Rolling Man

If you enjoy watching a film with a bunch of stereotypical southern poor folk, you'll enjoy this film far more than I did. All I know is that the film makes southerners look mighty trashy!

When the film begins, Lonnie (Dennis Weaver) is upset because his wife is in a bar tramping around with another man. Soon there is a car chase and ultimately Lonnie beats the crap out of the guy and ends up in prison...the wife, well, she ends up dead. Four years pass and now Lonnie's out and goes to get his two sons. But Grandma is sickly and rather addle-brained and eventually he realizes she gave the kids to some 'nice people' she met. So, to get the money to track them down, he uses two nice but INCREDIBLY desperate and pathetic women. The trail leads all over the place...and it seems that folks kept passing the kids off to other folks. What is WRONG with these folks?!?!?!

Again and again and again, Lonnie and others behave really trashy. And God only knows what must have happened to those kids!! Good acting...but trashy. I wasn't particularly entertained but I guess they tried their best. And, if you ever wanted to see Donna Mills with BIG, BIG hair, then this is the film to see!

By chance I was able to see this movie on TV, while on vacation.At first I was interested in watching the 1970's TV movie icon Dennis Weaver in action. But this unassuming film took me by surprise. Yes, it seemed corny at first, but the sad plot and Weavers' acting was infectious. He is a master at playing the shafted straight shooter. Coupled with the country soundtrack and the dismal scenery you really felt for Lonnie and his plight, as he ran from one disaster to another searching for his two sons. A solid simple movie with a sound moral thread running through it.