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Tumbleweeds

Play trailer Poster for Tumbleweeds PG-13 1999 1h 44m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
82% Tomatometer 67 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.
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Tumbleweeds

Tumbleweeds

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Critics Consensus

Strong performances add authenticity and depth.

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Critics Reviews

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Richard Schickel TIME Magazine 01/01/2000
4/5
Keep it authentic, keep it modest, keep it hopping. That's what happens in Tumbleweeds. Go to Full Review
Eleanor Ringel Cater Atlanta Journal-Constitution 01/01/2000
One of the most magical movie moments of the year. Go to Full Review
Peter Howell Toronto Star 01/01/2000
The authenticity rings as loud and true as a gas station bell. Go to Full Review
Wallace Baine Santa Cruz Sentinel 03/01/2019
B
Given its obviousness, Tumbleweeds is still worthy of attention thanks principally to the queenly Janet McTeer. Go to Full Review
David Nusair Reel Film Reviews 06/18/2016
1.5/4
The stagnant midsection does the hopelessly tedious atmosphere no favors... Go to Full Review
Teresa Talerico Common Sense Media 01/01/2011
4/5
Touching look at tough mom-daughter relationship. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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11/26/2024 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 See more 05/23/2021 Great performances, and O'Connor's sure direction make this a genuine charmer. See more steve d 07/05/2020 I didn't enjoy the characters or surprisingly even the performances. See more 10/30/2019 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. See more 04/03/2017 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. See more 07/07/2015 Janet McTeer is excellent in this and earned her Oscar nomination showing lots of great range of drama and comedy. Kimberly J. Brown, who I have always loved from the Halloweentown movies, is also really great. I wish she did more work these days because she was truly a shining star in this movie. See more 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
Solaris, Spanky Pictures, River One Films
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
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