Minor league baseball player Carlton Garrett (Justin Timberlake) is trying to live up to the legend of his pro-ball player father, Kyle (Jeff Bridges), and isn’t succeeding. The two haven’t seen each other in years, but when Carlton’s mother (Mary Steenburgen) falls ill and wants to see Kyle before agreeing to surgery, it’s up to Carlton to track down his father and bring him back. Carlton’s ex-girlfriend, Lucy (Kate Mara), comes along for moral support. When they miss the plane, the road trip that follows just might make Carlton and his father closer than ever before.

CRITIQUE

When it comes to relationships on screen, few are as cultivated for drama as the father-son dynamic. The examples of that type of story on screen are too many to list. A film with a familiar topic doesn’t have to break new ground to be at least mildly entertaining, however. Fairly strong performances, especially from Bridges, and a story that is funny and touching at times is what viewers can expect from The Open Road.

Though he is, of course, best known as a singer, Justin Timberlake has extended his acting career into lead role territory with this film. As Carlton, his performance is decent, though Bridges takes over the film, not surprisingly. Bridges’ character is an ex-pro baseball player, the kind of carouser who has aged unwillingly and still has goodness at his core. Bridges encompasses all of this in his performance, never once making Kyle feel anything but real. The viewer truly doesn’t notice he is acting. Mara is also a strong presence and it is always a pleasure to see Seenburgen and Harry Dean Stanton, too, who plays Carlton’s grandfather.

I mention the actors first because the other aspects of this film can feel slight at first glance. There is nothing about the script, directing, or production values that strike the audience as being overtly theatrical in any way, but that becomes part of the film’s appeal. The moments that hit an emotional chord, be they of the sad or funny variety, stand out all the more against such a lived-in feeling. The music by Charlie Sexton soon comes to the forefront as memorable, for instance.

In terms of script, Carlton’s back-burnered interest in writing is less subtly handled than the development between he and Kyle, but the ending in which Carlton quits the team to pursue writing still satisfies. The fact that he and Lucy have gotten back together adds to that.

The Open Road concentrates on storytelling and performance, rather than scope, to engage it’s audience and is mostly effective.

THE VIDEO

The Open Road is presented in anamorphic widescreen, but viewers also get the option of a full-frame presentation, which is unnecessary as the wide picture is clearly the best recreation of the theatrical viewing experience. Picture quality is pretty good, colors and contrast is solid.

THE AUDIO

The Open Road is presented in English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, which is reliably excellent for watching (and listening) at home. Though there are no other language tracks, there are English and Spanish subtitles available on the disc.

THE EXTRAS

Behind the Scenes of The Open Road: This bonus is the usual making-of doc, and the expected interviews and on-set footage make up the 6.5 minutes here. The actors all have fairly interesting things to say about their characters and the story, and Harry Dean Stanton is especially a trip. The brief mention about shooting in Louisiana by the filmmakers is nice, too. Pretty good, as these brief extras go.

Audio Commentary: Writer/director Meredith and Bridges join together for a track. They are mostly engaging throughout and don’t leave lengthy silences. Bridges is relatable and keeps the conversation going, and Meredith does a lot of the necessary revealing of when and where things were shot. The pair sometimes hits on a cool topic for film buffs, such as the brief moments they talk about Sidney Lumet when touching on rehearsing. This is the best of the two extras here.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The Open Road is a film that succeeds more than it disappoints because of it’s talented performers, an overall solid story, and deceptively subtle direction. More viewers than just fans of Timberlake will enjoy this film, and there are even a couple of extra features on this disc that add a little value. There is nothing to really dislike about this movie, though it could stand to be more memorable in some ways. The Open Road is more of a hit than a miss, ultimately.