TRUCKER
US, 2008, 90 minutes, Colour.
Michelle Monaghan, Jimmy Bennett, Nathan Fillion, Benjamin Bratt, Joey Lauren Adams.
Directed by James Mottern.
Trucker is a story that fulfils its title. However, the trucker is played by Michelle Monaghan (Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, Eagle’s Eye). She gives a strong performance as a woman who walked out on her marriage and her young son for a freer life. She finds trucking energetic, likes the open road, is successful at her work. She is also quite promiscuous as she journeys across America.
Her estranged husband (Benjamin Bratt) is diagnosed with cancer and his partner (Joey Lauren Adams) has family commitments so she brings the trucker’s eleven-year-old son (a very effective performance by Jimmy Bennett) to stay with his mother. He has never seen her since he was very little, is quite antagonistic towards her, devoted to his father. However, a blend of life on the road, getting to know his mother better, her mellowing and some maternal instincts emerging, mean that there is a change of heart. The other main character is played by Nathan Fillion, a long-time friend of the trucker, wanting to marry her and to settle down.
In many ways, the film is straightforward in its narrative, depicting the central characters quite deftly, showing a lot of the American landscape from the truck to the accompaniment of country and western music.
1. The impact of the film? As an American road movie? As an American family movie?
2. The open road, the range of vistas of the United States? A sense of the road? The trucks, their cargo, the long hauls? The background of diners and motels? The truckers’ way of life?
3. The portrait of Diane, Michelle Monaghan’s presence and style? Seeing her with the young man in the motel, payment, independence? Her doing her job, meeting the other truckers? Headquarters and deliveries? Her friendship with Runner, the drinking together, the dancing, her delivering him home drunk? Her house, wanting to possess it – while being on the road? Continually returning to the house? Discussions with Runner? The arrival of Jenny, with Peter? Her having to accept him? Her response to his antagonism? Her memories, the memories of her marriage, attraction to Leonard? The decision to walk out, to leave her child? Her attempts at explanation of this to Peter? The discussions with Jenny? Taking Peter to see his father, seeing Len, talking with him, his new life, his terminal illness? Her wanting to give back Peter? Runner and his friendship with Peter, minding him? Discussing baseball, the baseball lessons? Peter on the road with Diane, at the motel, the toothbrush, the teenagers bashing him and her threatening them? The gradual change of heart? Peter and his surliness, wanting time to think over whether he would travel or not? The effect of seeing Len, his death? Jenny’s final visit? Her wanting Jenny and Len to take the boy? The final decision, the warmth, motherly, her age? The possibility of settling down, the house?
4. Runner, genial, his failed marriage, long friendship with Diane, drinking, dancing, getting drunk? Yet his love for Diane, his care for Peter, working with him, the baseball, the possibility of his being a father figure?
5. Len, the marriage, Diane walking out, his relationship with Jenny, bringing up Peter? His cancer, in hospital, the visits?
6. Jenny, friendly woman, with Len, delivering Peter? The discussions with Diane, the facing of the reality about Peter, and his mother?
7. Life on the road, the various truckies, the delivery points? The people in the bars, the diners, the motels? The feel of the road?
8. A variation on the American family theme, single parents, custody of children, their welfare? Diane and her final choices?
