Genres

Visitors Review

Joe Neumaier 2012-05-21 05:57:28

Monaghan gets how people with honky-tonk souls move in mysterious ways.

A.O. Scott 2012-05-20 17:07:14

You know exactly what is going to happen and you don't really care.

DavidH 2012-05-12 11:59:33

A great small movie

I had never heard of this film before the magic Netflix suggestion engine brought it to my attention. I loved this film. It has an intelligent script and is performed by two quality actors. There were many moments during the film when it could have veered into sentimentality. But it did not. It stayed true to its path and the characters' personalities.And I loved how it ended. The director and cast really got this right.Enjoy!

Roger Ebert 2012-05-11 20:06:37

I concede the story arc is fairly predictable, assuming neither one murders the other. But Mottern and his actors take no hostages.

Clayton Davis 2012-05-11 07:40:36

Keep on Truckin'

I had the esteemed pleasure of attending the New York Premiere offirst-time director James Mottern's film Trucker starring MichelleMonaghan. To make even more pleasurable was sitting next to James'father and having him tell me how he paid for his ticket to support hisson. I share this for a realization of what James' family conveyed andhow closely related it is to his film; a working class family neverforgetting where they came from. Trucker tells the story of Diane Ford (Monaghan), a young female,independent truck driver living life effortlessly and freely. All seemsgoing to plan or lack there of until her estranged son (Jimmy Bennett)is dropped off on her doorstep due to his father's recent diagnosis ofcancer. It is this time where we find Diane's world is turned upsidedown. Responsibility and the maternal instinct, two important thingsthat have laid dormant in Diane's mind for sometime are swiftlyreactivated. Along with this new found purpose, all the other elementsthat have inhabited her life for ten years are rattled; her awkwardrelationship with her friend Runner (Nathan Fillion), her ailing exLeonard (Benjamin Bratt), and his new love in his life Jenny (JoeyLauren Adams).What Mottern succeeds in his narrative his a brave and sensiblecharacter study of a woman who has withdrew herself from "real" humanemotion. Not as profound as Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler from 2008,but perhaps a simpler tale, one that doesn't require too much of theviewer. For a good chunk of the picture the young Jimmy Bennett doessome marvelous work, perhaps the best child performance of the yearthus far. Unfortunately Mottern's writing of the young Peter is oftenstale and unnatural, giving him far too much credit for an eleven yearold boy. Though I can admire the work considerably, what I loved aboutit, I ultimately turned on somewhere within the 90 minute running time. Michelle Monaghan on the other hand gives her most personal andpowerful performance of her career. Her dedication to Diane is some ofthe finest work displayed on screen this year and is surely to be inserious consideration for an Oscar nomination. Monaghan devotes hermind and heart into one of the most unlikable characters and demandsour respect and attention, something not easily attained by an actor.Her screen chemistry with Jimmy Bennett is some of the most natural andbeautiful scenes seen in quite sometime, despite it being filled angerand acrimony. Despite Monaghan being the best chances of the film to garner awardsconsideration this season, the unsung hero is Nathan Fillion who givesthe most tender and heart warming supporting turn of the year thus far.As I'm sure I might be in the minority for the praise of this actor, Ifeel inclined to give a superb performance its proper due. I admire itgreatly.Other strong aspects of the picture lie in the cinematography ofLawrence Sher is should find himself with an Independent Spirit Awardmention this year as well. The film is definitely worth a watch and as it may not fit well witheveryone, you have to admire the attempt nonetheless. Michelle Monaghanand Nathan Fillion give some of the best works of the year and it'salways great to see the birth of a writer/director like James Motternand where he could go in his career. Trucker is definitely worth thewatch.***/****

Dennis Schwartz 2012-05-10 20:42:15

The only thing to take away from this bumpy ride is the smooth performance by Monaghan.

Keith Cohen 2012-05-04 04:14:08

The movie is a shining star in the indie universe much like "Frozen River." It hits the nail on the head in dealing with real feelings and honest emotions.

2012-05-03 08:36:42

Road Movie with Just a Bit of Road

I like seeing a good indy flick. I like the big stuff too but sometimes you need a break. This is a good break.Here's the scoop. Michelle Monaghan drives a big rig over the road. Sometimes for days at a time. She finds out a husband she had some 11 years earlier, and with whom she bore a child, is in the hospital with the big "C." Dad's girlfriend is tied up with some familial things so Michelle has been elected to take care of her child whom she has not seen in 10 years. Is she up to it?This isn't a new idea by any means but it's done up really well here. At the center is Michelle. Who would believe this tiny waif of a girl as an over the road driver? She pulls it off in spades. They show her doing her thing with the truck. Filling the tank, working the engine, connecting and disconnecting the various cables and she's entirely believable. Even her physical attitude is spot on. She's an independent loner who you could easily call selfish. She wants to do what she wants to do when she wants to do it. She will be beholden to no one. Her son is a real pistol. He's got a foul mouth, is also a loner, and gives her all kind of hell. He will not make things easy for her. On the fringe is Nathan Fillion as Runner. He's married but loves Michelle. He's been hanging out with her and drinking with her for 4 years but the two haven't had sex. He'd love to, but she knows better. He does what he can to make the boy feel welcome and help the two bond. Benjamin Bratt plays the dad. Joey Lauren Adams plays his girlfriend. They do a decent job with small roles.A couple of the scenes are a bit forced but most feel good. You know pretty much what has to happen but it's cool to see how it's handled. You like the characters and their struggles. The American Southwest works well as a setting. The various deserts, mountains, rivers, and even scrub add to the overall mood. All the production values are in line with the script and though the music is pretty heavy on the country side, there are a couple of tunes to appeal to the more indy minded. If you like a good indy movie, check this out. You should enjoy.

Michael Phillips 2012-05-02 15:10:44

Most of Trucker comes off like a sincere but totally artificial slice of life.

Erik Davis 2012-05-02 08:16:43

It's still a performance you don't want a miss. Michelle Monaghan is memorable.

sfiver 2012-05-01 00:43:43

worth the time

The two times I've seen this movie I've missed the first ten or sominutes. Often those initial scenes can lay the entire foundation ofwhat follows.Simply stated, I liked the film. The "belated" mother and "angry"pre-teen concept is rarely explored. It is normally the child/fatherreunification, which I suppose is more common. It is very rare for amother to abandon her infant leaving the child's total care to thefather.The film's overall synergy is the intimate portrait through thescreenplay and extremely honest dialog between mother and son. Itsdownfall rests in the same place.Michelle Monagan's "Diane" is not fully believable as the runawaymother turned rig-driver. I place this malfunction on the director. Herseemingly instant acceptance as Peter's mother is hollow. However, whenthat bump (although it is apparent throughout the film) is overcome itbecomes a bittersweet love story. Young Jimmy Bennett's "Peter" isrelatively excellent. When the two characters are left alone, which isa great deal of the picture, the film works best.Dying father "Len Bonner" (very curious name) played by Benjamin Brattoffers nothing to the overall story and script. His screen time couldnot be more than 8 minutes. His importance to 11-year old Peter appearsdistant and unrealistic. It would've been justifiable to simply haveburied him at the beginning of the picture.Overall "Trucker" is a worthwhile watch, if for nothing else than forJimmy Bennett. I'm guessing from the IMDb stats that he was about 12 or13 when this film was made. Further research shows he currently playsthe nerdy, teen-age genius on TV's "No Ordinary Family." His career isone to watch.

2012-04-30 10:18:42

Bloomington!!

I really loved seeing my ole home town (total suprise) and the place I used to get cheesburgers while in high school!! (Did they close Cedar Ave....or is just that dead) Just the fact that someone filmed a movie in Bloomington Ca is a movie I want to see. The movie itself was O.K. I felt sorry for some of the pathetic roles. It had a happy ending and I wished the girl would wear something instead of a sweat ridden worn tank top and try not to be such a bad a**. Regardless....just because of the location of filming I will buy when it comes out on blu ray.

Aaron Hillis 2012-04-25 01:44:18

There may as well be a road sign announcing Diane's transformation from reckless loner to diligent mother, but it's a smooth ride thanks to Monaghan, and an impressive ensemble.

Tyy Tad 2012-04-24 12:58:59

an above average indie flick; great acting

James Mottern's "Trucker" plays a familiar song: a wild heart unable tobe tamed being saddled up with an estranged family member. Triumph ofthe Human Spirit ensues. In this case, the wild heart is Diane(Michelle Monaghan), a truck driver that chain smokes and is quite thepromiscuous type. The first scene of the movie -- indeed, before anycredits are shown, and while the distributor is still getting theirobligatory logo flashed! -- is Diane climaxing with a man she met onthe road -- likely never to see again. The estranged family member isher 11 year old son, Peter (Jimmy Bennett), whom Diane abandoned withhis father (Benjamin Bratt) years ago to pursue a less stressful life.Now the son has nowhere to go: his father is dying of colon cancer andhis other caretaker is at her wits end; it's time for the deadbeatmother to take responsibility.The main theme of "Trucker" is the bond of mother and son. This oneworks primarily because Monaghan and Bennett have studied their scriptsbeyond what is said on the paper and place the appropriate emotionalbaggage that should go on with these roles. Certainly the dialoguedoesn't help: on the first meeting, Diane asks for Peter to open up toher; he responds with "I don't talk to bitches." She says "fair enough"and walks away. Diane is a pretty reprehensible character, and yet theactress plays her as a woman with some potential redemption. BenjaminBratt, in only a scene or two, steals the show with his character -- ashocker considering how potentially mawkish it could be for a father totalk to his son one last time in a hospital bed. Heartbreaking.I'd give "Trucker" a more enthusiastic review if it weren't forwriter/director James Mottern, and his distracting ability to give usall these heartwarming scenes laced with some really awful dialogue.People aren't called by their names -- they're called by "dude" or"boy" or "bitch". Perhaps Mottern believes this is how people actuallytalk, and he's inserting some realism into his movie. Perhaps JamesMottern is hanging around the wrong people in order to get hisbackground information. Even the last scene is almost botched, as Dianeand Peter must do battle with one man who tries to rape Diane in ashowing of (I'm guessing) a constant struggle a strong willed womanlike Diane must go through with those men -- who think with their dicksand get royally perturbed when you mumble a curse word after youalready won an argument and they're walking out the door. Unnecessary.With a tighter script, I have a feeling "Trucker" could have been oneof the year's finest. As it is now, it's a triumph for Monaghan,Bennett, and -- surprisingly -- Bratt … and nothing else. Smallvictories, I guess.Rating: *** out of ****

Jay Harris 2012-04-20 18:16:23

I expected a good film, I viewed an excellent drama.

James Mottern wrote & directed,It is first theatrical effort.I feel he will be a force to be reckoned with over the next fewdecades.This is a drama of the first order,It is not a happy film.It is a simple story of sad lonely people. None of them are where theywant to be. Due to the cleverness of the writer & the superb acting bya non big-name cast, we go along with it and are drawn into what isoccurring.Michelle Monagham's performance is an award winning one. This is not abig studio release so thusly it has no big 'PUSH' for any awards.Eleven year old Jimmy Bennett is excellent as her son. Nathan Fillon(TV featured performer)is her caring neighbor. Benjamin Bratt as her exhusband & the lads father is equally great.The cinematography & song score are also first rate.THis is an art house low budget movie so as expected it did not have adecent theatrical release.I highly recommend this drama for all those who appreciate real goodfilm.There is some violence towards the end,BUT this important & not justput in the film.Ratings: **** (out of 4) 97 points (out of 10) IMDb 10 (out of 10)

2012-04-20 07:07:27

Great Movie

It was a good movie with great actors. Interesting Story. Ebert was Right. I had previously thought it did not have captions, but I was wrong. No setup subtitles, But it does have Closed Captioning. I amended this review to show such.

Shawn Levy 2012-04-20 05:48:05

The whole thing plays with wobbly craft that, finally, creates a deep patina of suspicion and dullness.

cochranviper1 2012-04-19 15:50:33

This Movie Very ACCURATELY Portrays the Life of a Truck Driver

I Have Worked as a Truck Driver and Being a Truck driver The Portrayalof the Part that Michelle does Is EXCELLENT.I mean the Film was So Accurate that they showed Portions of the Moviein a Flying J Truck stops that are in this Country I mean the TV Loungeand the Shower Scene were Probably Filmed on Location at 1 of theFlying J truck stops and if not filmed on Location they Did anEXCELLENT job of Recreating a Flying J.I do Have to Agree that this movie does BORROW (Not Rip-Off) Someelements of "Over the Top" (Namely the Estranged Parent Child Plot, andParent Being a Trucker) But "Over the top" was Centered Entirely Aroundthe World of Arm Wrestling, And Not the Real life Struggles of a Motherthat Wanted Nothing to Do with her Own Child, In "Over the Top" He hadtried to Be a Part of His sons Life But it was the Grandfather thatIntervened.I would Recommend this Movie 100% to ANYBODY that wants an AccuratePortrayal of the Real life Struggles that ALL truck drivers Go through.

Cary Darling 2012-04-18 05:31:46

Trucker is a knockout.

lakelady37 2012-04-17 13:49:53

Never had heard of this movie before

I saw this movie the other night on a movie channel.What a good movie.It evidently didn't get a very wide distribution in theaters.It is sad that so many truly good movies get missed because of lack of promotion.Michelle Monaghan is a really good actress and I think we will be seeing a lot more of her.The little boy is great as her son.Nathan Fillion does a great job,as usual.Not for kids.