Reservation Road / John Williams
I haven’t read Reservation Road, the novel by John Burnham Schwartz, but there’s got to be more to it than what’s on display in the movie it inspired, which barely has enough plot to wheeze to the end of its 102 minutes. The only thing missing from the movie’s trailer is its briefly staged resolution. Otherwise, those three minutes of preview provide all the essentials. The rest is just tortured attempts at suspense and capable actors limited by their characters’ one-dimensional experiences.
The story revolves around Ethan Learner (Joaquin Phoenix) and Dwight Arno (Mark Ruffalo), two fathers with opposite personalities who are brought into each other’s orbit by a tragic accident. In the movie’s opening moments, Dwight, distractedly driving his SUV home after attending a Red Sox game with his son, Lucas (Eddie Alderson), strikes and kills Ethan’s 10-year-old boy, who’s standing by a curve in the road while his family is stopped at a gas station. After a very brief hesitation, Dwight flees the scene (Lucas is bounced into the dashboard by the accident and doesn’t comprehend what happened).
After Dwight makes a visit to his ex-wife, Ruth (Mira Sorvino), to drop off Lucas, he heads home for the first of many long, dark nights of the soul, during which he considers calling the police, only to pick up and replace the phone the way a nervous, lovestruck teenager might. For the rest of the movie, we’re stuck while Dwight ponders a decision, with not much to entertain us while we wait. The movie’s most dramatic element is whatever’s going on inside Dwight’s head, but the interior of the human head is a notoriously uncinematic place (for reasons of lighting, if nothing else), so the filmmakers desperately drum up a few tepid surprises along the way.
After Ethan grows increasingly frustrated with the official investigation’s lack of leads, he visits Dwight’s law firm to ask for help. The two men being thrown together like this is contrivance enough, but it’s not the only way in which their tight-knit small Connecticut town is abused as a prop; we’re also shown that Ruth is the piano teacher of Ethan’s surviving daughter.
All of this is enough to try the viewer’s patience, but unfortunately not enough to make the story’s arc any less predictable — from early on, it’s clear we’re attending a race between Dwight’s decision to turn himself in and Ethan’s decision to complete his transformation from quiet academic to raging vigilante. Ethan fuels his anger by researching legal loopholes online and finding out how lenient the punishment might be even if the perpetrator is caught. Meanwhile, his marriage to Grace (Jennifer Connelly) is deteriorating as her efforts to heal are met by his late-night sessions in chat rooms for bereaved parents, where he scratches his wound. For the past several years, the lovely, talented Connelly has been sniffing out one-note tragic roles the way Steve Carell attaches himself to play sullen man-children. She’s threatening to turn her career into one long crying jag. It’s not that she isn’t good at the suffering thing, but it’s starting to feel like the same character is just wandering on and off various Hollywood sets. Someone get this woman a romantic comedy, stat.
Ruffalo and Phoenix are both terrific actors with screen presence to burn, but their gifts are mostly wasted on this glum march to the closing credits. I suppose you could say their gifts save the material from an even worse fate, but it would be harder to argue that the material deserves the pardon.
John Williams lives in Brooklyn. He’s a freelance writer. He blogs at A Special Way of Being Afraid.
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Comments
but the interior of the human head is a notoriously uncinematic place (for reasons of lighting, if nothing else)
Good one. : )
Posted by: twig at October 22, 2007 1:33 PM
Just the mere thought of having Connelly doing her tragically terminally depressed routine makes me queasy, and don't get me started on that cunt Sorvino, shouldn't she, and her Harvard degree, be doing Mimic VII "The Mimicking."
bleh
Posted by: BarbadoSlim at October 22, 2007 1:40 PM
"...but the interior of the human head is a notoriously uncinematic place (for reasons of lighting, if nothing else)."
Hee!
And also ..."Steve Carell attaches himself to play sullen man-children." But he does it so well. You're right, though, he does seem to like those roles. I'm hoping that soon he'll start taking more parts like Frank in "Little Miss Sunshine". He was a lovely oasis of truth in the middle of all that contrivance.
Posted by: Geetch at October 22, 2007 2:12 PM
BS, do you hate all women, or just the ones mentioned in reviews on this site?
Posted by: Jen at October 22, 2007 2:36 PM
Dammit, I wanted this to be a good film.
Great review, John.
Posted by: Kevin Longrie at October 22, 2007 2:36 PM
BS, do you hate all women, or just the ones mentioned in reviews on this site?
Posted by: Jen at October 22, 2007 2:36 PM
________________________________________________
I'm pretty much an equal opportunity hater. At least I'm not a hypocrite, if I don't like something I will say it I don't care if it's he/she/black/white/yellow or zebra. If you've got a bug up your butt because of political correctness, I respectfully suggest madam, that you take it up with your own bad-ass self, 'cause I've got nothing for ya.
Posted by: BarbadoSlim at October 22, 2007 2:44 PM
Oh and as an addendum, I would politely suggest to anyone who gets miffed at my depiction of Fraulein Sorvino, to do a little reading on her and why her career took a tumble AFTER having won an Oscar.
Before there was Minnie Driver and her antics, there was Mira.
Posted by: BarbadoSlim at October 22, 2007 2:55 PM
BS, It seems to me that cunts and fat asses (I'm referencing your previous JLo comment) aren't all that objectionable, me being in possession of a cunt, though not a fat ass. You're welcome to hate, but I'm wondering what it is specifically you're hating, if not female biology.
Posted by: Jen at October 22, 2007 3:00 PM
"but the interior of the human head is a notoriously uncinematic place (for reasons of lighting, if nothing else)"
Which is why Being John Malkovich is such an amazingly wonderful film
Posted by: PaddyDog at October 22, 2007 3:07 PM
Now, Jen, I'm going to have to insist that you refer to them as "honeypot" and "party platform," respectively. People using the c-word will be pelted with rocks and garbage.
Posted by: socalledonlycousins at October 22, 2007 3:16 PM
socalled, I'm pretty much a minimalist when it comes to diction, but I'm tempted to adopt both of your euphemisms on a permanent basis.
Posted by: Jen at October 22, 2007 3:36 PM
BarbadoSlim...You are, of course free to hate anyone you want, but this site is about critiquing films, not personally attacking the actresses by spewing hateful, sexist language.
And to the editors of this site. I have seen you reference feminist sites so I'm sure you don't think the types of comments BS makes are in anyway accecptable or even remotely related to film critism. Why do you support these comments by leaving them up?
Posted by: Olivia at October 22, 2007 3:52 PM
It's fun, Jen, and you can use it in polite company: "Girlfriend, you tell him if he can't learn to appreciate all the hard work you put into that party platform, he's seen the last of the honeypot." The people on the elevator won't even know. (The kids still say "Girlfriend" right? Is that only on "Fresh Prince of Bel Air?")
B-Slim, right now I'm mentally pelting you with igneous pebbles and a wet, disintegrating paper sack full of moldy Chinese food. If you upset Daphne I'm moving up to detrital sedimentary shale and a broken hospital garbage bag full of syringes and maxi-pads.
Posted by: socalledonlycousins at October 22, 2007 3:57 PM
Oh that is too bad. I like Mark Ruffalo and really want to see him do something great. Too bad the material just wasn't there. But at least someone with his talent should have a fairly long life in Hollywood and can finally pick the project that was made for him.
Posted by: cmoody at October 22, 2007 4:23 PM
BSlim, you've strayed too far from D-Listed. In case you haven't noticed, this isn't a gossip blog used to slag on celebs.
Posted by: Cathy at October 22, 2007 6:09 PM
I think "party platform" is one of the funniest things I've ever read. Brilliant.
BSlim, why the harsh words? I must admit, though, to loving seeing somebody spew vitriol about actors everybody worships (like Jennifer Connelly). It makes me laugh, for some reason. It's like saying "I frigging hate that asshole Paul Newman" or something.
Posted by: Samantha T at October 22, 2007 6:30 PM
don't you all have jobs or children to take care of,rather than continuing this pointless argument-stop hogging this place with all your self-righteous,"let's make this world bright & sunny" debates.get to the f-in film already,or get some bloody children to take your mind off such futile practices.
Posted by: daniel at October 22, 2007 8:37 PM
don't you all have jobs or children to take care of,rather than continuing this pointless argument-stop hogging this place with all your self-righteous,"let's make this world bright & sunny" debates.get to the f-in film already,or get some bloody children to take your mind off such futile practices.
A. Um, what the fuck is it to you what we talk about?
B. Never let a jackass have the last word on this comment board.
Posted by: socalledonlycousins at October 22, 2007 8:50 PM
but the interior of the human head is a notoriously uncinematic place (for reasons of lighting, if nothing else)
David Cronenberg proved the opposite in Scanners, it's very cinematic.
Posted by: OscarTamerz at October 22, 2007 9:57 PM
If you upset Daphne I'm moving up to detrital sedimentary shale and a broken hospital garbage bag full of syringes and maxi-pads.
Damn it, socalled! Defending my honor and stuff is incredibly hot. The missus is quite lucky, indeed.
Seriously, though, I don't find BSlim offensive. He's quite frank, and while I don't always agree with him, I have to agree that he's equal opportunity when it comes to the vitriol.
Men, don't forget - (sincere) chivalry is one of the surefire ways to gain entrance to "the land of milk and honey." Also known as "the promised land, pink palace, the southern smile, etc". However, I really like "honeypot," therefore I'm stealing the phrase. I'm not sure if anyone starts a phrase with Girlfriend. I'm more of a "Girrrrrrlllll" person myself. As in, "Girrrrllll, are you gonna let it go down like that?"
Also, as usual, I'm with Samantha T. I got all tingly when I read this, emphasis mine:
For the past several years, the lovely, talented Connelly has been sniffing out one-note tragic roles the way Steve Carell attaches himself to play sullen man-children.
Splendid!
Posted by: Daphne at October 22, 2007 11:47 PM
Damn it. Now I'll never be able to look at Winnie-the-Pooh the same way again.
Posted by: Tracy at October 23, 2007 1:25 AM
I was practically creaming myself at the thought of Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Ruffalo in a movie together, so I'm disappointed that this has gotten across-the-board bad reviews. I guess I'm waiting for the DVD.
Posted by: Mimi at October 23, 2007 1:34 AM
I adore Jennifer Connelly, yes, but Lordy, she does need to stray from these movies. Even her own husband jokes about her seriousness in interviews. Thankfully, she's currently filming that one romcom, He's Just Not Into You, or whatever it's called, with Jennifer Aniston and Ginnifer Goodwin.
Posted by: Ann at October 23, 2007 10:19 AM
