped and murdered and then the police can’t find the killer and then I harass the police chief until he commits suicide!” ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2018, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-billboards-outside-ebbing-missouri/802758/88 "2018-08-01T19:49:08Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > And why was the dentist drilling when he told her he needed to pull a tooth? Ever see _Marathon Man_? ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2018, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-billboards-outside-ebbing-missouri/802758/89 "2018-08-01T19:57:02Z")
> [@eunoia](#): > > […]nobody is including Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri. (As the NYT should have spelled it if, again, they still employed editors.) > [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > And I applaud your continuing to use the proper uncapitalized “outside”. Someone has to care about these things.🙂 I just watched the trailer and “outside” was spelled in all caps, so you can’t tell if the producers intended an o or an O. Why do you say that “outside” must be uncapitalized? This is a matter of style. I do not know what the NYT style guide says but [some guides say to capitalize anything longer than four letters, even if it’s a preposition](https://www.grammarcheck.net/capitalization-in-titles-101/). ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2018, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-billboards-outside-ebbing-missouri/802758/90 "2018-08-01T20:22:37Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > There are the problematic elements of making light of police brutality (including against black prisoners) and of domestic violence that made me uncomfortable, and the way Peter Dinklage’s character was treated (why did he even take this part?). And I’m one who often thinks “problematic” is trotted out way too easily, but here I think it was deserved. In what way do you think the movie made light of police brutality and domestic violence? I thought it felt both shocking and real, but not light. ---
**Author:** ![eunoia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eunoia/32/97_2.png) [@eunoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eunoia)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2018, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-billboards-outside-ebbing-missouri/802758/91 "2018-08-01T21:18:03Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > I just watched the trailer and “outside” was spelled in all caps, so you can’t tell if the producers intended an o or an O. > > Why do you say that “outside” must be uncapitalized? This is a matter of style. I do not know what the NYT style guide says but [some guides say to capitalize anything longer than four letters, even if it’s a preposition](https://www.grammarcheck.net/capitalization-in-titles-101/). In the title appearing in the movie as written by the author, or as submitted to awards organizations, “outside” is not capitalized. ---
**Author:** ![eunoia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eunoia/32/97_2.png) [@eunoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eunoia)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2018, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-billboards-outside-ebbing-missouri/802758/92 "2018-08-01T21:41:00Z")
[Created cite for above.](https://imgur.com/a/jNnmsHm) I realize this may seem nitpicky, but I think the author did this with the purpose of having viewers question it and maybe learn something and change their minds, so the spelling is an important part of the work. ---
**Author:** ![Biffster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biffster/32/339_2.png) [@Biffster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffster)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2018, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-billboards-outside-ebbing-missouri/802758/93 "2018-08-01T22:18:04Z")
Capitalization, not spelling (I can be nitpicky too). 😉 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![eunoia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eunoia/32/97_2.png) [@eunoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eunoia)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2018, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-billboards-outside-ebbing-missouri/802758/94 "2018-08-01T22:25:00Z")
> [@Biffster](#): > > Capitalization, not spelling (I can be nitpicky too). 😉 > Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk There oughta be a law. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-billboards-outside-ebbing-missouri/802758/95 "2018-08-07T06:44:31Z")
Watched it tonight. Not a fan. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2018, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-billboards-outside-ebbing-missouri/802758/96 "2018-08-11T02:23:12Z")
Watched it tonight for the second time, and liked it even more than I did the first. The first time I was bothered by some of the plot points, but this time they didn’t matter, and all I got to do was wallow in some fine acting and direction. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2018, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-billboards-outside-ebbing-missouri/802758/97 "2018-09-02T02:27:09Z")
Finally saw this and loved it. I didn’t really know anything about it when I watched it, so I was continually surprised by the escalations. At least half a dozen times I thought to myself “Well this is more hardcore than I was expecting.” > [@CookingWithGas](#): > > Whom did Mildred think she was calling when she phoned the police station just before she threw the Molotov cocktails? It was late at night, she couldn’t have expected Dixon to be there, and in fact couldn’t have expected anyone to be there. She seemed to be expecting someone to answer the phone, and when nobody did, she said, “Fuck it” or words to that effect, and started lobbing. She was making sure nobody was in the building before she torched it. The “Fuck it!” line was her deciding that she would actually go through with it. Even though she had “confirmed” it was empty, torching a police station is crossing a pretty serious line. Fuck it, let’s do this. > [@eunoia](#): > > Those good guys are seriously hoping Best Supporting Actor Oscar votes for racist Sam Rockwell and rapist Woody Harrelson somehow cancel each other out. I suppose it would be fitting for the non-misanthropes to finally get to laugh. Woody Harrelson’s character was not a rapist. ---
**Author:** ![DummyGladHands](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@DummyGladHands](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DummyGladHands)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2018, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-billboards-outside-ebbing-missouri/802758/98 "2018-09-02T13:07:35Z")
Just watched it on a flight. My first thought was “Damn, when did Woody Harrelson turn into an actor?” ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2018, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-billboards-outside-ebbing-missouri/802758/99 "2018-09-02T13:20:35Z")
I thought the acting was very good. But the writing? Ugh. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2018, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-billboards-outside-ebbing-missouri/802758/100 "2018-09-02T13:51:39Z")
> [@DummyGladHands](#): > > Just watched it on a flight. My first thought was “Damn, when did Woody Harrelson turn into an actor?” Since … forever? First notable job: Woody on _Cheers_ starting in 1985 as a quick replacement for Coach. Nominated for an Emmy for that in 1987 thru 1991 (and 1999!). Won in 1989. Look at the _long_ [list](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000437/awards) of stuff he’s been nominated for. Perhaps you’ve missed all of his memorable performances. Try _The Edge of Seventeen, Zombieland, No Country for Old Men, The People vs. Larry Flynt, Natural Born Killers_ and a dozen other great things he’s done. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-billboards-outside-ebbing-missouri/802758.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-billboards-outside-ebbing-missouri/802758.md?page=6)