Tumbleweeds (1999)

Magnificent McTeer makes TUMBLEWEEDS What it is!

In 1999,English stage actress and 1997 Broadway Tony Award winner Janet McTeer snagged the GOLDEN GLOBE for her incredibly honest,natural and forthright portrayal of the feisty Southern "tumbleweed" Mary Jo Walker.Her performance ran up against Annette Bening,Meryl Streep,Julianne Moore and ultimate winner Hilary Swank for the top prize at the Oscars.Anyone who loves films that have deeply-etched characters must see TUMBLEWEEDS, because what you get from actress Janet McTeer is almost a rarity in films today,IMO.McTeer who followed this performance with another nominated role in SONGCATCHER in 2000,is quite simply put magnificent.There is such depth and pathos put into this character of a mother who uproots along with her 12 year old daughter (an equally amazing and compelling Kimberly J.Brown) every time her doomed relationships with men don't work out.Her choices are terrible and the effects on her Ava are both tragic,hilarious,boundary blurring and ultimately touching.These performances are among the best I have ever seen on film.
The screenplay, though,starts very HBO and descends to LIFETIME near the end and becomes a little too cliche and pat, thus giving the film a 4 star rating.The acting, though, is WAY UP THERE and should be viewed for watching a real stage actress captured on the big screen.Janet McTeer is the consummate actress who is best known for her UK work on T.V. and the stage, but in her few American films, she has managed to capture this viewer's eye each time she performs.
See her in SONGCATCHER and you will see what I mean.Remember, this is a Brit doing what most homegrown girls can't seem to do! December 15, 2007

Tumbleweeds

A familar mother-daughter tale receives refreshingly uncompromising treatment in "Tumbleweeds", buoyed by a stellar performance from McTeer, who was Oscar-nominated. Young Brown also shines as a daughter forced to grow up too soon. Director O'Connor knows his material, and does a fine turn himself as rugged trucker Jack, Sara Jo's latest love interest. July 18, 2007

Three cheers for McTeer!! No cheers for Gavin O'Connor.

I have recently discovered director/actor/anyone commentary on DVDs. For the longest time, I would complain that they added no value to any film, and that as a critic I chose not to listen to them because I wanted to enjoy the film in its final version - audio commentaries are like being in the kitchen of a elaborate restaurant ... do you really want to know what goes in your food? Actually, and rather surprisingly, I have recently found the answer to be "yes", and have been devouring commentaries like minute candy. I have discovered many truths and errors of many directors or actors as they humorously and severely critique their bodies of work. One of my most recent adventures involved the film "Tumbleweeds", which garnished several awards (with great respect) for Janet McTeer, but made me realize one small facet of cinema that I don't think about when I watch movies directly - there is a reason the directors are behind the camera, and typically, not in front. In "Tumbleweeds", my case is built around Gavin O' Conner - the director, whom in my unprofessional opinion shouldn't be either in front of the camera or at least talking behind it. He is a decent director, but not one that should open his mouth or voice an opinion - harsh words? I don't think so. He completely destroyed the ambiance of this film.

Well, if I haven't completely disgusted the reader by this point, I have such pulled them in so that I have to explain myself and my comments about the above remark. As I watched "Tumbleweeds" for a second time, I realized that it was a wonderful film about a mother and daughter team that travels across the country avoiding the mother's mishaps with wrong men. It is a touching story that is helmed by one of the most unappreciated actresses of our time, Janet McTeer. Her performance, not only in this film, but also in a little independent feature called "Songcatcher", is breathtaking. She is captivating, intelligent, and completely steals every scene in which she performs. "Tumbleweeds" is worth the purchase, if anything, just for McTeer's performance. Not only is her singular performance attractive, but she is able to intermingle with her daughter, Ava (Kimberly Brown) with the greatest of ease, and even the despicable Jack Ranson (Gavin's mush-mouthed role) with sheer brilliance. I could dedicate this entire review, scene by scene, on how well McTeer controlled herself. It is a performance, as well as the one in "Songcatcher" that I believe others in the same profession should be forced to watch before getting into the game. This I believe - what can you say? But Gavin, oh Gavin, that is a completely different story.

For the first thirty-plus minutes of this film we are forced to build a bond between Janet and Ava, but then, Gavin - honestly kinda snobby - forces his way into the picture. Without the director commentary, it is merely by chance, but as you listen you realize that he tells us that nobody else could have played the role better than him. Arriving into California, I was a bit surprised that someone with an incredibly thick New York accent took the role of a manipulative trucker. Hey, he even gained weight for the role - but he didn't fit with the film. What bothered me the most is that he never quite saw that throughout his pandering of how great of a director he was. I envision Gavin as exactly the character of Jack Ranson. He is a decent guy to begin with, but when the stress begins to pour on, his temper begins to flair and his ego begins to rise. I just got that from this commentary, which in turn soured my experience a bit for this film.

There were other parts to the film that didn't fit either, but were excusable. There is a moment at the end where Ava and random man Dan Miller cry their eyes out in a RV, which doesn't make much sense in the grand scheme of the film - oddly, the entire Dan Miller addition (while greatly played by Jay O. Saunders) just didn't compute near the end. It was a chance to see that a good man was floating right below Janet's nose and she didn't even see it, but he just doesn't fit with the entire rest of the film. Kimberly Brown does a great job keeping up with McTeer and honestly playing her daughter very well - with the same sarcasm and spunk.

What can I say, outside of Gavin, I thought this was a very honest outing. I liked the lower budget which took chances, I liked the characters (for the most part), the drama seemed to equate well with the humor, and it was a true story - one couldn't ask for anything better. The mixture was perfect, and McTeer deserves every ounce of praise as she received for this film, but alas, I cannot say the same for Gavin. He is, as stated before, a decent director, but he forces himself too freely upon us. He is controlling, overbearing, and rude - and I haven't even met the man before. It is just the way he came across in the commentary.

I can suggest this film to everyone. I thought, beyond my dislike for Gavin, it was a powerful film with very strong characters. They were complex, yet utterly simple. It was translatable and powerful to see McTeer just gobble up her character. Outside of the small mishaps mentioned above, this was a great film.

Grade: *** out of ***** June 23, 2007

Wouldn't Work

This is an older version of the DVD, and I strongly advise anyone not to buy it if they have a newer DVD player. Instead, you should buy the newer version of the DVD offered by Amazon. This one would not play in my new DVD player, so I sent it back, and Amazon replaced it with an identical item. But that DVD would not play, either! I visited a friend over the holidays, and his older DVD player DID play the DVD, so it is just a question of incompatibility with newer players. So now I am stuck with a DVD that I can't watch. I wish that I had bought the newer version of the DVD, as I think the movie is excellent. January 11, 2007

Home is where the heart is

I love it when I chance upon stuff and it turns out I struck gold. That is exactly what happened when I walked into the video store and rented this movie. It's the story of a mother and daughter; Mary-Jo and Ava Walker (Janet McTeer & Kimberly J. Brown), a pair of rolling stones who move from state to state when the mother's latest lover falls short of expectations (as they all seem to do). The emphasis of the story however is on the relationship between the pair, the unbreakable love bond they share. Mary-Jo adores Ava. Ava is the light of her life. Ava on the other hand, loves her mother and seems to be the strength of this tiny family. It is Ava, who at the end finds them a sort of redemption.
Janet McTeer turns in a perfectly flawless performance. It doesnt seem like she is acting. You can not imagine she is anyone other than Mary-Jo. I could not believe she was really an English woman. In my humble opinion, this was a superior performance which deserved an Oscar. Kimberly J. Brown matched her talent for talent. I can not resist comparing it to another movie; 'Anywhere but Here' which I saw afterwards. A movie which was pretentious and unbelievable.
Tumbleweeds is a rare gem.
April 13, 2006

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