Trucker
Michelle Monaghan's commanding performance in the title role carries Trucker--and that's a good thing, because there's not an awful lot happening in director-writer James Mottern's 2008 film other than the characters and their relationships to themselves and those around them. Monaghan's Diane Ford is a tough cookie, a loner who passes the time with long hauls, heavy drinking, and not-even-one-night stands--if this woman was interested in commitment, she wouldn't have walked out 10 years earlier on her infant son and his father (Benjamin Bratt, good in a limited role). But now her ex is seriously ill and his girlfriend has her own family issues to deal with, leaving Diane to look after 11-year-old Peter for the time being? or maybe longer. There are no surprises in store here, as mother and son, as expected, mix about as well as oil and water. (If this were a contest to determine who is less mature, Diane would win in a landslide; unable to even call the kid by his name--"dude" is the best she can do--she could hardly be less maternal and more tactless). Anyone who doesn't think that will change hasn't seen many movies. But a predictable outcome doesn't necessarily preclude enjoying the ride; the performances by Monaghan, young Jimmy Bennett (as Peter), and Nathan Fillion (as Runner, Diane's drinking buddy and would-be lover) are enough to sustain our interest, and the film's lack of meretricious sentimentality is refreshing. --Sam Graham
