The Open Road

The Open Road stars Jeff Bridges and Justin Timberlake as a pair of baseball players, father and son, at different stages of their careers. They've been estranged for many years, but a health crisis in the life of Mary Steenburgen, wife to Bridges and mother to Timberlake, forces a reconciliation of sorts. But it's not an easy one.

Bridges is a former star who may have just missed the era of free agency and all he knows is baseball. So he now makes a comfortable living at various card shows, telling stories and signing autographs all of which he's well paid. When the crisis comes he's at a show and leaving abruptly would cost him some bucks. Still there is family to consider, something he's not very good at.

Timberlake is a minor league prospect who shows that he might not reach the same heights as Bridges. In fact he's in danger of being cut from the Houston Astros farm club where he's playing. He's got troubles with former girlfriend Kate Mara whom he broke it off with and now realizes that might have been a big mistake and worries now about the failed relationship with Mara and Steenburgen's health may have compromised his abilities. In short he's just not got his head in the game.

In fact Timberlake leaves the team in Texas and goes north to Columbus, Ohio where Bridges is doing a show and he and Mara take him back albeit reluctantly to Texas because Steenburgen wants to see him for the very last time possibly before open heart surgery. You ask why Mara is along with her ex when she has a current boyfriend whom she plans to marry. Bridges gets it, but Timberlake is a bit dense.

Not much of a story line, but some great characterizations by all involved. Bridges is his usual good reliable self and Timberlake shows some ability which blossoms later on in another baseball story Trouble With A Curve. Timberlake plays a similar role there in a film with a similar story. Of course Clint Eastwood's film got a much wider audience.

Basically there's a lot of growing up to do for both Bridges and Timberlake. Baseball is great, but it's not the whole of life for both of them. Timberlake keeps a journal because writing is a sideline for him. I can see him being a future Jim Brosnan or Jim Bouton.

This is not a baseball story as such, it's a story about life and the growth of people. You should really see this very unsung film.

Kate Mara was the best thing about this movie though her character smoked too much. As a healthcare professional myself gotta say the hospital would not have Mary Steenburgen's character taking up a room for that many days for something she could obviously be at home for especially that she would not do the procedure. And WHY? Were they driving the roads that they were. Should have been on main highway instead of back country roads. Cows, corn fields, trains, REALLY? The dialog between Timberlake and Bridges was weak and contrived. Generally, I could take or leave Kate Mara but she played a cute part here and didn't deserve the BS of the Timberlake character. Not a rewatchable movie.

About to undergo a delicate heart operation, Katherine (Steenburgen) asks her son Carlton (Timberlake) to get her estranged husband Kyle (Bridges) to come to her side in her hour of need. Long story short Carlton, Kyle and Lucy (Mara) drive to the hospital. And, here we have the theme: it's the journey that's important.

This is not a comedy as was billed. This is light drama with no good lines and absolutely no comedic moments at all. Light drama is what we have here. But, I have never sat through a movie whereby there was tension from beginning to end. Yes, the situation all find themselves in does create tension. There is tension between Father and son who haven't seen each other in years; and between Carlton and Lucy and she isn't sure about Carlton anymore. And, Carlton, well, he isn't sure about anything.

I fault the script not the acting. Kate Mara says more with her eyes than what the script gives her. Timberlake is new at this and on unsteady legs, but his character is supposed to act the way he does. Lyle Lovett plays a bartender and not bad, not bad at all. Ted Danson (real life husband of Steenburgen) has a cameo in the beginning. As for Jeff Bridges, he plays what he is given and does a good job of it. I still maintain he is one of our better actors. Hear that Mr. Eastwood? Morgan isn't the only one.

One thing I didn't understand. If you are going to take a long trip why would you ever consider renting a gas guzzling Hummer. Yes, it was an H3, the smaller one, but still………….. Yes, I know it was only a movie.

There are some dime-store philosophies given out at various moments, but nothing noteworthy to report. The journey thing trumps all and as you know journeys bond people. So there you have it: an okay Made-for-TV movie.

Wait a minute. There was a light almost comedic moment. We got to see the internationally famous Peabody Ducks stroll into the Peabody Hotel in Memphis as they have been doing for years. They look all grown up now.

Violence: No. Sex: No. Nudity: No Language: Some, not much

.. low key drama. Focus on the complexities of family dynamic. Love Jeff Bridges - but I thought all the acting was good ... authentic ..,moving and satisfying- I recommend it - low keyed but enters the heart. Not high end on peripheral stuff- gore, sex, or car chases- if that ticks your clock... move on

This movie didn't do much for me. It's the story of another dysfunctional family, without much happening to make the family very interesting. I guess the theme is that no matter how rotten your Dad is, he's still your Dad, and can be loved and forgiven. I suppose that's true enough, as long as there are some good memories to outweigh the bad. But the Dad in this movie doesn't seem to have left too many good memories behind.

I like Jeff Bridges on screen. He's made some very good movies ("Fearless" for instance), and some that didn't impress me much ("The Contender", "Sea Biscuit", "The Fisher King"), but no matter the quality of the film, he always seems to rise above the material. In this movie, he plays such a rotten piece of work - a self-centred, boozy, sleazy, loud-mouthed jock living in the past - that I started to see the less redeeming features of Bridges himself. Maybe that just proves what a good job he did.

Justin Timberlake is OK, but he doesn't inject much life into his character. What the lovely Lucy (the totally gorgeous Kate Mara) sees in this sour, sulky, colourless character is beyond me. With her knowing grin, a flash of the eyes, a shake of the head, she makes it obvious that she understands this lot only too clearly. I felt like shouting "Run, Lucy, run! Don't get mixed up with these screw-ups! You can do better! Much better!" I could have added, but didn't, "Pick me!"

Basically, I found the film bland and un-involving. I gave it 5/10, and every one of the 5 points derives from the presence of Mara, who brings not just loveliness to the screen, but there's a fire in her eyes and a sense of personality that few others are capable of projecting.