Friday
05Jun2009
Movie Review - 'Tennessee'
Friday, June 5, 2009 at 1:08AM | Tennessee
Starring Adam Rothenberg, Ethan Peck, Mariah Carey, and
Lance Reddick  |
The independent film Tennessee lays out a lot of
its cards pretty early, but if you get through the first half-hour unscathed, you should be fine. Because
we're told this is going to be a road trip movie, there are certain things we already know before we meet
all the characters.
Lots of movies have problems with that first act: There are only so many kinds of stories you can tell.
But like every joke that begins with "A guy walks into a bar...", it's what happens after the standard
line that has to move us.
Tennessee is about four people, but it really should only be about two. There are two brothers
driving from New Mexico back to their home state of Tennessee. Carter and Ellis (Adam
Rothenberg and Ethan Peck) are returning to find
their father, from whom they have been estranged since they were boys. But Ellis needs a kidney and their
father is the only surefire hope.
Along the way, the brothers meet an overburdened diner waitress named Krystal (Mariah
Carey). She aspires to be a singer, which isn't surprising once you
recognize Carey, but she feels trapped in her life and refuses to embrace the dream that burns inside her.
Krystal is also in a stormy relationship with a highway patrolman named Frank (Lance
Reddick), who looks like he's on the wrong side of the badge when we meet
him.
The story between Krystal and Frank has a heartbeat; the other one never goes anywhere unexpected. But we
see that Frank is not neccessarily the person we initially made him out to be, and Krystal has two faces.
She can scramble to get things done, but she's demure and unsure when it comes to her singing. Clearly,
she has a remarkable voice, but she lacks the confidence in herself to take that next step.
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