Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this serious melodrama centers around the aftermath of a hit-and-run accident that kills a 10-year-old boy. His parents grieve in a realistic, disturbing-to-watch manner, and the child's lifeless body is shown on the road at least three times. The man responsible for the accident also grieves -- at some points by drinking heavily -- as he comes to grips with what he has done. There's also a confrontation at gunpoint between the two protagonists. With such upsetting themes (as well as strong language, including "f--k"), the film is iffy for kids and young teens.
Families can talk about how the movie portrays the two father characters. Dwight seems like a great dad, but he's only recently gotten overnight visits with his son, and he doesn't turn himself into the police. Ethan is also a loving husband and father, but he allows his grief to turn to an overwhelming need for vengeance. How does the movie focus on the similarities between them? Were they really alike? Also, the end of the film may seem unsettling to some audiences. What do you think happens?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Sandie Angulo Chen
Terry George is a master at conveying grief. Whether it's as specific as the stricken mother of an Irish hunger striker (Some Mother's Son) or the overwhelming tragedy of genocide (Hotel Rwanda), George knows how to direct honest responses to tragic situations. In RESERVATION ROAD, he again focuses on grief, this time surrounding a hit-and-run that ends a young boy's life.
When Ethan (Joaquin Phoenix, bearded to mask his boyish face) and Grace (Jennifer Connelly) lose their 10-year-old son in a horrific accident, their anguish seems insurmountable. Meanwhile, the driver, Dwight (Mark Ruffalo), also the father of a 10-year-old boy, battles his guilt even as he covers it up.
Both families live in the same Connecticut town, just as they do in the best-selling John Burnham Schwartz novel on which the movie is based. But at least one of the ways the film departs from the book is too melodramatic even for a melodrama. In the film, Ethan hires Dwight's law firm to help him track down the killer motorist. It would have been enough to see Dwight uneasily sitting in his car parked in front of the funeral, witnessing his ex-wife (Mira Sorvino), the dead boy's music teacher, among the mourners. Instead there are a couple of contrived, overly coincidental scenes of the two men meeting and speaking.
Although the heart of the story -- how these two men, both caring fathers, drown in their feelings of guilt and anger -- is compelling and well acted, it's disappointing that Reservation Road doesn't delve further into the subtler ways their pain consumes them. Still, regardless of the film's overall merit, be prepared to cry ... a lot.
Families who enjoy tear-jerking family dramas might also like Todd Field's well-received films Little Children and In the Bedroom, and Ang Lee's The Ice Storm.
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentGrace and Ethan kiss and start to fool around in bed; they embrace in several scenes. |
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ViolenceExtremely disturbing image of a dead child face down in the street. Two men have a violent confrontation at gunpoint; a grieving mom screams and sobs, as does a little girl. |
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LanguageGrief and anger are expressed in strong language: "f--k," "s--t," "a--hole," "hell" "goddamn," etc. |
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Social BehaviorDwight leaves the scene of his crime and doesn't turn himself in; Ethan fuels his grief with thoughts of revenge, which lead him to attempt murder. |
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CommercialismBoston Red Sox memorabilia and clothes, Mrs. Meyer's soap, Ford Explorer, Volvo, Toyota Prius. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoDepressed, Dwight drinks beer and hard liquor in a few scenes. |
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