Review of Tennessee (2008) by Sebastian J — 08 Jun 2009

I am not a fan of Mariah Carey. Nor was I impressed with Aaron Woodley and his last feature film. But something told me that I would enjoy this low key road trip drama. I am glad I trusted my gut because the result was a character study that was both sweet and sensitive.

I recently read a review that claimed that we prefer movies that are "constructed to give people with little narrative in their lives some huge outsize narrative". But the little adventures on display here felt very organic to me.

The pace was languid and the dialogue was minimal, but the overall effect was very touching. I would have liked to have seen more humor injected, but that is my only critique. I should probably mention the beautiful landscapes that are featured.

I have never driven cross country, but the loving wide shots of terrain provide a great backdrop for the story. However, it is the acting that make this character study work. I was not familiar with the two male lead actors.

But I was impressed by their ability to fully engage the audience within the framework of this subtle screenplay. A brotherly relationship (that is never fully explained) didn't fail to tug at my heart strings.

Mariah may be able to kick-start a second career as a character actress based on her ability to tone it down here. The script might stumble into Southern melodrama every so often, but I would describe this project as a modest success.

Sometimes, low expectation can be its own blessing.