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Movie Preview: Michelle Monaghan, Nathan Fillion in Trucker

BuzzSugar — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 05:30:00 -0700

When I saw Trucker at the Tribeca Film Festival back in 2008, I acknowledged that it's not the world's finest movie, but it was definitely one of my favorites of all the festival movies I saw. It's a relatively quiet indie drama starring Michelle Monaghan as Diane Ford, a tough truck driver who enjoys her carefree life of trucking, bars and one-night stands - until her 11-year-old son shows up one day. Their relationship is rocky, and Diane is none too pleased to suddenly shoulder so much responsibility, but as long as her ex-husband (Benjamin Bratt) is hospitalized, mother and son are stuck with each other. Nathan Fillion plays her sweet, handsome neighbor and friend who is married but clearly has feelings for Diane.

The film will open Oct. 9. If you like these actors and feel like a sometimes slow and harsh but ultimately warm-hearted drama, you'll likely find Trucker worthwhile. To check out the trailer, read more.

Tribeca Review: Trucker

BuzzSugar — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 08:30:33 -0700

Trucker largely reminded me of another indie movie titled Come Early Morning, which was written and directed by Chasing Amy's Joey Lauren Adams (who, incidentally, also stars in Trucker). The tone of both movies features a kind of weary, weathered fondness for the southern American landscape (in Come Early Morning it's the South, in Trucker it's the dusty deserts of southern California). At the heart of both movies, too, are hard-edged, tough-talking women in jobs that others in the movie ridicule for not being "women's jobs": Ashley Judd's character in Early Morning worked in construction, while the main character of Diane in Trucker, played by Michelle Monaghan, is a truck driver.

On the surface these two films might blur together in my mind as one unrecognizable narrative of the rough-around-the-edges woman learning to soften and accept love as well as give it. Trucker stands out a bit, though, as a more interesting story, more layered with higher stakes. And while it's not the most memorable movie in general, it's captivating enough and ultimately sends a heartwarming message. To see what I mean, read more.

The movie opens with a scene not suitable for watching with, say, your parents: Diane is seen having a one-hour stand with a young man (played by Joey Lawrence's brother, Matthew!) she picked up for the night. From here, it's established that she lives a loner's life on the road, driving trucks and picking up random men. But she always goes back to her California home where her neighbor Runner (Nathan Fillion) lives to hang out with Diane and pine after her - despite the fact that he's married. Soon drama comes in the form of Diane's young son Peter (Jimmy Bennet) who she abandoned, along with Peter's father (Benjamin Bratt) many years ago. Diane learns that Peter needs stay with her because his father has cancer, and there's a chance that Peter will need to move in with Diane permanently.

The relationship between mother and son is often uncomfortably contentious, with Monaghan's intense Diane walking around like a stick of dynamite about to blow up. Yet, we start to understand Diane's reasoning: she's just not the type of woman who wants to be a steady mom. She wants to be always moving, on the road, and the kid cramps her style. Thus, when the moments that include any inkling of tenderness between Diane and Peter do come along, they are hard-earned. Nathan Fillion is extremely handsome in the movie, though his role confounded me, as it was never explored why he spent all his time with Diane while his wife sat at home right next door. Unexamined and unexplained things like this make the movie frustrating, though by the time the sweet ending comes around, you might just forgive it.

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Tribeca Preview: Trucker

BuzzSugar — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 12:30:10 -0700

This one looks like a heartwarming tale of family and redemption and . . . aw, who am I kidding? Nathan Fillion's in it, of course I'm going to see this movie. In Trucker, Michelle Monaghan plays Diane Ford, "a hard-nosed truck driver who leads a carefree life of all-night bar benders and one-night stands until her estranged 11-year-old son shows up at her door one evening." Their relationship is rocky and contentious, but as long as Diane's ex-husband (Benjamin Bratt) is hospitalized, mother and son are stuck with each other. However, with the help of "a handsome and doting neighbor" (Nathan Fillion), Diane starts to learn that being a responsible mother might not be the worst thing ever.

This is one of the first movies I'll catch at Tribeca and I'd say a little Fillion will start things off right, wouldn't you?

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