Just Like the Son

This is a film directed by Morgan Freeman. No, not THAT Morgan Freeman- -this one is Morgan J. Freeman and looks absolutely nothing like the famous one. Perhaps he, too, will be famous...though I doubt if this film will help him along this path.

Mark Webber stars as Daniel--a very, very irresponsible guy with a long record for petty crimes. Inexplicably, while he's working at a local elementary school (what school would hire him?!), he meets a cute kid, Boone (Antonio Ortiz). Boone is a kid who has been in and out of the foster care system and he tells Daniel it has something to do with his mother being sick. The two spend some time together and Daniel really likes the kid. However, the kid soon disappears from the school and presumably went back into the foster care system--so what does Daniel do? Well, without finding out exactly what Boone's story is, Daniel decides to kidnap the kid and take him to some relative in Dallas. However, Boone is only 6 and exactly who this person is and if they are at all responsible never goes through Daniel's pea-sized mind. Instead, he just KNOWS that he needs to get the kid to Dallas even if it means breaking 168 laws in the process.

What follows is a cute buddy film with some very nice acting-- particularly by Ortiz. However, this cannot make up for the fact that the film seems to be endorsing kidnapping and features a lot of irresponsible stuff--presumably because Daniel is working out his own issues through the kid (oh, isn't that healthy!). So, it's a very mixed bag--with some nice moments but it also makes no sense whatsoever. It makes you wonder if perhaps the film could have been a lot better had the script been rewritten.

Morgan J. Freeman delivers a heartfelt road movie about twenty yr old small time criminal Daniel (Mark Webber) who drives a 6 yr. old orphan (Antonio Ortiz) across country to reunite the boy with his sister.

Daniel works as a janitor at an elementary school, doing his 240 hrs of community service painting over graffiti and reading to the kids. A bond forms between Daniel and young Boone, a fatherless boy who is about to lose his mom. When Boone is taken to an orphanage, Daniel takes matters into his own hands and drives Boone from NY to FLA, where Boone's sister lives. The pleasures are simple as Daniel and Boone enjoy life on the road. The film has a sweet, dappled 70's vibe as the two camp out, go shopping, and jump on hotel beds. The characters are honestly drawn and memorably portrayed. Webber is especially likable as a young man at the crossroads.

Morgan's previous film, Piggy Banks, is also a road movie, although much different in tone. It's about two young brothers who happen to be serial killers. It's an incredible, tense, enlightening film about a much different kind of life on the road. Freeman has really hit his stride with these two road movies.