The Open Road (**½)

Directed by: Michael Meredith

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Justin Timberlake, Mary Steenburgen, Kate Mara, Harry Dean Stanton

Seen: October 29th 2010

**½ Out of ****

Carlton Garrett (Timberlake) is a minor-league baseball player experiencing a slump in his career – his coach (cameo by Ted Danson) even warns him that he can’t go on like this much longer and stay on the team. His mother Katherine (Steenburgen) falls ill and ends up in hospital, requiring heart surgery which she will not sign the waiver for unless she can see her husband, the baseball legend Kyle Garret (Bridges). Kyle is, however, constantly out of town, currently on a signing tour, and does not believe in owning a cell-phone, which lands the arduous task of finding him on Carlton.

When Carlton does find out where Kyle is, he takes his best friend and ex-girlfriend Lucy (Mara) with him on the trip – flying to Columbus to pick up Kyle and bring him back home to Houston. On finding Kyle Carlton is surprised at how easily he agrees to go with them and they plan to leave for the airport in the morning, but at the airport Kyle isn’t allowed onto the plane because he lost his wallet containing his ID, so they are forced to rent a car and start the almost 1,200 mile drive.

The three share some interesting interactions along the way with the failed relationships between Lucy and Carlton and between Kyle and Carlton being examined a little closer while Katherine still refuses flat-out to be operated on, even if the trip from Columbus takes more time than expected now that the flight is out of play. Carlton is a difficult young man as he is quick to see the negative of any situation. He is almost too much of a kill-joy for the viewer to side with him and hope for a positive resolution to his issues. Kyle is a happy go lucky person, exactly the kind of person that will get on Carlton’s nerve, and he really does so, with Lucy providing some much needed neutralisation between the two. Katherine is stubborn, but really not without reason – as she needs Kyle back in her and Carlton’s life – Carlton and Kyle haven’t spoken for five years before the events of the movie play out.

The Open Road is a very average movie with some good: some quietly emotional moments between father and son and between  ex-lovers; and almost just as much bad: ineffective humour when they get lost, to name but one thing, and some questionable dialogue at times. Overall you won’t miss much if you skip this one as this movie is largely forgettable, but if you’re in the mood for a quiet and rather low-key road trip drama – then this might be what you’re looking for, if you have the ticket money to waste…