Miles Heizer, Kevin Bacon, Marcia Gay Harden

When a suicidal mother is killed by parking her car in front of a train, the train's engineer and his wife form an unlikely but much-needed bond with the mother's young son.

Flixster Users

60% liked it

9,232 ratings

Critics

34% liked it

44 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 36 min.

Directed by: Alison Eastwood

Release Date: October 26, 2007

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DVD Release Date: June 17, 2008

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Stats: 355 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (355)


  • August 10, 2009
    Heartbreaking.
  • May 28, 2009
    Kevin Bacon is Tom and Marcia Gay Harden is Megan - a couple who are having difficulties with their marriage. Not only that, but Megan has cancer. Tom withdraws into his work - as a railroad engineer, but even that is messed up when he crashes his train into a car parked on a c...( read more)rossing - killing a suicidal mother.

    When the 11 year-old son of that suicidal mother comes to Tom's house to accuse him of killing his mom, Megan sort-of adopts him - and perhaps all three of them can begin to heal.
  • July 2, 2008
    Devoted railroad engineer Tom Stark (Kevin Bacon, Mystic River) is at a crossroads. His lovely wife Megan (Marcia Gay Harden, Pollack) has survived two bouts with cancer, though now it's terminal. Because of her fragile health, their marriage has been stale for some time, and it'...( read more)s about to be seriously tested with the arrival of a 9-year-old boy.
    Davey Danner's (Miles Heizer, ER) mother has just committed suicide. She was killed when the train that Stark was operating smashed into her car. As a result, the precious boy is placed in a foster home, though he is determined to confront the man responsible for not stopping the train. Meanwhile, Megan has decided to leave Tom for awhile, even though she has minimal time remaining. When Davey shows up, Megan takes a liking to him and says she'll stay if Davey stays. The conflicted Tom has no choice, and little does he realize how much of a profound effect Davey will bring to the home. Eastwood's debut as a director is more than impressive. It's clear she's learned much from her father, and visually tells this story clearly and eloquently. Bacon's searing work - coupled with the simple yet thoroughly effective conclusion. It's actually nice to see Marcia Gay Harden not relegated to the role of The Wife or The Mother, and get to sink her teeth into a full-bodied character. And to the extent that the character stands apart from the ludicrous circumstances into which the film throws her, Gay Harden's performance is effective, her excitement at having someone to love almost registering as an actual human emotion. Miles Heizer, who has a hefty part as Davey is also good. "Rails & Ties" is in some ways the serious-drama.
  • April 18, 2009
    Kevin Bacon, Marcia Gay Harden and Miles Heizer made me believe that I was looking into their lives and Alison Eastwood's direction clearly had something to do with that. The script however was unbelievable. But then again, does it really matter? When it turn to movies, it let us...( read more) escape from reality.
    I enjoy a movie that can bring me into their world and this ones had. I will look forward to see more of Alison Eastwood!
  • June 29, 2008
    Here's a great movie with a remarkable story plot about human nature. Love. Bond. Loss. Death. Life. These are all essential within the story of two individuals, a man and a young boy brought together by a certain loss. Great cast. Fantastic work by Alison Eastwood. A must-see.
  • September 19, 2009
    Very moving and touching in my opinion. Probably the only Drama type movie I wouldnt mind watching again and again. It had such strong emotions played through out the film. Just wish there was more of an visual background story on the suicidal mother and her son. Like, let us see...( read more) them days before the accident and how their lives were played out. There were times I some how became lost with the characters personality as if they were bi-polar or something, I dont know. The ending was nice and happy at least.
  • August 2, 2009
    Canadian Bacon hits again
  • August 1, 2009
    enjoyed this movie very much.good solid story
  • July 24, 2009
    This movie is extremely depressing. Overall, it was ok, but just sad.
  • June 26, 2009
    Another average film with Kevin Bacon. It was sort of like 'Reservation Road' however diffrent storyline that well told. It was a little sad i say the drama aspect of it could have been better. Acting was't bad though it a little slow.

Critic Reviews


November 9, 2007
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

I think somehow the filmmakers lost the way, lost sight of the people inside the plot. full review

October 26, 2007
Pete Hammond, Maxim

It's closer to a small kind of affecting and simply human story we rarely get to see in mainstream movies anymore. full review

October 26, 2007
Claudia Puig, USA Today

While it features three strong performance and the debut of a promising filmmaker, the story line is obvious and rather melodramatic. full review

October 26, 2007
Kyle Smith, New York Post

The only conceivable reason for Warner Bros. to (barely) release this mush is as a favor to Clint Eastwood, whose daughter Alison directed. full review

View more Rails & Ties reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • perfectgentlemn
    August 23, 2008
    Excellent Movie... Very Good ! Intense Drama, worth watching ;-) Enjoy.

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