That Evening Sun (2009) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Abner leaves the nursing home because he feels betrayed and abandoned by his son Paul, a lawyer who placed him there. After being abandoned, Abner decides to reclaim his independence and return to his beloved Tennessee farm, where he wants to spend his remaining days in peace.

Foreshadowing: The opening establishes Abner's strong attachment to his land and his defiance of being controlled.

• abandoned
• nursing home
• independence
• son paul

Paul, Abner's son and a lawyer, leased the farm to Lonzo Choat to handle what he perceived as his father's inability to care for the property. Paul believed placing his father in a nursing home was the best solution, but he needed to generate income from the land rather than let it sit idle.

• paul
• lease
• lonzo choat
• son
• property

Abner fires a warning shot after witnessing Lonzo violently disciplining his daughter for going on a date with a boy her parents disapproved of. The violent act against a defenseless person triggers Abner's sense of justice and protectiveness, leading him to intervene and scatter Lonzo with the gunshot.

Foreshadowing: Abner has already shown willingness to fight for what he believes is right by refusing to leave his own property.

• warning shot
• lonzo
• daughter
• violence
• protect

Lonzo kills Abner's dog Nipper as retaliation for Abner orchestrating his arrest. After Abner successfully gets Lonzo arrested through some clever maneuvering with local authorities, Lonzo's wife Ludie has to pay for his bail. Enraged by this humiliation, Lonzo takes out his anger on the defenseless dog and displays the body as a gruesome act of defiance.

Foreshadowing: The earlier arrest and bail payment scene establishes the escalating personal vendetta between the two men.

• nipper
• dog
• kill
• retaliation
• lonzo

Abner sets the tenant shack on fire in a moment of despair after being forced to leave by police intervention. With his son Paul insisting he move because of concerns about his mental stability, and with his rivalry with Lonzo having escalated to the point of threats to burn him alive, Abner feels defeated and chooses this final act of defiance rather than submit quietly.

Foreshadowing: Lonzo's earlier threat to burn the shack with Abner inside foreshadows this desperate act.

• shack
• fire
• despair
• defeat
• abandoned

Lonzo saves Abner from the fire because despite their bitter rivalry and deep hatred, he cannot stand by and watch a man die. This unexpected act of mercy transforms their relationship dynamics, showing that beneath their conflict, Lonzo still possesses basic human decency and cannot allow someone to perish, even someone he has fought fiercely.

Foreshadowing: The men have exchanged threats, but their long history together suggests complex feelings beyond simple hatred.

• lonzo
• save
• fire
• rescue
• transformation

Abner insists on planting corn instead of tomatoes because corn represents his identity as a farmer and his connection to the land. Despite being forced into a retirement community, Abner refuses to abandon the traditions and way of life that defined him. Choosing corn over tomatoes is his way of maintaining his dignity and holding onto his roots, even in a diminished circumstances.

Foreshadowing: From the beginning, Abner's love for his farm and his identity as a farmer has been the driving force of his actions.

• corn
• tomatoes
• planting
• identity
• farmer

The Choats leave the farm at the end because Abner has finally accepted his new reality and agreed to move to the retirement community. With Abner no longer fighting to reclaim the land and having reconciled with his son Paul, there is nothing keeping the Choats there. Their departure marks the end of the conflict and the closing of that chapter in Abner's life.

• choats
• leave
• departure
• empty
• resolution

Abner refuses to leave the tenant shack because he views it as part of his property and a matter of principle. Even though the main house is leased to Lonzo, Abner believes he has every right to stay on his own land. His stubborn pride and defiance will not allow him to give up without a fight, so he occupies the smaller dwelling as a symbolic and literal stand.

Foreshadowing: Abner's determination to return to his farm establishes his unwillingness to accept any arrangement he views as unjust.

• tenant shack
• refuse
• land
• pride
• defiance

Lonzo disciplines his daughter violently after catching her on a date with a boy her parents disapprove of. The film suggests the Choats have strict moral expectations for their daughter, and Lonzo's violent reaction reflects both his harsh parenting style and the cultural norms of the setting, though the film clearly presents this as abusive behavior that Abner finds unacceptable.

• daughter
• violence
• disapprove
• date
• parents

The police intervene after Abner draws a pistol on Lonzo during their confrontation at the shack. When Lonzo threatens to burn the shack with Abner inside, Abner pulls his gun but is easily disarmed. The situation escalates to the point where authorities are called, leading to police involvement and ultimately Abner's removal from the property for his own safety.

Foreshadowing: The escalating threats between the two men have been building toward violent confrontation.

• police
• intervene
• pistol
• threat
• arrest

Ludie, Lonzo's wife, pays for his bail because despite the chaos and conflict, she remains loyal to her husband. Even though she resents Abner for orchestrating the arrest, she is still part of the family and feels obligated to secure Lonzo's release. This act highlights the complex family dynamics and shows that the Choat family is united even in their adversity.

Foreshadowing: Ludie's resentment toward Abner is established early in their conflict.

• ludie
• bail
• pay
• wife
• loyalty