MovieChat Forums > Interstate 60: Episodes of the Road (2003) Discussion > Decent but overall, meh.

Decent but overall, meh.

posted 15 years ago by jfree672
6 replies | jump to latest

This movie had some great actors and concepts but ultimately just felt a little too cheesy and corny by the end. Christopher Lloyd is great and I am a fan of Gary Oldman as well as Chris Cooper but there were many moments where after the scene ended I just kinda sighed and shook my head.

I understand that Bob Gayle is not really a very edgy director and appeals to a wider, more PG rated audience, and doesn't really push the envelope very much. Not to say that is a bad thing, but for some reason I felt like it would have had more substance if it would have a bit darker.

Having said that some of the concepts we're pretty funny and original such as the town that everyone was a lawyer and suing and counter-suing each other.

Amy Jo Johnson is incredibly hawt even though her personality in the film wasn't that appealing. I just kept thinking of the pink power ranger and how I had the biggest crush on her growing up. That's not really noteworthy just a personal feeling :)

The lead role played by James Mardsen, who a better job than I expected but was just to 'Hollywood pretty boyish' to really be taking seriously.

I could go on but you all get the idea. Overall decent but I think fell a little short of what it could have been. I'd say a 6.5 out of 10.

What do you all think?

[–] INTJewel 15 years ago

Agreed. Meh.

The Marsden guy should realize that good looks do not the actor make.

Why, oh why, does Gary Oldman bother with tripe like this?

[–] coogee-577-681676 14 years ago

Seems like a fair assessment to me jfree672. I checked this out on the strength of its' rating here and find it to be highly overrated. It's a likeable 6/10 TV movie with some star cameos and a very by-the-book teen-moralisation message at its heart.

The lead character didn't sit well with the movie for me, especially given the appearances of several high profile actors. The plot was pretty 'darn stilted - the bar scene set-up at the beginning? Come on, lazy stuff! The heavy-handed I-hate-you-smothering-me-rich-Daddy message at its core - does this movie reach out to an American middle-class audience who identify with these issues? I sure as heck don't relate!

But having said all that, I did find it had plenty of original thoughts, a good-heart, a sense of fun (but a bit light on the humour perhaps?) and was worth watching, I just wished I'd gone in with lower expectations than the very OTT rating on here.

My final thought on watching it was to compare and contrast the 'Up Yours Daddy' reaction with the red car in this film to Cameron's in Ferris Bueller - 7.7/10 - come on! gimme a break!!! FBDO only rates 7.9 on IMDB - I think straight comparison should have a 3 point gap between these two films at the very least?

[–] SillyPuddy 14 years ago

I agree that it had its moments and was worth watching but just a bit uneven. The dialogue is cringe worthy at times and although it may be PG material, the language certainly is not. For a film like this the strong language did not seem to fit IMO. For instance, it was strange for me to see MJ Fox swearing up a storm and going ballistic. It made what could have been a funny scene feel uncomfortable and quite frankly, stupid.

[–] lynn-ash 14 years ago

The comment above--paragraph #5-- (written by jfree672) is typical of the criticism James Marsden faces; even one of the other actors (I forget which one) had that impression at first; JM had to win him over by his intelligent take on his part & his acting. I don't know if Marsden will ever get out from under that opinion of him. Would people also say these things after Hairspray, Enchanted, Sex Drive & Death at a Funeral? In that last film, he stole it away from all the professional comedians who were also in it. This isn't just my opinion; I have read this in many reviews. He was also up the the award --I think it was Teen Choce-- for stealing the film, but lost out to someone else. DAAF was R rated, so perhaps not many younger people saw it.
His performance in The Box--which I like very much--also came under fire. Now "they" are saying that he can only do comedy. He himself says he is grateful to any director or casting person who gives him a chance to prove himself.

[–] Rupert__Pupkin 14 years ago

I completely agree with your review and had many of the same thoughts while viewing.

I think I probably enjoyed the movie more than you, just for the originality and unpredictability of the flick, but I agree that it could've (should've) been a darker tale with a little less cheese. And minus one very misguided and completely inappropriate fart joke.

Nothing against Mardsen here, but I thought he was poorly cast. I thought he did fine in the movie and may very well be a good actor, but he just looked a little too Dawson's Creek/Melrose Place/I Know What You Did Last Summer for me. He's clearly an attractive guy, but his looks were so striking in that classic Hollywood sort of way that it detracted from the movie for me. I think casting an everyday Joe would've been more effective.

[–] DustinTM 14 years ago

Rupert Pupkin: Not sure about the everyday Joe thing, I think Jake Gyllenhaal (or similar) could have nailed it, but I definitely agree with the fart joke. And what was with that audio clip? It was terrible in every way. Bad, gross, overdubbed fart. What, did she have a cellphone in her pants with a fart ring tone? So, so bad.

Anyone who checks out my posts now won't believe I took the time to comment on the fart, but it was absolutely, terribly, embarrassingly LAME. No comedic timing, and I don't have a problem with girl farts, it can be funny, but that one was not.

Come to think of it, that whole scene was pretty lame. So was the whole, "Grapefruit halved or peeled" part... Three for three. Who gives a crap. They love everything the same, it's relationship perfection. It's way too sappy is what it is. But I enjoyed the movie for it's premise, and forgave it for it's flaws and almost B-movie quality.