Open Road
Melancholy drama has attempted rape, profanity.
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Open Road
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Open Road is a star-studded film (starring Camilla Belle, Andy Garcia, and Juliette Lewis) about soul searching and the importance of family. This melancholy flick has some adult language, including one "f--k" and two instances of "damn." There's also talk of adult relationships and sexuality, one very mild sex scene, and intense scenes of attempted sexual violence, including flashbacks of an attempted rape. With its adult themes, language, and sexuality, this is a film best for teens and up.
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What's the Story?
Angie (Camilla Belle), a drifting wannabe artist in her early twenties, can't move on with her life until she finds her long-lost father, who left her family when she was a little girl. Living out of a tent and wandering from town to town, Angie befriends Chuck (Andy Garcia), a homeless man and fellow drifter. Convinced that Angie deserves a better life than his, he persuades her to leave and find a life for herself. Unfortunately, life has other plans, and she finds herself broken down in another small town. Stuck with no money, she soon gets a job working for Jill (Juliette Lewis) at a diner and finds herself quickly moving in with Jill's cousin and the town's cop, David (Colin Egglesfield). As their relationship starts to get serious, Angie has to decide if she can give up her quest and truly trust another person, or if she has to keep looking, no matter the cost.
Is It Any Good?
OPEN ROAD does a solid job of building ambience and mood with beautiful, lonely landscapes and lots of scenes with little to no dialogue. Unfortunately, it doesn't do as good of a job of developing the characters or building emotional investment. Although the viewer understands that Angie feels lost and abandoned, her method of dealing with it (constantly putting herself in dangerous situations and refusing to allow herself any joy) feels extreme, and it's too easy to lose sympathy for her. Also, her relationship with David is never developed, so his sudden feelings of love and attachment feel jarring and unrealistic.
The scenes of potential sexual violence also are disturbing and feel excessive. The repeated flashbacks of her attempted rape don't lead to any revelations or change in behavior, so they feel unnecessary. And with a very cliché and obvious ending, this is one on-the-road flick you can safely skip.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the idea of home. What makes a home? Do you have to live in a traditional house to have a home?
Why do you think Angie put herself in dangerous situations throughout the movie?
Do you think it's important to share details about your past with your partner and friends? Why, or why not?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: May 21, 2013
- Cast: Camilla Belle, Juliette Lewis, Andy Garcia
- Director: Marcio Garcia
- Studio: Universal Studios
- Genre: Drama
- Run time: 86 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: April 1, 2022
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