User reviews

Nice. It's just a nice film. Not bad, not great. Just nice. Directed by Logan Marshall Green, it's only around 80 minutes long. An ex con finds an abandoned baby in a dumpster and tries to figure out his next move.

Ethan Hawke isn't at his best but he does a good job. Elaine Hendrix is the standout even though she has about 8 minutes screen time.

It suffers from a few mis-steps early on because of character choices, and there is one terribly hokey voice over moment towards the end but it did the job for a Saturday night movie.

This is an easy one to write. This a cute little indie that no one would ever talk about if it it wasn't carried by e heartbreaking performance of Ethan Hawke. You just wish to have good things happen to him. He draws you in with his vulnerability, his sadness and his humility. After a very strong first half the movie falls a little flat until the end delivers a emotional climax but it won't matter because Hawke's performance will safely carry you through the movie.

"Adopt a Highway" conveys righteousness in an endearing way. With the help of a heartwarming yet fragmentary tale about an Ex Felon. Who's attempting to reshape his shattered life once again!

The narrative follows an Ex prisoner Russel Earl Millings played by Ethan Hawke who just served a 21 year long sentence and recently got out in Parole. Convicted back in the 90's for possession of drugs, for him; the world has now drastically changed. I love how the writers never preached using him as a victim of the justice system nor did express any apathy. Instead they only showcased their disdain for the unfair sentence given to Russell for such a trifling crime.

Craving for a fresh start, Russell works hard everyday. He's always careful about his comportment and outlook to other people as he's still in parole and yet to procure his full freedom back. He doesn't wanna mess that up! Struggling to cope up with this obscure world where everything feels unfamiliar, a Ray of Hope decides to shine upon Russel. Ella, a little angel who brought hope & a breeze of fresh air into his solitary life. Despite having no prior experience of parenthood, he tries so hard to be one. Although by law, he can't keep an abandoned child legally. He had to give up on her & he loses that spark; the script followed soon.

The first half of the film was a riveting journey and it made me inquisitive to see what happens next. To my bewilderment, In the second half it succumbed into degradation! Their intent was naive but the execution faltered on too many facets! Characterization left a huge void, Screenplay took its predominant pace down, the storytelling got off the track with a too much subtlety. Where it demanded a more straightforward approach. Ethan Hawke is great as always and perhaps the sole reason I sticked through. I feel bitter to see how underutilized he was though. With a criminally underrated actor in your helm; they should have done a lot better!

This film tells the story of a man who was imprisoned for 21 years. Soon after his release from jail, he finds a baby in a dumpster.

It is a film that offers humanity and hope. The scene in the bank is very touching. The story is somewhat sad because the protagonist deserves better, and I really feel for him. It is a slow film, but it is a film to feel.

Wonderful job by Ethan Hawke. Excellent film and a beautiful yet strange way of looking at life. Loved it but the end left me with a thorn that bothers me, I cannot find the spot where it is. I think, in the end I'll learn to live with it, like all the others I have (I'm not sick or something, don't get me wrong).

No useless charming. No romance. Just simple life reboot after spending 20 years behind the bars for basically 'nothing'. Ethan Hawke did a great work again. Of course this movie might not be among that so called but less valued (by me only) 'blockbusters'. But I'm sure when he and Logan Marshall-Green winked at each other at the end of the shooting they both knew that it did worth it to make this movie. I'm looking for the next work of both of you.

Basically about father and son but this isn't apparent from start. Made me cry a bit. It is slowly revolving, building the character of a lost soul, good hearted ex convict Russ. He is trying to find something to hold, to anchor his life to. It is also movie about injustice of the system and life. Probably not for everyone to watch but if you know feeling of being lost and lonesome, feeling of being disconnected from parents, work and hyper motivated world then...

Small and deliberate production do not brings "Adopt A Highway"- with a curious story and a couple of strong performances (Ethan Hawke and especially Elaine Hendrix) - where it was intending. Movie seems as confused and disorientation as its lead character, wandering around and never quite figuring out what story it wants to tell. The film shifts in the second half of the movie when debut feature film director (Logan Marshall-Green) picks up the pace after Hawke discovering the baby, but it is quite absurd that lead character (Hawke) learns of his father's death while reading an obituary online, even though director has already established that he was never estranged from his family. As abruptly pushing its hero into a new situation, Marshall-Green's screenplay becomes less focused than before and that is the point where my level of interest begins to decrease. In conclusin, the heart of the story is strong, however, there are a few too many details that are a little too far-fetched that take away from its strength. It's hard to believe that Russell, even in prison for that long, would have literally no idea how to use the internet; that, given what we're told and the conclusion, he wouldn't know what happened to his parents; and that he would not know immediately that keeping an abandoned baby was a bad idea.

Rating: 6+

When you commit a third violent crime, you will be put away and put away for good. Three strikes and you are out.

Every now and then you come across such an unknown, idiosyncratic film, which was probably made with a modest budget and for which no huge marketing budgets have been made available. A film you don't really expect too much from. That's "Adopt a Highway". It's not a cheerful or action-rich film. I really expected a depressing drama. And even though there's a moving moral in it, you can say there's also another hidden message in this film. A message of hope, compassion, and modesty.

The introduction shows how Russell Millings (Ethan Hawke) leaves prison after being imprisoned for 21 years. Reluctantly. Somewhat anxious and timid. A man who's alienated from society and who struggles to keep up with the contemporary pace. Someone who has never used a mobile phone, the internet or e-mail. And all thanks to a short-sighted policy in which someone is sentenced to a heavy sentence when he gets involved in something for the third time. No matter how small the criminal offense is. The so-called "three strikes" legislation. In Russell's case, it is about owning a few grams of marijuana in the state of California. Something that has become virtually legal after those 21 years. An unreasonable punishment that ensured that he wasn't given the opportunity to develop into a decent citizen.

Ethan Hawke probably demonstrates his best acting performance here. The way he plays Russell is simply breathtaking. He's in the spotlight almost constantly. And his clumsy way of conversing and interacting with others is simply sad and pitiful. It's not clear whether Russell used to be mentally deficient from a young age already or if he got numb from the years of imprisonment. In any case, he's treated by the official authorities as insignificant and is left to himself a bit. He tries to live an honest life and tries to avoid following the wrong path again. A simple life where he earns a living as a dishwasher in a fast-food chain and sleeps in a motel. Until he discovers the adorable Ella (Savannah Sucher) in a garbage container.

Even though from the outset he realizes that it's almost impossible for him to take care of a baby, he still hesitates to hand over the lovely baby to the authorities. What follows are touching moments that he experiences with the few-month-old Ella. His ignorance about taking care of a baby and the sense of responsibility that he suddenly experiences, take away the attention of the depressing life that he led until then. Even though Ella's discovery brings a turning point in Russell's life, this wasn't the central theme for me. This helpless and innocent little girl shows gratitude in a spontaneous way. No disinterest, impatience or incomprehension as adults treat him. The most emotional scene is the one on the beach where Russell tells a part of his life story.

"Adopt a Highway" is a melancholic and endearing film that will touch a sensitive nerve with many viewers. Well, in my case it did. Some will call it a corny ending. I thought it was a logical conclusion. An example of humanity. It's also a film about getting a second chance in life. I was surprised by the Blumhouse logo and I already assumed that this would be a very sinister movie. That's certainly not the case. The explanation for the Blumhouse connection lies with the director Logan Marshall-Green who appeared last year in the Blumhouse production "Upgrade". "Adopt a Highway" is, therefore, his debut as a director. And as far as I'm concerned he can certainly direct such a gem again. I'm ready for it.

My wife and I watched this at home on DVD from our public library.

I was expecting more, not sure what though. While this certainly isn't a bad movie it does move very slowly in many spots and in some ways lacks authenticity. However the overall message is a very good one.

Ethan Hawke, who also produced, is Russell Millings. While it isn't really explained, a series of quick glances at old newspaper clippings tell us he was a California "three strikes" victim and was imprisoned for roughly 20 years for selling small quantities of marijuana. Now he is being released.

I don't know what goes on in prisons but in his case he knows nothing about cell phones, email, and the internet in general. However when he learns and looks up his father back in Wyoming he finds that he has died.

Russell gets a job as a general grunt at a restaurant, cleaning dishes and floors, taking out garbage. One night late, into the early morning, he finds a baby in the dumpster.

The movie has an unusual name but the connection is why not adopt a young person, not a real adoption but a symbolic one? Find a way to assure it is taken care of as the person grows into young adulthood.

My biggest issue is with how Hawke chose to portray Russell, almost as a nonverbal person. When asked to explain the sequence of events that led up to his discovering the baby, he stammers a very slight amount but doesn't explain anything. He plays him as a person who is severely handicapped verbally. I think the movie would have been more effective if he had played him differently.

The movie is only 80 minutes long, with credits, and to me it comes across as overly simple for the subject.

I enjoyed the film, however the music that played almost constantly throughout the movie was so loud I struggled to here the dialog. which spoilt it for me

Action lovers, skip this one. This movie is really slow, but the 90 minutes flew by as we watched the amazing performance by Ethan Hawke. Of course, he is the best thing about the film. The plot is simple: a man who spent 21 years in prison tries to catch up with his life and the changed environment. It's a difficult task, but he gets the much needed help from...and I won't spoil it further. An enjoyable relaxing and touching movie, definitely worth watching.

Love Ethan Hawke. A snippet of a life. Great performance.

Nice movie to watch with the family. And or your girlfriend!!

Adopt A Highway is a feel-good story that brings out a lot of emotions at once, what we have here is a sweet story that's told on two facets, one is a story of a lost soul doing its best to survive and the other side of it is this heartwarming longing to a nice life once lived and never quite got enough of it. I was caught off guard several times by the performances as they were genuine and heartfelt and that added so much to the story, Ethan Hawke's rendition here was spot on, he delivers on so many levels, he gave his character life, and he infused it with minor details that make it just work. This film goes to remind us that it's never too late to start a new life, no matter how much you suffered or went through, there's always a way to start over and live again, Solid film.

I like Ethan Hawke. I'm glad that he's making content. This movie was just, well, just ok. I was very anxious for him when he finds the baby and then does not relinquish her to the authorities.

It's a very, extremely slow movie. Not bad, but very slow and not a lot going on. I eventually had to put the movie on 1.5X speed to try to get through it. That's not great. I think that Ethan was going for a character development piece, or IDK I'm not a movie critic, but the totatality of the movie was so slow and being that there was not much in the way of story it made this a hard watch.

I would not recommend to watch this unless you've seen all the other movies you want to see and have NOTHING better to do. I mean it's not the worst movie and not the worst waste of time, but it came close.

If one can overlook some of the far-fetched plot elements here and just go with the flow this can be a wonderful movie,

Ethan Hawke gives another superb performance as Russell Mullings, traumatized by a 21 year prison stretch (under the old California 3 strikes law) for minor drug offenses. Just released, and working as a dishwasher at a burger joint, he finds a baby girl left in a dumpster.

This will all lead to a chain of events that can be quite heartbreaking at times. But I thought a most poignant and appropriate ending here made it all worth while

For his directional debut, well-liked if not particularly well-known actor Logan Marshall Green has gone down the independent redemptive route with his small-scale character study Adopt a Highway, a film that's half explored ideas and frustrating inability to do more with its concept holds it back greatly from being the type of indie drama that will make its mark in a highly competitive marketplace.

Focussing on Ethan Hawke's slow-witted and charisma free Russell Millings, an unfortunate soul born without an ounce of drive and only recently being set free from a 20-plus year prison stint for a seemingly minor string of drug offences, Highway has a core concept of redemption told in a new way as Millings finds an abandoned baby in a dumpster behind his workplace but Green's inability to stick this plotline out in an engaging manner hampers the films chances of sticking its landing.

It was a huge win for Green and his tale to have locked in Hawke as Millings, as despite the characters frustrating inability to string much of sentence together or to make any rational normal decisions (perhaps born out of years of incarceration, perhaps not as the film never explains this to us) the always watchable actor gives Highway his all in what's another impressive dramatic performance from the long-serving actor who continues to showcases consistently that he is at home in either Hollywood blockbusters or tiny films like this, a diverse skill not many possess.

With Hawke trying his best with little to work with, Highway remains watchable throughout but Green's stoic and uninspired direction and a script that only really kicks into gear come the films more engaging and enjoyable final 10 - 15 minutes, Highway mostly remains a cold and only slightly enjoyable affair that really does squander its marketed and core concept.

Going into Highway you expect a fairly robust examination of what would happen if a man with nothing, no loved ones, no friends and no real idea all of a sudden found himself in charge of a living, breathing tiny human but despite brief moments where Highway seems be becoming the film you expected all along, Green chucks that idea straight out the window to take Highway down a path you never expected and one that pretty much is wasted minutes of Millings on a cross country bus trip that in the end amounts to very little.

Final Say -

There's some great little human moments in Highway and a valiant attempt by Hawke to bring everything together but with an unengaging lead character and a real squandering of its core concept, Adopt a Highway is a frustrating first feature film attempt by Green that he can hopefully rectify in future endeavours.

2 mustard & mayonnaise sandwiches out of 5

Great acting of Ethan Hawke ! Like always haha, Movie is very touching & I understand it's stressfull that this character his "slow" but I think we can see here how 20 years in prison (and for a minor crime) can break someone.