The Discoverers

It's not a bad little movie, good performances from all, its a story about a messed up family that's trying to find something in their lives among each other. The other review didn't like the "f...word, but that's a reality in today's movie unless you just watch Hallmark movies, of which I know well, since I've done two of them.

The story revolves around the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1803-1805 (I might be a year off). Actually I'm a Lewis and Clark fan, I've driven in many areas that the first Americans explored even though the French-Canadians were all over the place.

The interesting part of the movie is the real story of Lewis and Clark, and of the slave York, who figures in this story as his position among the others wasn't all that great.

A sub-story is about the thousand-page book that the Griffin Dunne character wrote about the Lewis and Clark expedition which the publishers cancelled,due to size and another book from the slave, York.

It's good for history buffs and also those who like mixed up family stories, I watched the entire movie.

History professor and aspiring author Lewis Birch (Griffin Dunne) heads on a road trip with his children Zoe (Martin) and Jack (Graye) to attend a conference. However, he learns early into the trip that his mother is ill, and heads to visit her, where he finds she has died. His father, Stanley (Stuart Margolin) decides to follow a Lewis and Clark reenactment trip, the family ends up traveling together.

I watched this to give some appreciation to actor Stuart Margolin, but really this is Dunne's show. I know him pretty much only from "American Werewolf", but I think I need to fix that because he is great here. I love that the father is obsessed with Lewis and Clark, and named his son Lewis. The son, who thinks his dad is a nut, writes a 6,000-page history on Lewis and Clark anyway.

We then have a quirky supporting cast, which never hurts, including the kids (or grandkids), who seem horrified by their adventure. The daughter, in particular, has an awful time and becomes someone worth rallying around if you are to root for any of these nuts.

This is a nice little gem I just discovered on cable. It features Griffin Dunne, the hapless (and ever-present) victim from American Werewolf in London. He's an out of luck professor struggling to get by and see his 6,000 page epic on Lewis and Clark's expedition published by someone. Divorced, he plans to take his two teenage kids to the Pacific when family troubles interfere. This is fun slice-of-life, Dunne maintains (usually) his composure among all the troubles he faces, including flak from his teenage daughter (marvelously played by Martin) and distracted teenage son. Into the mix steps Cara Buono, of Beer League, to ease his pain. I'll watch Cara in almost anything and she is great in this. Stuart Margolin (Angel from The Rockford files) plays Dunne's dysfunctional dad. The highlight is the kids' forced march on a "discovery trek", but the movie as a whole works well with a nice wrap.

No, this movie is not for everyone. This is one of those little quirky films I like, that you never quite know where it's heading, but just sorta enjoy the journey along the way.

In this case, it's the same trek/journey that Lewis & Clark took to find the Northwest Passage. Griffin Dunne stars as the head of a family spiraling out of control, and after the passing of his mother, joins his father and a team of L&C reenactors with his son and daughter. In many ways, it's Madeleine Martin ("Californication") as the daughter that steals the show. She's clever, smart and always one step ahead of everyone else it seems. The funniest moments in this are little things you never quite expect- I've found that to be more my taste. So if you're into little cerebral comedies like this, "The Discoverers" will be right up your alley...