Diane Ford (Michelle Monaghan), a vivacious and successful independent truck driver, leads a carefree life of long-haul trucking, one night stands and all-night drinking with Runner (Nathan Fillion, Serenity, Dr. Horrible'... more »s Sing-A-Long Blog; Cast) until the evening her estranged 11-year-old son, Peter (Jimmy Bennett, young James Kirk in Star Trek) is unexpectedly dropped at her door.
Peter hasn't seen his mother since he was a baby and wants to live with Diane as little as she wants him, but they are stuck with each other at least for now, while his father Len (Benjamin Bratt) is in the hospital.
Burdened with this new responsibility and seeing the life of freedom she's fought for now jeopardized, Diane steps reluctantly into her past and looks sidelong at an uncharted future that is not as simple or straight forward as she had once believed possible.« less
Donna D. from WASILLA, AK Reviewed on 2/23/2011...
To me this movie was great.Made it show woman can do what ever they want,felt had a good story behind it,and in the end I cried I would watch it again and also 4 of my friends watch it and said it was gooc
Sharon C. (Sierrastar) from BLYTHEWOOD, SC Reviewed on 11/3/2010...
I was not sure about this movie when I requested it but I am so glad that I ordered it and I really liked it. It was better than I thought it would be and if you haven't watched it then I suggest it because it really is a good story. The opening scene might not be so great for children so parental guidiance is suggested.
0 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Movie Reviews
A thought-provoking and emotionally moving saga about the cu
Midwest Book Review | Oregon, WI USA | 11/16/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Trucker is a DVD movie about an independent-minded truck driver Diane Ford, accustomed to enjoying a carefree life marked by one-night love affairs, hard drinking, and long haul days on the road. But her life changes dramatically when she suddenly has the responsibility of caring for her eleven-year-old son Peter - whom she has not seen since he was a baby. Peter's father is incapacitated in the hospital; now Diane's life is turned upside down, as she struggles with caring for a boy as distrustful of her as she is of him. Difficult choices lie ahead for her, and she must come to grips with a future that holds more challenges and pitfalls than she has ever imagined. A thought-provoking and emotionally moving saga about the culmination of a turning point in one's life, highly recommended. 93 minutes, closed captioned, rated R."
Original
Trip Like I Do | USA | 04/02/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I don't want to say too much about this movie, so as not to ruin it for other viewers, other than to say that it is a very good movie. It is atypically unformulaic, the characters are quite real, the acting is professional and believable, and it does not try to tie up loose ends. It is also not like the typical Hollywood genre film (pick your genre). It has the feeling of meeting someone who has no interest in, or perhaps no awareness of a need for, falling into a comfortable stereotype -- and all the awkwardness, discomfort and discovery that such a situation can bring."
Swanky!
Erol Esen | Webster, NY United States | 01/11/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Whoa! Did you see Michelle Monaghan in The Trucker, whom she portrays? I haven't seen this great of acting since anything I've seen by Hilary Swank. Yep, Monaghan is right up there with the greatest.
The story of a lone female trucker is a story of survival. Not just surviving a world of economic hardship, but surviving oneself. The balance between life and work achieved over ten years is now challenged by the arrival of her eleven year old boy, whose dad is dying of colon cancer. The change of character as portrayed by Monaghan is nothing short of brilliant. Though she's been hardened by circumstances of her life it is still difficult to imagine a mother, who has abandoned her son in favor of having her freedom regardless of its difficulties. The raw harshness of a mother upon a son as if he is a stranger is thawed out ever so slowly, but a woman cannot forget being a mother as she briefly smells the face of her sleeping son on the couch. Fighting to win inner peace, and to love herself through what she's procreated is a divine balance that wins the hearts of a viewing audience. "
Tough (but worthy) watch, bare bones DVD
Steve Kuehl | Ben Lomond, CA | 01/02/2010
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This can be one of those films where a reviewer can write paragraphs of material about the narrative, performances, nuances, subtlety of emotions, and loads of other wonderful stuff, but when the credits suddenly appeared I had to wait a day to scribe some thoughts.
A character/performance film all the way, with Michelle Monaghan being given her first chance at carrying a film - and without hesitation I think she did an outstanding job. The story follows our main gal as she trucks for a living, unburdened by any emotional or long term physical relationships. She is suddenly given the responsibility of having to take care of her estranged boy, last seen when he was an infant. The rest (and majority) of the film covers their new relationship and the pitfalls they both face with her road life. Very dry at times, but some genuine moments and strong showings make for a solid film. Would have liked to see more happen with certain roles (I liked Serenity so it was nice to see Fillion) but I suppose the ending had to be ambiguous.
The picture clarity is average at times, clear in a few outdoor spots and the sound is a weak 5.1 with most everything directed through the center channel. The supplements are extremely weak and should not have even been added: * Actress Prepares for her Role, less than 2 minutes. A music montaged slide show of Michelle walking around a truck stop - forgettable. * Behind the Scenes Slideshow, less than a minute. Same thing - forgettable.
Would have hoped for some stellar supplements from Monterey as I am a big fan of their work (especially Humble Pie, Local Color and The Village Barbershop) but this will have to stand alone as a character film. 4 stars for Michelle but zero for anything else."
A Nicely-Wrought but Predictable Movie
Richard B. Schwartz | Columbia, Missouri USA | 04/25/2010
(4 out of 5 stars)
"A mother has left the (to her) cloying world of motherhood and become an over the road trucker. The child's father has had custody for the last ten years of his 11 year-old's life and is loved deeply by his son. When he contracts cancer and his wife's parent dies, the father turns to the trucker to take care of the son while he enters the hospital to either recuperate or die. The mother and son begin with recriminations, anger and harsh words, move on to understanding and end up loving one another (all as one would hope and expect).
Michele Monaghan as the mother, Diane, carries the movie and she does so expertly. James Mottern's direction is strong, the production values high, particularly considering the twin facts of a 19-day shoot and a one and a half million-dollar budget. This is a small film, but done very nicely with superb performances all around. It is a story about love and responsibility, the latter a slippery notion for Diane, who has abandoned her son but built an economic life by scrimping to complete the payments on her truck and making progress on the mortgage-free ownership of her one-bedroom house somewhere in a place like Barstow. Her self-indulgent private life, which consists of hard drinking and one-night stands, is about to change and we enjoy her (and her son's) somewhat uneasy but altogether predictable transformation. This is a small gem."