The Road

Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Robert Duvall, Guy Pearce, Charlize Theron
Directed by: John Hillcoat
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Adventure, Thriller
2009

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: In a post-apocalyptic future, a man (Viggo Mortensen) and his son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) try to survive against the bleak environment and a landscape littered with dangers.

Review:

Tim: I am not one of those people who say "I like the book SO much better." I often dislike people who say that, because the book SHOULD be better than the movie- the movie takes less than 2 hours, and the book contains thousands of words. I am almost always to appreciate both the book and the movie for what they are. And, that brings us to The Road. I try not to read the book before I see the movie, because I don't want to spoil the movie. However, I read "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy long before the movie was made. And, I have to admit, the book is one of my top 10 favorite books of all time. I loved the book so, so much. That put me in a bit of a bind here. I knew the book (I read it twice before I saw the movie), so I was worried about how I would react to the film.

For the most part, I was able to separate the two in my mind and appreciate them both. However, the movie had a golden opportunity here- it was based on one of the best books I've ever read in my life. This movie should have been a top 10 movie for me. I will say that this is a great movie, but just barely. There is one aspect of the film that nearly ruined it for me. In the book, as I am reading it, the Man and Boy keep talking about "carrying the fire." I was so interested in what this meant. Where they carrying a nuclear bomb? Some secret to the future of humanity? I wanted to know so badly. Right at the end of the book, it is finally revealed what "the fire" is, and the explanation was so powerful and so beautiful that it literally brought me to tears. I was so excited to see this unfold on the big screen. However, the writers decided instead to reveal "the fire" explanation in the first 30 minutes. I couldn't believe anyone could be so stupid- that was the most powerful moment of the film, and it was wasted early on. That nearly ruined the movie in my eyes.

I realize, however, that it was a personal bias, and so I worked hard to look past that. Luckily, there is a lot to like here. Besides that mistake, this movie mostly follows the book word-for-word. Everything in the book is in the movie, and I loved that aspect. Director John Hillcoat paints a bleak, desolate view of the world inhabited by these two people. The reason for the "end of the world" is never explained in the book, and I love that it remained unconfirmed in the movie. The reasons don't matter as much as the story of this man and his son, and their fight to survive against all odds. The world is gray, depressing, and wholly appropriate for the film. I loved this aspect of the film.

I really liked the casting of Viggo Mortensen as The Man. Mortensen is such a terrific actor, and he brings a great deal to the film. I appreciated him losing weight to look the part, and he really gave himself over. He is hairy, dirty, and exhausted. This wasn't a glamorous role, but it was a powerful one, and he embraced it perfectly. I couldn't have asked for a better person to play this part. I also thought Kodi Smit-McPhee did a very good job as The Boy. This was a hard role to cast, and I wasn't overwhelmingly in love with Smit-McPhee's performance, but I was happy with it. There were a few weak moments, but for the most part, he delivers the right performance for the film. Smit-McPhee and Mortensen work well together, which was critical to the film.

This film does have some strong supporting players, even though the film is really all about the father and son. I liked seeing Robert Duvall in a small role. It was fun seeing him here. Guy Pearce was good, too, although he's on screen far too little to make much of an impact. Charlize Theron was a good choice, and while I go back and forth on the necessity of the flashback scenes, I appreciated the effort she put forth here.

I wanted The Road to be one of my favorite movies of all time. I really liked it a lot, and I would consider it a great movie. However, knowing the source material and how fantastic McCarthy's book is, I expected more. This movie just barely reaches the level of greatness, and it could have been better. However, I still thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It is not easy to watch, but I think everyone should watch it. There is little more powerful than a father going to unbelievable lengths to protect and watch over his son. That relationship is unforgettable, and the reason this is such a powerful story.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



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