Rated R for some violence, disturbing images and language.
Directed by John Hillcoat (first feature)
Starring Viggo Mortensen and Charlize Theron
If this movie doesn’t make you want to hug your kids a little tighter…there may be something wrong with you.
From Cormac McCarthy, author of No Country For Old Men, comes the highly anticipated big screen adaptation of the beloved, best-selling and Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, “The Road.” An all-star cast is featured in this epic post-apocalyptic tale of the survival of a father and his young son as they journey across a barren America that was destroyed by a mysterious cataclysm. A masterpiece adventure, The Road boldly imagines a future in which men are pushed to the worst and the best that they are capable of – a future in which a father and his son are sustained by love.
I have to admit this film had a lasting effect on me. Most of the time I watch a movie and except for a few “remember that scene” moments or quoting a line or two, I give little thought to it once the credits roll. But I’m still thinking about The Road. I find myself asking those “What would I do?” questions…and I hate every answer. Yeah, The Road messed me up.
One of the biggest reasons it messed me up is because it is so well made. Every image is intentional, every scene is perfect, every line delivered like it is the most important line of the film. Props to director John Hillcoat.
Viggo Mortensen is unbelievable as the father who will do anything to keep him and his son alive. There are a few scenes when he has his shirt off and it was Christian Bale kind of disturbing (The Machinist and Rescue Dawn). Kodi Smit-McPhee is the son and he plays the part perfectly. I don’t even want to imagine what kind of nightmares that kid is going to have.
I promise you sleepless nights and maybe a few nightmares of your own, but I have to recommend this movie. The love the father has for his son and their desperate fight for survival is worth the Theater Worthy rating.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
It’s a definite no for younger kids, but older, mature teens should “enjoy” it.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
