trucker ( film )
mother trucker 2 is the follow up to the 2004 feature documentary
mother trucker .
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most of trucker comes off like a sincere but totally artificial slice of life .
supt andrew reeves said the trucker, stopped near maidstone, was fined £300 .
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a stacee mccaig signed dvd of finished film + stacee' s biscuit and chocolate gravy recipe + cd of stacee' s favorite truckin' tunes. your name in film credits and on film' s website .
the 15th annual vail film festival will be held april 5 - 8, 2018. the vail film festival has been named
one of the top 10 destination film festivals in the world
by moviemaker magazine .
award details: designated vail film festival press release to national media announcing the film competition winners, and listing the film as the best film winner in that category for the 2018 vail film festival. announcement at the official awards ceremony covered by national media. announcement in festival newsletter and listing on festival website and in official festival program guide. 2 filmmaker passes to the 2019 vail film festival. award presented at awards ceremony .
shop for film production black cap with patch, trucker hats and baseball caps in thousands of designs or personalize your own to wear every day or for a party .
only a trucker would say: “well piss on ya, and piss on your law. ”
siskel & ebert: new york, i love you / st. trinian' s / trucker
two women run afoul of a very angry trucker in micheal bafaro' s road - rage thriller .
your name in the credits and on the film' s website. much gratitude .
facets staff member susan doll interviewed director james mottern about his independent feature trucker, which showed exclusively at facets in october. trucker has turned out to be a favorite among facets employees, and we are all rooting for it to make a big splash during this awards season. trucker is released on dvd today, january 5 .
your own copy of stacee' s secret homemade biscuit and chocolate gravy recipe + cd of her favorite truckin' tunes. your name in film credits and on film' s website .
only a trucker would say: “the world meets nobody halfway. when you want something, you gotta take it. ”
only a trucker would say: “i’m going to deliver that truck and nothing is going to get in my way. ”
filmmakers must have the rights to their films, and through submitting thereby grant the vail film festival the right to screen their film. all films must be in english or subtitled in english .
features: press kit containing 100 word synopsis in english, 5 hi - res film stills (300dpi, cmyk and / or rgb color), digital trailer with english subtitles (if film is in any language other than english), online or physical screener of film for press .
which trucker films would place in your favourites of all time? be sure to share them with us in the comments below .
a lorry driver has been caught watching a film on a laptop as he drove along a motorway .
a cd of stacee' s hand - selected all time favorite truckin' tunes, including a bonus track from paul brill' s original
mother trucker
soundtrack + your name in the credits and on film' s website .
description: mel gibson isn’t a trucker per se, but in this film he has to save a gas - rich, rag - tag community by driving an oil truck through a band of post - apocalyptic bandits patrolling the australian wastelands .
this film is a remake of steven spielberg' s
duel
( 1971) starring dennis weaver .
when a lone trucker gets the itch to kill. he finds himself at a truck stop diner and sees his next victim. starring steve giddings, kathy jean and others in this short film by studio g production and written by tyler bauer .
filmed over 8 years, mother trucker 2 follows stacee mccaig' s struggle as she pursues her dream to live as a professional truck driver .
, the film pulls in to the kerb, the action pauses for breath, and the heroine discusses her dreams with a passing trucker. the trucker tells her his dream is to visit the ocean. she tells him that hers is a home and a bundle of children. the sun sinks in the west, bruce springsteen plays on the stereo and this pivotal scene is almost too perfect. make a film about gritty american life and, sooner or later, the dream will crawl in through the cracks .
an interview with writer / director boots riley about his incendiary new film ,
sorry to bother you .
the tomatometer score — based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics — is a trusted measurement of critical recommendation for millions of fans. it represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show .
only a trucker would say: “you leave here without punching out... and you ain' t never gonna have to punch out again, bubba. ”
orange coast magazine writer marc weinberg and leonard maltin criticized the decision to shoot the film in live action. maltin described the film as a
hopeless mess
. the appearance of howard was criticized as being unconvincing. in the psychotronic video guide, michael weldon described the reactions to howard as being inconsistent, and that
it was obviously made in la and suffers from long, boring chase scenes
, but praises the stop motion special effects in the film' s final sequences. film website rotten tomatoes, which compiles reviews from a wide range of critics, gives the film a score of 16% . the film received four golden raspberry awards: worst screenplay, worst new star, worst visual effects and worst picture, tied with under the cherry moon .
5. mad max 2: the road warrior (1981): where would a trucker movie list be without an inclusion of some mad max? the second film of the franchise, it was full of massive big rig chase sequences and existed in a universe where gasoline was prized more than gold .
trucker isn’t the most exciting or striking film in the world, but it’s actually a lot better than you’d think at first glance (and not just because of the horrible cinematography). it is at times a little heavy handed in the way it inverts gender roles and stereotypes, but the inversion nonetheless leads to some interesting and intelligent insights into the thought process of a very well - rounded character. notably this isn’t a film like north country and whilst diane does receive some mild negativity about her position as a woman in a male - dominated profession, this isn’t a film about her battle against sexual oppression. in the most part her position is just accepted and the film is instead about the…
facets: getting an independent film produced and released is a major challenge that most movie - goers understand. but, what about getting the film exhibited? what are the obstacles and challenges of getting your movie to the people who would be interested in seeing it ?
chronicle
is a mildly experimental commercial film, and, for the most part, it' s loose - limbed fun .
a good film. i love the story and the actors were well chosen. dehaan looks like a young leo dicaprio. i somewhat question the decision to make this a found footage film as it limited what certain shots could look like a bit too much, and it made for a lot of moments where cameras were carried in unnatural ways to feed the gimmick, but the film was thoroughly entertaining. the degradation of the villain in the end made for a less interesting fight scene, but the film was mostly very satisfying .
plum pictures is starting production on “ trucker, ” an independently - financed drama that stars michelle monaghan, nathan fillion, benjamin bratt, joey lauren adams and jimmy bennett .
3. convoy (1978): remember that song by c. w. mccall called “convoy”? well, this film was based off that song. it tells the story of a group of truckers who form a mile - long convoy in a support of a fellow trucker’s vendetta with a notably abusive sheriff .
mottern, a former nicholl fellowship winner who once produced the slamdance film festival, has written and directed docus for bbc and other networks .
only a trucker would say: “for the good old american lifestyle: for the money, for the glory, and for the fun... mostly for the money. ”
three young people on a road trip from colorado to new jersey talk to a trucker on their cb radio, then must escape when he turns out to be a psychotic killer .
coco receives an expectedly resplendent home - video treatment, sporting a demo - ready a / v transfer befitting the film’s visual and musical splendor .
footage from inside the lorry where the driver was watching a film was released by the force and shows how his visibility would have been affected .
only a trucker would say: “i’ve got a total of 268 lights on this truck. you gotta impress the girls, you know? everything i do is for the women. ”
to celebrate our love of trucks – and yours, perhaps? – we thought we’d take a look at five classic trucker films that have been funny, suspenseful or simply outright entertaining .
the only flaw of the film is that halfway through, you already know the ending. still, by knowing, the film is so well made that it pulls you in and makes you want to stick around and await the inevitable ending. michelle monaghan pulls off an oscar - worthy performance as
diane ford
, and the rest of the solid cast help keep this movie on it' s high octane cylinders of brilliant storytelling. trucker is a must see drama !
[ 11: 07 ] a trucker on the cb radio warns that there is a
kojak with a kodak
in jamestown. this is cb slag for
cop with radar
.
monaghan demonstrates an untapped level of talent and skill in trucker, tackling the difficult role of a woman who refuses to behave as societal norms dictate and has paid the price with loneliness and alienation .
4. maximum overdrive (1986): why have a film where the truck drivers are homicidal when it could just be the trucks themselves. yep, the premise of this film focused on a group of semi - trailers that came to life and became homicidal when earth passed through the tail of a mysterious comet. based off a stephen king story and directed by the man himself, this film was intended to scare. nowadays it’s probably hilariously absurd .
the ballad of narayama
is a japanese film of great beauty and elegant artifice, telling a story of startling cruelty. what a space it opens…
vip tickets to premiere screening of film + all of the above. your name in very special thank you' s in the fllm credits and website .
in walter salles’s ”central station, ” a hit at sundance and the winner of top honors at this year’s berlin film festival, a cynical, joyless woman crosses paths with a lonely young boy. there’s plenty of room for sentimentality here, but the wonder of mr. salles’s film is all in the telling .
the vail film festival has one of the friendliest staffs on the circuit, excellent programming, and hands down has the best townies attending the festival. the email communication is top - notch. there is an electric vibe in every room full of enthusiastic filmmakers and film - lovers. would attend again in a heartbeat .
barreling along freeways from behind the wheel of their big rigs, three women truck drivers share their experience, humor and insight of driving eighteen - wheelers for a living. this film enriches and challenges every preconceived notion of truck driving, while seeks to understand what is gained and what is lost as a woman, a mother, and a trucker on the open road .
a trucker, leading a life free of depth and on the way to nowhere, is forced to make a decision about her aggressive loner 11 - year - old son whom she openly deserted ten years previously .
many of you very graciously donated to this project in 2002. i once again appeal to your generosity in asking for your support with the completion of this film .
all members of the community are warmly invited for welcome drinks to kick off the 2016 somos nós: diverse brazil summer educator institute. the reception will be hosted at vanderbilt university with light appetizers and wine, and will be followed by a film screening of the film central station. this event is free and open to the public .
immediate contributions will fund a shoot in alabama this winter, and help launch a spring 2011 edit. continued support (welcome and encouraged !) will sustain a 16 - week edit and enable us to support the talents of an award - winning documentary film crew (currently logging many free hours !) the film is set for august 2011 completion .
there are so many wonderfully unconventional things to like about this tiny independent film, monaghan' s earthy and uncompromising performance chief among them, its depth surprising you at every turn .
ever since stagecoach clattered across the desert, hollywood has been on a journey that’s as important as its destination. we hitch a ride on andrea arnold’s new film about a gang of travelling teenagers
shorts: press kit containing 50 word synopsis in english, 3 hi - res film stills (300dpi, cmyk and / or rgb color), digital trailer with english subtitles if available .
description: lincoln hawk (sylvester stallone) is a struggling trucker who' s trying to rebuild his life after the death of his wife. his son doesn' t think too highly of him until he enters a nation - wide arm wrestling competition .
monaghan, who stars this fall in “the heartbreak kid, ” “gone baby gone” and “men of honor, ” will be an exec producer of “ trucker ” with john allen, robert kessel, pam hirsch, ed hart, bruce lunsford and frank frattaroli .
from the intimate vantage point of a senior community swimming pool, water and time suspend both body and memory. this film is a gentle meditation on growing old, staying young, and living life .
that' s pretty much it in terms of plot, and it' s disappointing in a film of such unfettered structure and length that arnold shows so little interest in exploring other connections within the group .
a good indy film, nothing more, so say it has a slow star, i say it' s slow throughout. good acting and good story line just can' t go any higher the 3 staqsr
private screening and dinner in nyc with stacee and creative team (transportation to nyc not provided) + all of the above. your name in very special thank you' s in the film credits and website .
this is a wonderful festival in a breathtaking location. great screenings, great parties, great attendance. mountains. the whole experience was magical and i can' t wait to come back with the next film .
mottern: it makes me real proud that people have reacted so positively to michelle’s performance. going into this film, that character was everything to me. it was the film, and so when people react to her characterization of diane ford, it gives me a great feeling. what i have found interesting is that the people—and there are actually very few—who do not like michelle’s performance are actually people who do not like diane ford! i’ve always said that trucker is like the magic lasso that wonder woman has that makes people tell the truth. there’s something about this character that reminds people of women they’ve known or experiences they’ve had. sometimes not so great, you know? there’s always a very strong reaction to the film, and especially to diane ford; and it makes me know she’s struck a nerve with viewers. i’ve also really enjoyed watching this film with audiences as there are parts in the film that will literally make grown men cry. but not in a sentimental way, which i would find despicable. i tried to tell the truth in this picture the best i could, and michelle did too. we all did. and that comes out, i think. there are some truths in this picture that kind of get you in the gut. i know i made the film, and saying this might seem pandering, but it is something i have observed. and there’s one scene in this picture that still puts my stomach in knots and brings a few tears to my eyes no matter how many times i watch it .
trucker is every indie director’s dream; four or more well known stars, a great original story, and a full future ahead. trucker was james mottern’s first feature film endeavor but not by appearance. dramatic storytelling is an art - form: making viewers care about imaginary people and their predicaments is not easy. yet there was an ease to falling in next to these characters and seeing how they live, especially the lead, played by michelle monaghan (heartbreak kid, eagle eye). having never been a huge fan of monaghan’s, the fact that she won me over was tremendous. with a hard edge yet child - like approach to the life (and child) given to her, you watch monaghan’s character, a female truck driver, adapt to…
the 2018 festival will screen feature films, shorts, documentaries, and student films. the festival fosters filmmakers through panel discussions, a daily hospitality lounge, nightly parties, and networking opportunities with leading film industry professionals .
description: kurt russell and his on - screen wife become stranded in the middle of the desert after their car breaks down. a friendly trucker offers to give russell’s wife a lift … yadda yadda yadda… the next thing you know she’s being held in a barn cellar for ransom .
best friends emily and lesley go on a road trip to the desert. when emily decides to get off the highway and take a
short cut ,
they become the target of a relentless and psychotic trucker who forces them to play a deadly game of cat and mouse .
according to gale, he was hired to work on spaceballs because mel brooks had stood up and said
anybody who' s in howard the duck can be in my movie .
huyck and katz continued to work after the film' s failure, and chose to work on more dramatic projects in order to separate themselves from howard the duck. katz states that lucas continued to support the film after its failure, because he felt it would later be seen in a better light than it had been at the time of its release. huyck states that he later encountered fans and supporters of the film who felt that it had been unfairly treated by critics .
i value films that closely regard specific lives. i know they usually must have happy endings. not always. haven' t we all learned to expect certain things in a story about a mother and a son? aren' t those things in fact generally true to human nature? i hope to feel elevation at the end. but a film should earn it, not simply evoke it .
trucker
sets out on a difficult and tricky path, and doesn' t put a thing wrong .
last year, urltoken had a chance to talk to actress michelle monaghan and writer / director james mottern about the drama trucker when it premiered at the tribeca film festival, and the movie opened this week at the village east cinemas in new york as well as california, illinois, pennsylvania and other select cities. being that monaghan is getting a lot of attention for her performance, including more than a few mentions of the awards potential for that performance, we thought it would be a good time to revisit these interviews .
we were lucky enough to win best short film at vail and although we weren' t able to make it from the uk to colorado, the festival team were great at communication from submission onwards, and were warm and welcoming .
through one woman' s story, the film explores an american dream once fulfilled now deconstructed. mother trucker 2 is the story of a fighter, a self - made woman who refuses to succumb to the circumstances working against her. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
the film eventually views these strangers’ faces in the rapt, joyous spirit that is the story’s greatest reward and that becomes dora’s saving grace. and it is the filmmaker’s elegant restraint that makes such sentiments so deeply felt. mr. salles directs simply and watchfully, with an eye that seems to penetrate all the characters who are encountered on dora’s and josue’s journey. his film is also scored with a gentle piano melody that intensifies its embrace of the world that ”central station” sees .
despite such plot development as one of the women being kidnapped and the other being stopped by a highway patrolman who not surprisingly is turned into roadkill, the story never gathers any cumulative force. the largely unseen trucker is defined only by the upside - down crucifix and pentagram hanging from his rear - view mirror .
urltoken had a rare opportunity for an exclusive extended interview with monaghan, and when the film’s production notes label monaghan as “vivacious, ” they aren’t kidding. although this is a serious movie and role, monaghan was a lively and fun interview, punctuating her responses with her delightful laugh and frequently calling the interviewer “dude” and “man” in a way that only she could ever pull off. we also had a chance to talk to the film’s writer / director james mottern, an interview that you can read here .
a found - footage film, like' blair witch,' combined with' bowling for columbine.' instead of witches and guns, it' s a teen outcast with supernormal abilities; like' carrie' with shaky - cam and cool cg .
diane leads a solitary and carefree life as a trucker, punctuating her driving with nights of hard drinking and one night stands. but when her ex is admitted to hospital with a terminal illness, she is unexpectedly reunited with her estranged 11 - year - old son peter which is a shock to the system for both of them .
if american honey is fuelled by a sense of hope and possibility, arnold believes that this is largely thanks to the cast. the majority are non - professional actors, plucked from skate - parks and wal - mart lots. they all came from difficult circumstances but, she insists, they all brought their own spirit, a spark of undimmed potential. “some of their lives have changed as a result of the film. some got jobs or moved away from abusive partners. the film gave them a small sense of control of their lives. ”
it was inspired by the marvel comics characters howard the duck and beverly switzler created by steve gerber, although their appearance and portrayals almost completely ignored their source material. it is the first film based on a marvel comics character to receive a wide theatrical release in american theaters .
a clever form of direction with stylish effects, josh trank' s chronicle supplies a rare thrilling blend of action and drama. though the effects are slightly bland and unreal, the film is saved by its superb young cast and overall excitement and script. 4. 5 / 5
mottern: okay, susan, don’t get me started on this one. this is a book. well, you know that producer marc gill wrote about how the sky was falling in indie film, and he was right. it’s been a slog. it’s a nearly insurmountable task to get an independent film completed in the first place, and even more difficult to get it into theaters, and beyond that to get people to come see it. there is so little money around, ad costs are huge, and the places to exhibit are slimmer and slimmer. on top of that, dvd sales are slow, piracy is rampant, and video chains are closing down left, right, and center. but we have a distributor who has been very open about hearing new ideas and working with our producers and talent to get our film out there .
lesson: don’t ever use a fake cb handle (candy cane no less) to trick a truck driver into meeting you at a sleazy motel on the side of a freeway. nine times out of ten that trucker will be a shotgun - wielding, psychotic killer who will stop at nothing to teach you and your prankster bro a lesson about messing with truck drivers .
only a trucker would say: “just remember what ol' jack burton does when the earth quakes, and the poison arrows fall from the sky, and the pillars of heaven shake. yeah, jack burton just looks that big ol' storm right square in the eye and he says ,
give me your best shot, pal. i can take it .
making estranged parent - child relationship films work depend largely on two things – the script and the actors. in trucker, debut filmmaker james mottern has both nailed. although the story may sound trite and clichéd it’s all in the handling and while jimmy bennett is good as the disillusioned and apparently unwanted peter, the real star is michelle monaghan in the lead role. she demands attention…
an amazing festival! they do a great job of providing awesome venues within vail for parties, seminars & networking with other filmmakers. i can' t think of a more beautiful town for a festival. i highly recommend you submit your film here and should you get accepted, you have to go !
mottern: you know, since this picture came out, michelle’s been getting rave reviews pretty much across the board. there have been a couple of naysayers who must live in their mothers’ basements and don’t get enough sunlight or something, but basically everyone can see what a bang - up job she does in this part. it’s a role where at first you kind of think you know what she is doing but then, as she goes through the film, she surprises you in these subtle and not so subtle ways. that was my hope in making this film. that something seemingly familiar wasn’t something you necessarily understood at all .
cs: i got to see the movie a couple days ago and you and james did an amazing job creating this character and capturing this amazing performance on film. i really don’t know how you did it. monaghan: yeah, i don’t know. i look back on it now and i’m just glad i didn’t crash that truck .
beautifully observed and featuring a bravura performance by the brazilian actress fernanda montenegro, it gracefully watches these oddly paired characters develop a fractious bond that winds up profoundly changing both of them. mr. salles’s background as a documentary filmmaker also gives this lovely, stirring film a strong sense of brazil’s impoverished rural landscape once its principals take to the road .
howard the duck (also known as howard: a new breed of hero in europe) is a 1986 live - action film produced by lucasfilm and universal pictures, directed by willard huyck from a script by huyck and his wife gloria katz. it starred lea thompson, jeffrey jones, tim robbins and chip zien as the voice of howard .
monaghan, who just signed to star with shia labeouf in the d. j. caruso - directed “eagle eye” for dreamworks, sparked to the script when it was submitted to her early. she attached herself before the film went out for financing, and she went so far as to get training and a license to drive a tractor - trailer .
in terms of distribution i think that any indie production needs to build into their budget at least some funds for self - distribution. even larger distributors are looking for other sources of financing or partnerships to distribute films, and i think it falls on the shoulders of the filmmakers to learn the distribution business inside and out; so that even if a distributor picks up their film, they are versed in the logistics of mounting a campaign. a filmmaker may not understand everything in terms of business but is almost universally the best and most ardent supporter of his or her film. there’s a great book by author marshall fine about cassavetes that i highly recommend as an inspiration for this type of approach .
cs: i’d imagine they’d have to be very tough, because as we see in the movie, sexism is very common and you’d have to be very thick - skinned as a woman trucker. monaghan: you have to be really thick - skinned, especially truck stops. they’re not necessarily safe places. there’s a lot of things that go down in truck stops and a lot of things they shared with me. you’re not in this job because it’s a tough living, but you have to love the job in order to be in it, because they’re long hours that take you away from your family and friends. often times, it’s not safe, whether you’re just on the road or in a truck stop. i really tip my hat to anybody who is a trucker. i actually miss it so much, i can’t even tell you. yeah, it was one of the greatest things i think i’ve ever done .
of course, all the trouble could have been avoided if the women had checked into a motel for the night or, say, chosen a new route. but no, even after stopping at a roadside diner where the trucker has also parked (and profanely acussed an innocent man of being their attacker), they get back into their car again and again, only to be confronted by the truck whose engine apparently has been upgraded to race car proportions for just such an eventuality .
unhitched is a portrait of a community that has transformed travel trailers into permanent homes. tucked away in a redwood grove in northern california, faerie ring campground and rv park serves as one of the only options for low income housing in the area. through the residents' experiences, this film illustrates the value of having a place to call home while expanding our notions of community .
it’s true we’re up against studios that have a lot more money to make and distribute a film. and in some ways, i wished our movie got picked up by sony classics, lionsgate, or one of the others that circled around it. but you know what? we didn’t, and still michelle got great reviews. and i got to learn things i never would have known !
you are anticipating, as i did, that
trucker
would turn into one of those predictable movies where the mother and son grow to love each other. it doesn' t end with mutual hate and abandonment, but it damn near does. the kid is as tough as his mom .
answer me !
she says .
i don' t talk to bitches !
he says. len and jenny seem nice enough. where did he learn to talk like that? little pitchers have big ears .
monaghan is diane ford, a trucker who just paid off her own rig. she' s 30 - ish, cold, hard - drinking, promiscuous, a loner. bennett plays her son, peter. she left him with his father len (benjamin bratt) soon after his birth, has stayed away, doesn' t like kids - - or men, either, although she uses them. one man (nathan fillion) has been her best friend for four years, but that involves getting drunk together and never having sex .
director andrea arnold acknowledges her film is about the american dream. “i was aware of that when i was making it, but it’s been fed back a lot to me since. it probably has to do with the idea of selling. these kids are supposedly selling magazines, but really they are selling themselves. that feels very american. so the environment in the bus is like a potted version of a bigger picture. ”
ironically as the film is meant to showcase michelle monaghan, i was most impressed with nathan fillion; the man who made captain mal reynolds, captain hammer and mayor of mars on thrilling adventure hour takes it down to playing just an average' jack of all trades' and makes him vulnerable and likable and torn between his wife (who we dont see much of) and monaghan. an admirable little movie marred by predictability .
we never could have predicted just how many people have a dog in the “best trucking movie of all time” fight. we made a claim last month that patrick swayze’s “black dog” was the greatest truck driving film in cinematic history, which admittedly seems like a pretty outlandish claim when you have cult classics like “smokey and the bandit” and “convoy” out there. one guy emailed us to say that he purposely broke his netflix copy of “black dog” just so that there would be one less copy of “the worst movie ever made. ” another dude wrote on our facebook that “black dog” was one of two movies that he actually had to walk out of the theaters because it was so bad. these aren’t exactly beaming testimonials for our beloved swayze film, but we are standing behind our main man and that claim that “black dog” is no. 1 on list of the best trucking movies .
if arnold’s film has an ancestor, it may be the grapes of wrath, john ford’s searing 1940 odyssey adapted from the steinbeck bestseller and charting the voyage of a family of dustbowl migrants. like star, the joads hail from oklahoma. like her, they are chasing the promise of a better life. and like american honey, ford’s drama aims for an unvarnished, social - realist intensity, documenting the desperate lives of a marginalised underclass .
1. duel (1971): directed by steven spielberg, duel was actually one of those rare made - for - tv movies that were good, ultimately being the film that shot spielberg to fame. the plot followed a man driving a car being pursued by a killer truck driver taking part in an intense cat - and - mouse game with each other. full of heart - stopping chases and an unforgettable conclusion, duel is considered a classic .
it is this quality, i suspect, that makes the film so special. on my first viewing, i filed it as a bizarrely joyous and exuberant picture, despite its harsh subject matter. after watching it a second time, i think it might be more complex. more likely the joy and the subject matter are indivisible, each dependent on the other. some films come to prop up the faltering, debased notion of american exceptionalism; others to expose it as a bright and shining lie. but american honey sees the dream for what it is – a fantasy born out of hardship – and appreciates it on its own terms. intuitively arnold’s film understands that the trip is usually more exciting than the destination, that the pursuit is invariably more authentic than the happiness at the end. or, to put it another way, in chasing after the dream we are, in fact, already living it .
cs: as a producer? were you involved with “trucker” as a producer? monaghan: yeah, i got a producer credit, and listen, i wasn’t the nuts ‘n’ bolts of it, certainly not. plum pictures were. they were terrific in getting this movie made, but i was able to have more creative control and have access to things that i normally have not had before, as a producer. that’s definitely something where i want to get more involved in, and certainly have a lot more to learn, but it definitely interests me and i’m going to do more of that .
david mamet and danny devito may have failed to blow the lid off the teamsters union in hoffa, but sturla gunnarsson and writer anne wheeler (herself an experienced director) are clearly made of sterner stuff. as is barbara williams, who turns in a gutsy performance here as the chain - smoking, tough - talking trucker, whose sense of decency drove her to expose corruption within the union and its links to organised crime. and all this in spite of the trauma of nursing a brain - damaged son. stuart margolin lends selfless support as her older lover, but this is williams' s show .
the film evinces a kinship with the disaffected youth portraits of gus van sant, like elephant and paranoid park, and the darker brand of generational nihilism purveyed by harmony korine; its raw sexual content, wild energy and moments of reckless crime specifically recall spring breakers. the latter title' s u. s. distributor, a24, also has domestic on american honey, which will require creative marketing to overcome the challenges of its non - story and overextended 162 - minute running time .
much of the movie unfolds in confined spaces like the van, truck compartments or cheap motel rooms, but even open - air, walking - and - talking scenes are viewed through a tightly focused lens. startling images of nature punctuate the film, providing an expressive motif that invites comparison to the work of terrence malick — from bugs, birds and bees to dogs, cows and horses, a turtle, a sugar glider and a bear that clearly hasn' t seen the revenant .
diane' s free - wheeling life of drunken one - night - stands as a professional trucker hits a road block when peter, her son, is dropped at her doorstep. her former husband len, whom she abandoned eleven years ago along with their new - born son, has cancer and no one else to turn to while he' s in the hospital. peter, resentful and wary, wants, even needs a mother who' ll want him at this worrisome time but knows better than to expect this from diane. with deliveries waiting and a mortgage to be paid, there' s only one inevitable thing ahead for diane and peter - a road trip together .
trucker has a lot of heart. i would say it this way this is the story of a kid who just wants his mom to love home and take time for him. its too bad that she has no idea how to be a mom. she even goes so far and to tell her son that she never wanted him in the first place. i have always been a fan of anything jimmy bennett has a part in he did a great job of playing the part of
peter
. if you are a fan of jimmy bennett' s work you will enjoy this movie. i. m. h. o. the only bad thing is a lot of bad words in this one
before coming to stanford, erin lived in denver and managed a non - profit teen center at girls incorporated. her favorite part of the job was working collaboratively with young women to investigate identity and creative forms of self - expression through media literacy, video production and digital storytelling. during her free time, erin made a film about her 94 - year - old grandmother who struggled to give up her favorite pastime, driving. erin is originally from albuquerque, new mexico and holds a ba in women' s studies and urban studies from colorado college .
facets: truckers and their profession amount to a sort - of subculture due to the isolation of the road. their trucks are akin to their living spaces and truck stops are like their neighborhoods. almost everything they wear, eat, enjoy during leisure time, or need for their trucks comes from a truck stop. they have their own slang, clothing style, jokes, and even their own set of symbols. how much did you get into that while you were writing the movie? it seems alluded to in the film—diane’s clothing, for example—but not dwelled on .
the film follows the fortunes of teenage star, played by sasha lane, who lights out to “explore america” as part of an itinerant crew of magazine vendors. her route loops back and forth across the midwest, from strip malls and oil derricks to sterile mcmansions perched on irrigated lawns. inside the bus, the crew members thrill to songs of freedom and empowerment. outside, they angle for subscriptions, spinning a different story at every door. they speak in horatio alger, working - hard - to - escape - poverty cliches. theirs is the rags - to - riches life, yet it’s clear from the start these kids are going nowhere fast .
i concede the story arc is fairly predictable, assuming neither one murders the other. but mottern and his actors take no hostages. diane is hard and tough, and stays that way. her son is angry and bitter, and stays that way. does they need to love and be loved? sure. we know that, but they don' t. by the end of the film, she hasn' t called him
peter
and he hasn' t called her
mom .
he' s
kid
or
dude ,
and she' s
you .
they have to be together whether they like it or not, and they know it .
instead, the film works best as a poignant character study, observing star as she settles into her independence and figures out who she wants to be, framed by a vast physical landscape that stretches socioeconomically from privileged wealth to squalid poverty. there' s a wonderful intimacy in the way arnold examines young women in her films. that' s true here of scenes like one with an oilfield worker who pays star $ 1, 000 for some pretty miserable sex. or another in which she makes a sales call on a dirt - poor house, and responds with empathy to the kids, all but abandoned by their junkie mother, with nothing in the refrigerator but a bottle of mountain dew .
it would be nice to credit american honey with providing the cast with the dream – or at least a convenient leg - up towards it. but that’s too much the hollywood happy ending. it doesn’t account for the other pitfalls on the road, the fact that people can backslide and circumstances can change. it may even run counter to the abiding spirit of the film – which exults in the freewheeling abandon that comes from having nothing much left to lose, the thrill of whipping through the fringes of an unfamiliar city with the music up loud and the sunroof thrown back to show off the stars. all around is a humdrum nightmare of dead - end jobs and foreclosed homes, vacant lots on the endless road. but in the middle, in the moment, there’s the american dream .
the revolution that stan lee brought to comics was basically the idea that humans with superpowers were still humans nonetheless (that' s the revolution? ?? and yet from such small beginnings... !) and thus flawed, their flaws manifest in spite of whatever their extra power might be. and so this film' s tragic story: teens get special abilities, yes, powers far beyond the ken of mortal men (i love that phrase !), but are no more capable relating to others than before, their personal idiosyncrasies just as apparent and what makes them special also makes them perhaps dangerous to the rest of us. told via the best cgi money can buy and well, what' s delivered is not a bad tale of teen angst gone... wow. cool .
in terms of production of smaller films, any film really, i think that in general, people in the movie business have to realize that the money that has been out there for all these films and for their personal gain simply does not exist anymore. i have an especially sore spot for agents as they are the gatekeepers of all these projects; and i understand that their job is not to make movies but to make deals. some agents i have dealt with are extremely progressive in the way they see reality, but others refuse to accept that that movie business they came up in no longer exists. i would hope that agents soon will come to terms with the fact that their talent—and the projects they want their talent in—need nurturing and thought and that they don’t just gun for the highest number. talent needs to account for themselves and to be more involved in this process as well .
arnold was raised on a kent housing estate. american honey, backed by the bfi and film4, is her first us - set feature. but she points out that, back in the late 1990s, she studied film - making in la. it was america, then, that helped jump - start her career. “growing up, ” she says, “i was always very conscious of my class. i basically come from a working - class background. but when i went to america, i felt liberated, accepted for who i was as opposed to where i came from. i started to think i could be all i wanted to be, live the idealised life. so i understand the mindset. it’s very seductive. but how does it work if you’re a kid from a small town with no industry and no work except what you can get at the fast - food restaurant? how do you rise above all that and find some self - belief? ” for many – for most – the american dream is just that.
trucker is a 2008 independent drama film by plum pictures , starring michelle monaghan , nathan fillion and benjamin bratt . it was written and directed by james mottern , and produced by scott hanson , galt niederhoffer , celine rattray and daniela taplin lundberg . 
trucker is a 2008 independent drama film by plum pictures, starring michelle monaghan, nathan fillion and benjamin bratt. it was written and directed by james mottern, and produced by scott hanson, galt niederhoffer, celine rattray and daniela taplin lundberg.
trucker is a 2008 independent drama film by plum pictures, starring michelle monaghan, nathan fillion and benjamin bratt. it was written and directed by james mottern, and produced by scott hanson, galt niederhoffer, celine rattray and daniela taplin lundberg.