ENGAGING CULTURE

On The Horizon is a feature that takes a look at movies that are coming down the pipeline that I predict will be either critically successful or particularly interesting. This time of year, everyone is talking about all the summer blockbusters, but just after the summer buzz begins what I call the critical season. In the months of November and December, studios will release the films that they believe are most likely Oscar candidates. That means great stories and acting but usually fewer car chases and explosions. The Road is one such release from Dimension Films.

Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winner bestseller from acclaimed novelist Cormac McCarthy (No Country for Old Men), The Road is a post-apocalyptic dramatic thriller about a father and his son walking alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don’t know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing but the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food, and a lone pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands of cannibals that stalk the road.

Especially after the critical success of No Country for Old Men, I’m not sure how John Hillcoat landed the directing position for Cormac McCarthy’s most awarded book. The plot seems good, perhaps a bit too horror/sci-fi for Spielberg, but the whole project is absent of any real A-list names behind it. I have a feeling this movie will be short on popularity at the box office but will be widely loved at all of the awards ceremonies. I expect a superb performance from Charlize Theron similar to that of Monster. The movie will most likely get some good press when Hancock hits theaters because Theron plays a supporting role in that film. Viggo Mortensen is a good actor, I’ve been impressed with his recent work with David Croenberg, A History of Violence and Eastern Promises, but I think an adaptation of this book will be far more physically and emotionally challenging than either of those films. With Guy Pearce and possibly Robert Duvall filling out some supporting roles the stage is set for an actor/story driven film. Which is great.

I’m particularly excited to see 11-year-old Australian actor Kodi Smit-McPhee playing Mortensen’s son. He recently starred opposite Eric Bana in Romulus, My Father. The Australian Film Institute nominated him for best lead actor in Romulus and honored him with the Young Actor Award. So, keep your eyes open for news, pictures, and eventually trailers from The Road, it is currently filming and is slated for theaters around Thanksgiving, November 26th.

Thanks Row Three for the picture!