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Tumbleweeds

Play trailer Poster for Tumbleweeds PG-13 Released Jan 24, 1999 1h 44m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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82% Tomatometer 68 Reviews 65% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Whenever trouble strikes in one of her relationships, single mother Mary Jo Walker (Janet McTeer) and her daughter, Ava (Kimberly J. Brown), pack up and move to another city, a routine Ava is tiring of. This time, they are helped on their move to San Diego by trucker Jack Ranson (Gavin O'Connor). While Ava settles in, getting a leading part in the school play, Jack starts dating Mary Jo but soon reveals himself to be controlling and aggressive. Mary Jo prepares to flee again, angering Ava.
Tumbleweeds

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Critics Consensus

Strong performances add authenticity and depth.

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Critics Reviews

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Globe and Mail Rated: 2.5/4 Mar 22, 2002 Full Review Peter Travers Rolling Stone Rated: 4.5/5 May 11, 2001 Full Review Almar Haflidason BBC.com Rated: 4/5 Apr 17, 2001 Full Review Wallace Baine Santa Cruz Sentinel Given its obviousness, Tumbleweeds is still worthy of attention thanks principally to the queenly Janet McTeer. Rated: B Mar 1, 2019 Full Review David Nusair Reel Film Reviews The stagnant midsection does the hopelessly tedious atmosphere no favors... Rated: 1.5/4 Jun 18, 2016 Full Review Teresa Talerico Common Sense Media Touching look at tough mom-daughter relationship. Rated: 4/5 Jan 1, 2011 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (59) audience reviews
Audience Member People can be like tumbleweeds; they don’t stay in one place for too long and just keep rolling from place to place Gavin O’ Connor directs Janet McTeer and Kimberly J. Brown in her first starring role It’s the story of a mother and daughter surviving together and each other Mary Jo Walker is a mother with her daughter Ava She’s unfortunately stuck in a viscous cycle where everytime she encounters bad men in a relationship she just bolts They both pack up and move to another city but Ava is getting tired of it Trucker Jack helps them get out of a rough patch on their latest stint But as time goes by Jack becomes more controlling and emotionally aggressive Will Ava run as always with her mom or stay put? McTeer is awesome playing a mother struggling to keep it together with pain, insecurity, and weariness while Brown perfectly exudes a typical teenager wanting to plant her feet somewhere for a change There’s always a crazy reason to run away from our problems but they’re never solved that way The acting is really good in this I definitely appreciated a lot of the lore quieter moments allowing the emotions of these people to be absorbed looking at the crossroads of self realization Both actresses avoid the stereotypes these kinds of stories are known for giving real authenticity Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/26/24 Full Review Jackie S One of my fav movies… underrated… and great actresses Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/17/23 Full Review Audience Member Great performances, and O'Connor's sure direction make this a genuine charmer. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review steve d I didn't enjoy the characters or surprisingly even the performances. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Oscar nominee British thespian Janet McTeer spellbindingly portrays a puerile Southern mother coming of age towing along her precocious daughter between abusive relationships with men in this hearteningly heartfelt chick flick. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review Audience Member Delightful! Almost the same story as Anywhere But Here, but this is a ar superior movie. Janet McTeer was great - deserving of Best Actress, although not likely to get it. You'd never guess she's a Brit. Her N. Carolina accent might not have been perfect, but it had no traces of British. Her daughter seemed like a real kid rather than a movie star and their relationship was wonderful to watch unfold. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Tumbleweeds

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Movie Info

Synopsis Whenever trouble strikes in one of her relationships, single mother Mary Jo Walker (Janet McTeer) and her daughter, Ava (Kimberly J. Brown), pack up and move to another city, a routine Ava is tiring of. This time, they are helped on their move to San Diego by trucker Jack Ranson (Gavin O'Connor). While Ava settles in, getting a leading part in the school play, Jack starts dating Mary Jo but soon reveals himself to be controlling and aggressive. Mary Jo prepares to flee again, angering Ava.
Director
Gavin O'Connor
Producer
Greg O'Connor
Screenwriter
Gavin O'Connor, Angela Shelton
Distributor
Fine Line Features
Production Co
Spanky Pictures, River One Films, Solaris
Rating
PG-13
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 24, 1999, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 28, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA)
$1.3M
Runtime
1h 44m
Sound Mix
Dolby SR, Surround