★ 4 / 10
Two reviews of first and second viewings: 1)
ronald h
Two reviews of first and second viewings: 1) A film like this, which has a very simple plot, relies entirely on the skill of the actors. Everyone in the cast…
Two reviews of first and second viewings:
1) A film like this, which has a very simple plot, relies entirely on the skill of the actors. Everyone in the cast is up to the task, especially Michelle Monaghan. There's really no reason to like a mother who abandoned her kid and husband to go off and become a long distance truck driver, but as the story progresses, we can see that she has a heart; she just keeps it hidden.
When her ex is stricken with cancer, he sends their kid Peter to stay with her. Mother and son are such strangers, Peter calls her Diane. Their relationship is, of course, contentious. He's a pain to have around when she's trying to stay on the road as much as possible so she can someday pay off her one bedroom house.
Audiences will expect the usual sappy "estranged parent eventually grows to love her son" routine, but the story avoids that kind of sentiment. Suffice it to say that the two come to an understanding of each other.
My biggest gripe with the film is the obnoxious soundtrack music, a bunch of whiny folk singers I have, thankfully never heard before. Why do filmmakers insist on using awful soundtrack music? Back room Hollywood deals, I guess.
Other than that, there's a lot to recommend here: realistic characters and dialogue, skillful cinematography, and a story line that could have lapsed into utter predictability but manages to stay out of that trap. The ending is delicate and perfect.
2) I watched this film a second time, about a year after the first viewing (don't ask why). This time, I immediately saw its flaws and contrivances: Michelle Monaghan looks more like a Hollywood model than a truck driver, and her performance is strained and phony. I hated the soundtrack music even more than I hated it the first time. The story of the unwanted kid, which is supposed to pull at your heartstrings, seemed corny and melodramatic. The ending, which upon the first viewing seemed perfect, struck me as fake and affected.
Moral(s) of the story: Great movies get better when watched again. Not this one. And our perception of a movie depends greatly on our mood at the time.
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★ 7 / 10
Predictable but terrific acting especially Michelle Monagham make
Herbert F
Predictable but terrific acting especially Michelle Monagham make it absorbing and an enjoable film. Watched free on Kanopy.
Predictable but terrific acting especially Michelle Monagham make it absorbing and an enjoable film. Watched free on Kanopy.
★ 2 / 10
One of those films without a plot. You're
Kyle J
One of those films without a plot. You're supposed to be gripped by a mother who has to learn to love her son. If you want 90 minutes of that, enjoy.
One of those films without a plot. You're supposed to be gripped by a mother who has to learn to love her son. If you want 90 minutes of that, enjoy.
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I quite like Michelle... Great actress.