Plot OutlineCarter Armstrong (Adam Rothenberg) and his younger brother Ellis (Ethan Peck) only have each other. They live in the mountains outside Albuquerque, New Mexico, in a trailer home. A discontent cabbie, Carter numbs his existence with alcohol while Ellis photographs the mountains around them. Their lonely lives are shattered when Ellis is diagnosed with acute leukemia, which can only be treated with a bone marrow transplant from a matching donor. After discovering Carter is not a match they decide to return to their childhood home in East Tennessee to find the abusive father from whom they fled many years earlier.
Their journey takes them through Texas where they meet Krystal (Mariah Carey), a local waitress who dreams of becoming a country singer. Fleeing her loveless marriage, Krystal takes pity on the weary brothers and agrees to drive them as far as Nashville.
The trio embark on a fateful road trip - Carter and Ellis in search of a father who may be the only chance of saving the younger brother's life; and Krystal longing to fulfill her musical aspirations. Along their journey, an emotional bond develops amongst the travelers as they cut across state lines, managing to elude Frank (Lance Reddick), Krystal's state trooper husband. Krystal becomes an unlikely guardian angel, watching over Ellis as she and Carter race him to Tennessee to get the care that he needs.
Once they reach Nashville, Ellis's condition continues to deteriorate and Carter is unable to locate their father. Carter's search takes him back through the places, people, and memories of his youth - his days as a star quarterback, his first love, his violent home life.
As unforeseeable events unfold, Ellis's health becomes critical; Carter begins to make peace with his past; and Krystal pursues her musical career.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Cast & CrewCASTAdam Rothenberg............................................................................Carter Armstrong
Ethan Peck......................................................................................Ellis Armstrong
Mariah Carey..................................................................................Krystal
Lance Roddick.................................................................................Frank
Michelle Harris.................................................................................Karen
Bill Sage.........................................................................................Roy
Ryan Lynn.......................................................................................Young Carter
Melissa Benoist................................................................................Laurel
CREWDirectorAARON WOODLEY
ProducerLEE DANIELS
ScreenplayRUSSELL SCHAUMBURG
Director of PhotographyDAVID GREENE
Production DesignAIDAM LEROUX
EditorSTEVE EDWARDS
ComposerMARIO GRIGOROV
Costume DesignerDEBORAH EVERTON
Executive ProducersSARAH SIEGEL-MAGNESS, GARY MAGNESS, LISA CORTES, DAVE ROBINSON, DAMON DASH, JANE KOSEK, TOM HELLER
Co-Executive ProducersBRAD KAPLAN, CHRIS RIDENHOUR
CastingBILLY HOPKINS, SUZANNE CROWLEY, KERRY BARDEN, PAUL SCHNEE
Co-ProducerVALERIE HOFFMAN
Makeup Dept. HeadPAMELA ROTH
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Release: December 9, 2008
BB Albums Peak: N/A.
1. Right To Dream
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Trivia- Val Kilmer, who lives on a nearby New Mexico ranch, initially agreed to participate in this film secondary to his work with New Mexico's Film Investment Program, but as production neared he was forced to decline secondary to other commitments.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Press ReviewsTRIBECA FILM REVIEW
By Joel Keller, April 30, 2008
Ah, the road film. The formula is tried-and-true: usually two people, taking to the back roads of America in order to get somewhere by a certain time or for a particular reason. Along the way, cars break down, trains are jumped, and quirky characters are encountered. It can be funny, sweet, or darkly dramatic. But the formula rarely strays. Because of this, the key to a good road film is what happens during the journey. You want to see lessons learned, growth, and bonding. But you also want to see interesting characters and maybe a good car chase thrown in, too.
Tribeca seems to have at least one of these films every year. Last year it was
Chasing 3000. This year, it's
Tennessee, a slow-moving but sweet story of two brothers who go back home to find their abusive father; what they find, though is that there's more than one reason to go home.
The story is pretty straightforward: in 1993, after finally confronting his alcoholic, abusive father, Carter Armstrong (Adam Rothenberg) escapes from Tennessee to New Mexico with his mother and little brother Ellis. Fifteen years later, the mom is dead, Ellis (Ethan Peck) has leukemia, and Carter is not a bone marrow match. Ellis suggests that they go back to Tennessee to find their father for a possible marrow donation. Carter, who sacrificed a future as a college football star to protect his family, reluctantly agrees.
So they set off on the road in Carter's taxi. Along the way, Ellis befriends Krystal (Mariah Carey), a diner waitress who decides to join the brothers in order to escape her own abusive relationship, with state trooper Frank (Lance Reddick of The Wire). The usual spiritual journeys ensue, with Frank's relentless pursuit of his wife thrown in for good measure.
Watching Tennessee, one can tell that director Aaron Woodley is in love with the varying landscapes in these United States, as he takes loving wide shots of terrain ranging from the dessert of New Mexico to the lush green hills of Tennessee. It makes for a great backdrop for the story, which is low-key in every sense of the word. Even the menacing specter of Frank isn't played up any more than it needs to be. In essence, Woodley makes sure that the exploration of how people can overcome their pasts and redeem themselves is at the forefront of his film.
The performances are what's most notable about the movie. Rothenberg plays the booze-addled Carter with the right combination of self-pity, rage, and restraint. His Tennessee accent goes in and out, but otherwise, his performance is fine. Reddick is realistically scary as Frank. Peck, in his first film role, is remarkable as Ellis, stoic in the face of his illness, but with a sense of responsibility that his older brother never really had. And, if anyone was worried that Carey was going to overwhelm the picture with her star power, there was no need to worry; she properly eschews her glam persona to play Krystal, whose dreams have also been squashed by abuse. She even sports a passable Texas accent, which is no small feat for a girl from Long Island.
As you'd expect to see in most road movies, there are some leaps of faith that need to be made in order to ensure that the journey is completed. It's interesting that none of the stories end the way a person would expect, but sometimes those twists work and sometimes they don't. But those details shouldn't dissuade you from checking the movie out. Tennessee isn't action-packed, but it has a story that should keep you engaged from start to finish.
