A serious actor who segued into populist fluff, the cantankerous Atticus (Irons) has just won a lifetime achievement award when he has a heart attack. This reunites him with estranged son Adam (Huston), a feminist documentarian. With his father banned from flying, Adam has to travel with him cross-country to the wedding of his sister Annabelle (Gummer). But both Adam and Atticus are afraid they might kill each other on the road together in a private bus. A series of antics help them confront their issues and begin to plot out some sort of relationship.

As they travel, Atticus is reading the Bible as research before his next film role playing God, but what he really wants is alcohol and drugs, both of which are of course forbidden. This sparks more foul-mouthed outrage, but also allows him to connect with his son for the first time. Meanwhile, Adam's adversarial relationship with Atticus is giving him second thoughts about becoming a father with Clementine (Echikunwoke). And both men are avoiding the most serious things on their minds.

Irons has a ball tearing up the screen with acerbic outbursts and scathing wit, then adding intriguing hints of depth underneath his bluster. Opposite him, Huston is more subtle as a man straining to be sensitive to those around him, which clearly doesn't come naturally to him. His journey is a bit more grounded and identifiable. Lively side characters include Schwartz as Atticus' fast-talking agent, Jagannathan as his patient doctor and Harn as their ex-con bus driver.

Filmmaker Clark skilfully the expansive American landscape along with offbeat cultural landmarks. One stop along the way is at Atticus' mountain cabin, which sparks some nostalgia. And clips of his filmography also add history to his relationship with his son, which neither of them has bothered to work on before this. And even if most encounters along the road are a little corny (like an mind-opening experience with Patton's shaman), the film is an entertaining showcase for these two actors. And it might provoke some emotion as well.

themes, language

30.Aug.18