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      Trucker

      R Released Oct 9, 2009 1 hr. 33 min. Drama List
      58% 36 Reviews Tomatometer 57% 1,000+ Ratings Audience Score Loner Diane Ford (Michelle Monaghan) is a truck driver with an 11-year-old son, Peter (Jimmy Bennett), whom she never sees, and that's fine with her. But, when Peter's father, Len (Benjamin Bratt), falls ill, he asks Diane to take care of their son for a while. Eventually, Diane reluctantly agrees, but she quickly realizes that caring for a child interferes with her independent lifestyle -- and Peter isn't all that thrilled with the arrangement, either. Read More Read Less Watch on Fandango at Home Premiered May 17 Buy Now

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      Trucker

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      Critics Consensus

      Excellent performances by Michelle Monaghan and Nathan Fillion and keenly-observed details of small town life elevate this otherwise predictable and inconsistent melodrama.

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      Audience Reviews

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      Herbert F Predictable but terrific acting especially Michelle Monagham make it absorbing and an enjoable film. Watched free on Kanopy. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 12/17/23 Full Review Kyle J One of those films without a plot. You're supposed to be gripped by a mother who has to learn to love her son. If you want 90 minutes of that, enjoy. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/09/23 Full Review ronald h Two reviews of first and second viewings: 1) A film like this, which has a very simple plot, relies entirely on the skill of the actors. Everyone in the cast is up to the task, especially Michelle Monaghan. There's really no reason to like a mother who abandoned her kid and husband to go off and become a long distance truck driver, but as the story progresses, we can see that she has a heart; she just keeps it hidden. When her ex is stricken with cancer, he sends their kid Peter to stay with her. Mother and son are such strangers, Peter calls her Diane. Their relationship is, of course, contentious. He's a pain to have around when she's trying to stay on the road as much as possible so she can someday pay off her one bedroom house. Audiences will expect the usual sappy "estranged parent eventually grows to love her son" routine, but the story avoids that kind of sentiment. Suffice it to say that the two come to an understanding of each other. My biggest gripe with the film is the obnoxious soundtrack music, a bunch of whiny folk singers I have, thankfully never heard before. Why do filmmakers insist on using awful soundtrack music? Back room Hollywood deals, I guess. Other than that, there's a lot to recommend here: realistic characters and dialogue, skillful cinematography, and a story line that could have lapsed into utter predictability but manages to stay out of that trap. The ending is delicate and perfect. 2) I watched this film a second time, about a year after the first viewing (don't ask why). This time, I immediately saw its flaws and contrivances: Michelle Monaghan looks more like a Hollywood model than a truck driver, and her performance is strained and phony. I hated the soundtrack music even more than I hated it the first time. The story of the unwanted kid, which is supposed to pull at your heartstrings, seemed corny and melodramatic. The ending, which upon the first viewing seemed perfect, struck me as fake and affected. Moral(s) of the story: Great movies get better when watched again. Not this one. And our perception of a movie depends greatly on our mood at the time. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Diane Ford (Michelle Monaghan) lives a solitary life. She loves her job as big rig driver, alcohol, and one night stands with strangers. Her life is exactly how she wants it to be, until he ex gets sick and she's forced to take in her 12 year old son, Peter (Jimmy Bennett), a son she never wanted, and has no idea what to do with. Trucker comes across as an edgy lifetime movie, with the sick ex-husband, the angry woman with the scarred past, and the child who is going to force her to change. Unfortunately, I don't like Lifetime movies, because they are so predictable and one-sided. That is exactly what Trucker is aside from the indiscriminate sex and cursing. I found almost nothing interesting about this film, except for the chemistry between mother and son. Peter is the best part of the film, because he's this weird looking kid in heavy metal shirts, calling his mother out on all of her bull. The things he says to her are pretty shocking and quite funny, and that's the only thing I can really say I enjoyed about this movie. It's clear that the writers were going for this dark, mid-western dramatic thing, that I like to call modern dark noir, (as seen in films like Winter's Bone), but they fall well short. Trucker just doesn't have enough substance to compete with films like that and is predictable to a fault. If I were describe this film in one word, it would be boring, and that is never a good thing. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review scott m Michelle Monaghan plays a truck driver who has no time for a son. But her ex husband dies and she is forced to take care of her son anyway. The two of them hate each other and its a really entertaining story. One of the reasons I love this movie so much is Monaghan. She really convinced me she is a no nonsense get out of my way hard core trucker. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review jack c Ironically as the film is meant to showcase Michelle Monaghan I was most impressed with Nathan Fillion; the man who made Captain Mal Reynolds, Captain Hammer and Mayor of Mars on Thrilling Adventure Hour takes it down to playing just an average 'Jack of All Trades' and makes him vulnerable and likable and torn between his wife (who we dont see much of) and Monaghan. An admirable little movie marred by predictability. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Photos

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      Trucker

      (L-R) Michelle Monaghan and director-writer James Mottern on the set of "Trucker." (Far Right) Michelle Monaghan as Diane and Nathan Fillion as Runner in "Trucker." (L-R) Jimmy Bennett as Peter and Michelle Monaghan as Diane in "Trucker." Michelle Monaghan as Diane in "Trucker." (L-R) Jimmy Bennett as Peter and Michelle Monaghan as Diane in "Trucker." Michelle Monaghan as Diane in "Trucker." View more photos

      Critics Reviews

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      Rene Rodriguez Miami Herald Monaghan demonstrates an untapped level of talent and skill in Trucker, tackling the difficult role of a woman who refuses to behave as societal norms dictate and has paid the price with loneliness and alienation. Rated: 3/4 Oct 29, 2009 Full Review Cary Darling Dallas Morning News Trucker is a knockout. Rated: 4/5 Oct 23, 2009 Full Review Brian Tallerico Movie Retriever Features spectacular performances but these excellent actors are required to do too much heavy lifting with a script that plays out too predictably to be effective. Oct 21, 2009 Full Review Keith Cohen Entertainment Spectrum The movie is a shining star in the indie universe much like "Frozen River." It hits the nail on the head in dealing with real feelings and honest emotions. Rated: 3/4 Jan 9, 2010 Full Review Betty Jo Tucker ReelTalk Movie Reviews Who knew Michelle Monaghan could pull-off one of the most fearless and edgy female roles of the year? And do it so convincingly. Jan 7, 2010 Full Review Marty Mapes Movie Habit Good characters and a strong start run out of gas by the end Rated: 2.5/4 Dec 17, 2009 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis Loner Diane Ford (Michelle Monaghan) is a truck driver with an 11-year-old son, Peter (Jimmy Bennett), whom she never sees, and that's fine with her. But, when Peter's father, Len (Benjamin Bratt), falls ill, he asks Diane to take care of their son for a while. Eventually, Diane reluctantly agrees, but she quickly realizes that caring for a child interferes with her independent lifestyle -- and Peter isn't all that thrilled with the arrangement, either.
      Director
      James Mottern
      Executive Producer
      John Allen, Pamela Hirsch, Ed Hart, Robert Kessel, Bruce Lunsford, Reagan Silber, Michelle Monaghan, Frank Frattaroli
      Screenwriter
      James Mottern
      Distributor
      Monterey Media
      Production Co
      Plum Pictures, Hart/Lunsford Pictures
      Rating
      R (Sexual Assault|Language|Brief Drug Use|Some Sexuality)
      Genre
      Drama
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Oct 9, 2009, Limited
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Oct 20, 2014
      Box Office (Gross USA)
      $52.2K
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