The Mule
Short description
Earl Stone is an elderly horticulturist whose business has failed and whose family has grown distant after years of putting work first. Broke and facing the loss of his home, he accepts what looks like a simple driving job, only to discover that he is now transporting drugs for a Mexican cartel. He proves so effective that his loads keep growing, and his success draws the attention of Colin Bates, a determined DEA agent, as well as of the cartel members watching him. Based on real events from 2014, the film follows a man weighing past mistakes against the money and purpose the work gives him.
Clint Eastwood directs and stars as Earl. The film is the thirty-sixth he has directed, arriving between Sully and The 15:17 to Paris, and it was written by Nick Schenk. Bradley Cooper plays Bates, with Laurence Fishburne, Michael Peña, Dianne Wiest and Andy García among a credited cast of 72. Eastwood also produced alongside Bradley Thomas and Tim Moore.
Made for a reported 50 million dollars, the film took about 175 million worldwide, a strong return. On IMDb it holds 7 out of 10 from roughly 168,000 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 6.9 from around 5,500. A critics' rating of 6.2 from 194 reviews places professional response a little below the audience scores, though all three cluster in similar territory.
What's left behind the scenes
- The original title of the film is “The Mule.” This is what people who illegally transport drugs are called, but who do not intend to sell them. They may be coerced or deceived, paid, or sometimes they are “blind mules”—people unaware that they are carrying drugs.
- The film shows that Clint Eastwood's character made a dozen or so trips for the drug cartel. In reality, he was a courier for the cartel for ten years.
- During the trial, Leo Sharpe’s lawyer argued that he suffered from dementia, which allegedly affected his judgment and caused his disregard for the law. However, the prosecution was able to prove that Sharpe was fully aware of his actions. He was ultimately found guilty and sentenced to imprisonment – three years, considering his advanced age and health condition, but Sharpe served only one year.
- Between February and June 2010, Leo Sharp made a series of trips to Detroit and transported a total of 1,146 kg of cocaine. He was arrested on October 21, 2011, at the age of 87. At the time of his arrest, 104 kg of cocaine were found on him.
- In the film, the main character explains his fondness for daylilies. By the time the film was released, the American Hemerocallis Society had officially registered over 75,000 daylily hybrids.
- Andy Garcia was ready to accept any role – just to star in a film directed by Clint Eastwood.
- The film is based on the story of Leo Sharp, the oldest drug courier who worked for the head of the Mexican cartel, El Chapo. At the time of his arrest on October 21, 2011, Leo was 87 years old in the United States. He was known as El Tata (Grandfather) in the drug cartel.
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