The Open Road (2009)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Cynthia S

  
  Touching story. Really good actors, for the most part. Jeff Bridges makes it all completely worth while, in any case.

• Melvin W

  
  You wouldn't think a movie with Jeff Bridges, Justin Timberlake, Mary Steenburgen, and the beautiful Kate Mara would be so dull. None of theses people give a horrible performance, there's just really nothing there. It tries to be an evolving drama, but it fails in that… More
  You wouldn't think a movie with Jeff Bridges, Justin Timberlake, Mary Steenburgen, and the beautiful Kate Mara would be so dull. None of theses people give a horrible performance, there's just really nothing there. It tries to be an evolving drama, but it fails in that sense. It tries to be humorous in sections, and it fails at that too. The story is pretty typical. Carlton Garrett(Justin Timberlake) is the son of baseball great Kyle Garrett(Jeff Bridges). They haven't talked for awhile, but since Carls mom is having medical issues and wants to see Kyle; Carl has to go get him. Carl also brings along his ex-girlfriend now friend, who is contemplating marrying another guy, Carl and Lucy's(Kate Mara) relationship isn't very believable either. Overall the movie is watchable, just nothing special or of particular interest. Easily forgettable.

• Leigh R

  
  Nothing spectacular.

• Al S

  
  The story is slow and so is the character development. Bridges is a great actor but not even his charisma or talent can save this material

• Dean M

  
  The film is ultimately a road trip movie - father and son hit the road, where many secrets and feelings come to surface - in the tradition of 2009's Aussie, <I>Charlie & Boots</i>, with a red hot cast including Jeff Bridges, Justin Timberlake, Mary Steenburgen,… More
  The film is ultimately a road trip movie - father and son hit the road, where many secrets and feelings come to surface - in the tradition of 2009's Aussie, <I>Charlie & Boots</i>, with a red hot cast including Jeff Bridges, Justin Timberlake, Mary Steenburgen, Harry Dean Stanton and Ted Danson.

• ♥˩ƳИИ &

  
  Jeff Bridges, Justin Timberlake, Kate Mara PLOT: In this heartwarming comedy, minor leaguer Carlton Garrett (Justin Timberlake) takes an unexpected road trip to track down his estranged father, legendary baseball player Kyle Garrett (Jeff Bridges) when Carlton?s mother (Mary… More
  Jeff Bridges, Justin Timberlake, Kate Mara PLOT: In this heartwarming comedy, minor leaguer Carlton Garrett (Justin Timberlake) takes an unexpected road trip to track down his estranged father, legendary baseball player Kyle Garrett (Jeff Bridges) when Carlton?s mother (Mary Steenburgen) becomes sick. Knowing his charming yet painfully immature dad?s likelihood to disappoint, Carlton enlists his on-again-off-again girlfriend Lucy (Kate Mara) for emotional support. Once reunited, Carlton struggles to deal with the series of misadventures caused by his father?s antics, including missed flights, car trouble and bathroom brawls. Years of miscommunication, frustration and comically awkward attempts at bonding come to a head as the mismatched trio make their way from Ohio back home to Houston to reunite the family. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ At the beginning of this movie I was uncertain if I was going to like it cause it starts off kinda slow. But it really ended up being a good story. Love Jeff Bridges, he was great like always. Had really funny one liners. Justin Timberlake was a little stiff for me at the beginning, but he gradually grew on me. Him and Jeff play very well off each other. Wouldn't mind seeing them do another movie together. Haven't seen Kate Mara, in a lot of movies, but the ones I have seen her in, I really liked her acting. Love a road trip movie. Think they are some of the best movies made. So if you like a good road trip movie and a good heartfelt story then I would definitely see this movie.

• Martin B

  
  Timberlake and Bridges' performances are good, but the story is slow and rather unteresting.

• Manu G

  
  It was a simple story yet It was good to me and interesting. In this heartwarming comedy, minor leaguer Carlton Garrett (Justin Timberlake) takes an unexpected road trip to track down his estranged father, legendary baseball player Kyle Garrett (Jeff Bridges) when Carlton?s… More
  It was a simple story yet It was good to me and interesting. In this heartwarming comedy, minor leaguer Carlton Garrett (Justin Timberlake) takes an unexpected road trip to track down his estranged father, legendary baseball player Kyle Garrett (Jeff Bridges) when Carlton?s mother (Mary Steenburgen) becomes sick. Knowing his charming yet painfully immature dad?s likelihood to disappoint, Carlton enlists his on-again-off-again girlfriend Lucy (Kate Mara) for emotional support. Once reunited, Carlton struggles to deal with the series of misadventures caused by his father?s antics, including missed flights, car trouble and bathroom brawls. Years of miscommunication, frustration and comically awkward attempts at bonding come to a head as the mismatched trio make their way from Ohio back home to Houston to reunite the family.

• Walter M

  
  In "The Open Road," it is bad enough that Carlton Garrett(Justin Timberlake) is struggling as a ballplayer in the minor leagues in Corpus Christi(which has a nice looking ballpark by the way). Things get even worse when his grandfather(Harry Dean Stanton) calls to tell him… More
  In "The Open Road," it is bad enough that Carlton Garrett(Justin Timberlake) is struggling as a ballplayer in the minor leagues in Corpus Christi(which has a nice looking ballpark by the way). Things get even worse when his grandfather(Harry Dean Stanton) calls to tell him that his mother(Mary Steenburgen) is seriously ill in the hospital in Houston. And then it gets complicated when she insists Carlton fetch his very estranged father Kyle(Jeff Bridges), a former major league great, to see her before her operation. At least, Carlton's friend Lucy(Kate Mara) is along for the ride to Ohio where he is so estranged that he has to buy a ticket to his father's autograph session. Kyle does agree to go with them but cannot board the airplane because he has no ID and they are forced to drive. And they are not even out of Kentucky before Carlton's life gets even worse... At first, I took "The Open Road" to be simply an insufferable and cliched road movie about familial strife in the heartland.(By comparison, "Aberdeen" fared much better with similar material.) But then, after I thought about the movie for a while, I was intrigued that the movie twisted the sympathies around to have a protagonist like Carlton who has his head so far up his ass that he is consumed by the past and cannot see the present clearly or imagine the future. Now, whether that is intended or just because of Jeff Bridges acting circles around Justin Timberlake, that he puts the movie in his character's corner by sheer force of will, is up for debate.(By the way, Kate Mara more than holds her ground.) The disconnect between father and son does not, as the movie insists, come from Kyle's fame(never mentioned is that Kyle is not alone in not being anywhere near as good a ballplayer as his dad) but from all the traveling Kyle did as a ballplayer, missing much of his son's childhood.

• Sol C

  
  This film is good. I was really surprised by how much I liked it. Jeff Bridges shines in the film. Justin Timberlake impressed me in this film. This film and Alpha Dog, show that he can be good actingwise and not just singingwise. Kate Mara and Mary Steenburgen provide solid support… More
  This film is good. I was really surprised by how much I liked it. Jeff Bridges shines in the film. Justin Timberlake impressed me in this film. This film and Alpha Dog, show that he can be good actingwise and not just singingwise. Kate Mara and Mary Steenburgen provide solid support in this film. I definitely recommend this film.

• Greg A

  
  This film is quite downplayed however interesting and lighthearted the subject matter may be. This film's problem stems from it being way too quiet and relaxed. There's no jumps, no feverish passion, even the one physical altercation in the film seems lazy and strained when… More
  This film is quite downplayed however interesting and lighthearted the subject matter may be. This film's problem stems from it being way too quiet and relaxed. There's no jumps, no feverish passion, even the one physical altercation in the film seems lazy and strained when attempting to give the film some life. Good plot, but delivered in the form of a whisper so quiet you couldn't even hear it.

• Andrew F

  
  It's too bad that everything in the movie is awful because I really like the people involved here.

• Deb S

  
  This film tells the story of an aging baseball legend Jeff Bridges who hits the road with his estranged son Justin Timberlake to visit the boy's sick mother Mary Steenburgen. Along the way, father and son are forced to confront the raw emotions that have kept them apart for so… More
  This film tells the story of an aging baseball legend Jeff Bridges who hits the road with his estranged son Justin Timberlake to visit the boy's sick mother Mary Steenburgen. Along the way, father and son are forced to confront the raw emotions that have kept them apart for so long. Justin invites Kate Mara along for moral support in confronting his dad. This film is ultimately a road trip movie but the story is too slow-moving, predictable and rather uninteresting. Cameos from Ted Danson as Justin's coach and Lyle Lovett (singer) as the Bartender in the hotel. Watchable but nothing special..forgetable.

• Jason R

  
  Surprisingly Justin Timberlake has turned into a good actor, and this is his best role since Black Snake Moan. Jeff Bridges is, well he's Jeff Bridges. The film's plot isn't that good, but the acting makes up for a very dry and somewhat boring script. I wish there was… More
  Surprisingly Justin Timberlake has turned into a good actor, and this is his best role since Black Snake Moan. Jeff Bridges is, well he's Jeff Bridges. The film's plot isn't that good, but the acting makes up for a very dry and somewhat boring script. I wish there was just a bit more substance to the characters. We know that the boy and his father are estranged but they never really go into details about it. I am certainly on the fence about the movie, so I will just say this. If you enjoy watching some fine acting courtesy of Bridges and Co. Then you may just want to give The Open Road a look.

• Daisy M

  
  Open Road was the story of a dysfunctional family, without much happening to make the family very interesting. No matter how rotten your Dad could be, he will always be your Dad, and could be forgiven.As long as there were some good memories. But the Dad in this movie did not seem to… More
  Open Road was the story of a dysfunctional family, without much happening to make the family very interesting. No matter how rotten your Dad could be, he will always be your Dad, and could be forgiven.As long as there were some good memories. But the Dad in this movie did not seem to have good memories at all,.You expected a lot more from Jeff Bridges and Mary Steenburgen. Poor Justin Timberlake, he was awful in this movie.You'll be bored to dead while watching this,It was not funny and neither interesting, it 'was slow and a mess.

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