User reviews

I can not recommend the first twenty minutes of this film enough. These are the 20 minutes containing some of the best work by Christopher Walken and Michael Caine, or perhaps any film actors in history. Everything about the beginning of this movie leads one to believe that this is going to be a great family drama/comedy. Unfortunately the film takes an odd turn and becomes a road film thats nowhere near as tight and focused as the start. Esssentially this is the story of fathers and sons and crimes unforgiven. The idea of the road trip is to put the skeletons to rest and to bring peace and closure to a very wounded family. The cast of this film that makes up the four male generations of this broken family is excellent. They make a real go at making what happens believable, even though once the VW micro-bus hits the road it falls apart with plot holes and inconsistency. Its never bad, but its never what the first part of this film promised. Still its worth renting or seeing on cable for two of the greatest performances I've ever seen.

This movie has made such an impact on myself as well as my family. There are very few that we all recall and share the same joy from. I did a trip very similar to theirs, minus the dead people, and it truly stands out as a more significant summer (got tired of KFC too lol). Christopher Walken is a favorite of mine and he plays his charcter who is one that hurts and though it isnt clearly made mentioned, it is evident he constantly battles the reflections he comes to terms with about the decisions hes made. Nothing can be more powerful in a performance when one conveys the unspoken in such a way that Walken does in this movie. This movie is a testament about how family is eesential because we are all flawed and we need that strength no matter our differences among family members. Truly such an underrated movie vut one that will stand as one of my favorites.

"Around the Bend" tells of a father (Walken) and son (Lucas) whose lives cross after 30 years apart as the death of their patriarch (Caine) draws near. The body of the film is a road trip which they take, leaping from one Kentucky Coronel Fried Chicken restaurant to another, following the quirky instructions of the dearly departed whose cremated remains are scattered one spoonful at a time as the long estranged men seek reconciliation of old regrets. "Around the Bend" has some worthy sentiment buried in a heap of inconsequential filler, a few poignant moments which break through the monotony of developing characters who are quirky for the sake of quirkiness, and some solid performances which almost overcome the everpresent snippets of corny C&W music. Those who don't mind paper thin plots, many contrived moments, drama diluted with overtones of silliness, and lots of filler may be able to buy into the bittersweet stop and go story. Others will be sorely disappointed to see good performances and camera work wasted on such a flimsy story. (C+)

Extremely touching road movie around four generations of males whose relationships have become fractured in the past.

It's not made completely clear at the start, but Michael Caine is the great grandfather, Christopher Walken is the grandfather, Josh Lucas the father and the charming Jonah Bobo as the grandson. The family are reunited and Caine's character tasks them with a request in his will that his ashes be scattered near his favourite fast food restaurants throughout picturesque New Mexico (bizarre product placement).

Walken had disappeared from the family unit, with some resentment from all, and returns to the family and finds himself agreeing to fulfil his father's wishes. Throughout the journey, the family bonds are re-established and a gradual understanding of the characters grows and their past revealed.

This is a beautiful story, told at a gentle but entrancing pace, is truly moving and I recommend it highly. It's not very long, but within Walken is given great time and space to truly demonstrate his talents.

The tribe has been left with few members and New Mexico with many ashes. Short and dramatic story.

Though the schmaltz gets piled on like only Hollywood can *SIGH* I've never actually heard of this film before, having now looked at IMDb I now realize it was only given a very limited release by Warner's now defunct Independent arm and wasn't successful in that.

It's not bad...but without Caine's & Walken's inclusion this would have been a TV Movie. Michael Caine (Sporting an odd accent has been made up to be an elderly man as he plays Christopher Walken's Father despite in real life only being 10 years his senior) plays Henry Lair, Walken plays his son Turner, Josh Lucas plays Turner's son Jason & Jonah Bobo plays Jason's son Zack....OK GOT THAT? GOOD.

Turner (Walken) walked out on his family 30 years ago, and returns because his Father Henry (Caine) is gravely Ill....and dies in a KFC Restaurant (KFC must have paid a few bob to have such a huge advert) but not before leaving various notes to his Son,Grandson, & Great-grandson on what he wants doing with his ashes, so they embark on a road trip while at first failing to get along, end up of course making up and becoming a happy family in the process....But Turner hides a secret

Yes, at times this is rather too sickly & Schmaltzy but First time writer/Director does a good job with a surprisingly good script

..but really this is just a superior Lifetime or Hallmark TV Movie with proper actors, and didn't stand a chance at the BOX-Office,

Do I recommend it...Well yes I do, if only for the performances and pretty locations

***1/2 out of *****

Jason Lair (Josh Lucas) is a single dad to Zach and living with his grandfather Henry (Michael Caine). Katrina (Glenne Headly) is their live-in maid. Then they are interrupted by the arrival of Jason's long absent dad Turner (Christopher Walken). When Jason was 2, he lost his mother in a crash and Turner disappeared into addiction. The sickly Henry is happy to see his son before he dies while Jason is bitter with his arrival. Henry and Zach is at the KFC where Henry type out elaborately planned notes as his will. He dies at the KFC and Jason is forced on a winding trip with his father as dictated by Henry.

This is so desperate to be quirky and poignant that it really achieves neither thing. I hated Glenne Headly's quirky undecipherable accent. I hate the use of KFC. In real life, I love me some KFC. I love the old recipe. I love the new recipe. There is nothing better than some KFC as a treat. The over-use of KFC in this movie reeks of desperation. Maybe Jordan Roberts thinks this is great quirky fun. It is not enough to just show the KFC logo. It is not funny on its own. The first part is a tired depressed muddle.

Walken and Lucas are perfectly good actors. They have some good father son moments. The material is not usually up to par. The kid contributes very little but he's very young. There are some good moments but it's not enough.

Around The Bend is a cutesy little story about four generations of Lair males coming to grips with their dysfunctional relationship and lives. I can't say much else about the plot without giving it away. Suffice it to say its one of those movies where the male family hierarchy experiences a spiritual awakening by taking a communal pee in the desert. In other words, this movie is the male equivalent of a chick flick.

My wife picked out the DVD based on the actors in it, as is her custom. I'm more of a story-man and I must say my record for picking good movies is better than hers. But enough bragging. Ironically, in this case, it turned out the actors saved this thing from being a total bust. The ubiquitous Caine is over the top but that's his charm. The feminine heart-throb Lucas does the best he can with a schizoid character. The dancing-machine Walken is superb. And the precocious Bobo (I think he's the little boy) was believable as the generic kid who's wiser than his years.

Yawn. Haven't I seen this story before on Lifetime TV? I'm sorry, but the whole thing struck me as a kind of a psychological scavenger hunt. Imagine Oprah and Dr. Phil got a hold of the script of It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World and reworked it.

There you have it. Four stars because I watched the entire movie start to finish.

Christopher Walken and Josh Lucas are incredibly believable in their rich portrayals of a father and son who have been apart for many years and brought together by an eccentric grandfather's wish for a family reunion and an emotional scavenger hunt. Newcomer, Jonah Bobo is superbly natural in his role as Zack. The story is heart-warming and heart-wrenching at the same time, reminding us that while we don't choose our families, we can choose to love and accept them in spite of the damage we do to each other. We can indeed learn from the mistakes of those who go before us and pass on the best of the previous generation leaving our mark on the next generation.

This was a great movie, with a great soundtrack - a real father-son coming of age story without any saccharine!

I thought this movie was great, but there was so much potential trying to escape from the script. The setting, the screenplay, the actors, and the theme were all wonderful. The only thing that I did not like was the music. About 90% of the background music was either misplaced or just plain wrong for this movie. In a movie, the right music can add volumes to an expression or an emotion that the director is trying to exult from an audience. If this movie had been scored better, my rating would have probably gone up two, maybe three points. Christopher Walken's expressions alone would've held the movie, but when I saw the look on his face, which is always powerful, accompanied by an unequaled tune, I couldn't feel what I was meant to feel. Great movie. Bad music.

As soon as that 'Desperate Housewives' plinky plonk type music started playing over the dialog early in the proceedings I should have pressed the eject button.

But no, I thought what the heck, let me see how bad this thing can get. So, I sat through it, often on fast forward to escape the sheer dreariness of it. The dialog is simply awful. The story totally unbelievable, and the acting pedestrian at best.

I don't know if KFC put money into this thing, but if they didn't they sure got a ton of free product placement.

I found the "making of ..." documentary in the extras way more interesting than the film.

Easily one of the worst films I have ever forced myself to watch.

This movie was definitely true to life. It made you laugh, it made you cry and it made you think. And wow, what a cast. Michael Caine, Christopher Walken, Josh Lucas and little Jonah Bobo (I see great things from this youngster in the future).

You can see the indifference right way when Jason (Lucas) calls his grandfather (Caine) and his estranged father (Walken) by their first names. Grandfather Henry's joy with the return of his son Turner and the family together again is short lived when his son announces he's only staying the night. Determined to bring the family back together, he plans a 'burial' trip that all family members, his son; his grandson and his great-grandson, must partake in as terms of his will. This is where the road to discovery begins.

If anyone has had family situations that need to be rectified in order to bring the family back together, this film will most assuredly put the spark in your heart to do so.

Banal, confusing, with a seemingly endless stream of lame histrionics. The actors appear to be sleepwalking. A tiresome one-note piece of crap.

Caine manages to camp it up dutifully. Even more than usual, Walken appears to be impersonating a corpse. The score is annoying and irrelevant. The narrative contains not a single amusing scene. The whole mélange is an insult to the creative and productive act.

So unremittingly awful that only those seeking a near-death experience should even consider it. Rigor mortis will set in quickly. It will drive anybody in search of even a tincture of human sensibility Around the Bend.

Not even with Monopoly money, folks.

I absolutely loved this film, it is everything that a film can be. the only minor flaw, which was un-noticeable to the friend that i saw it with, was Michael Caine's accent drifting across the Atlantic. But you didn't really care.

It is perfectly cast, brilliantly acted, and you believed in and cared for the characters, they are so human with their natural flaws, you are rooting for them all.

The story is fascinating, and it will strike a chord with anyone with a father, particularly anyone estranged from their father. It is funny, witty, charming, touching and delightful.

See it with a loved one...you shouldn't regret it.

I found this to be one of the most tedious and pointless films I've ever seen. According to the DVD cover it was suppose to be funny and a masterpiece. It was neither what it was was slow and depressing. It tried to be profound, nearly every line spoken was spoken like it was the most profound thing ever said. None of the characters were either likable or even that believable. At the start gathering from the music it was trying to be whimsical but it was as flat as a pancake. Despite having two great actors in Michael Caine and Christopher Walken not even they could save this from being a stone cold turkey. The only good thing about this film was the soundtrack and the cinematography (New Mexico always looks amazing). 2/10

This is a wonderful movie, beautifully acted by Christopher Walken, Michael Caine and Josh Lucas...it's funny, droll, touching....a great character study. I don't know why it didn't get more notice. I've always thought Christopher Walken was a fine actor...this movie made me see him as brilliant. I truly loved it. The story is based on the relationships of 4 generations of men in one family; from the grandfather - Michael Caine - to the six-year-old son of Josh Lucas.This is the story of so many families and my favorite line is Michael Caine's to his grandson, Josh Lucas, about Josh's 'broken' father, Christopher Walken: "I carried you, you carried me, we need to carry him." It's what families do. I loved that.

When the story begins, Turner (Christopher Walken) returns home after being gone for decades. His father, Henry (Michael Caine), is ecstatic to see him but his son, Jason (Josh Lucas), sure isn't. After all, his father abandoned him when he was a kid. Turner's grandson (Jonah Bobo) is very young...and he's just excited to see his grandfather that he thought was dead. But the reunion does NOT go well...and it's obvious Turner and Jason won't be talking or exchanging any warm embraces.

Soon after, the grandfather, son and grandson receive word that great-grandpa (Caine) has died and was cremated. They are surprised when they learn that great-granddad left some very long and detailed instructions about what to do with his remains...and it results in a long, drawn out road trip across America. Is there any hope for Jason and Turner to make some sort of reconciliation?

The acting in this movie is good. But the story, well, it left me kind of cold. Much of it is because if you are looking for an obvious message, you might not find it. Also, while the film looked like a comedy at first, it is deadly serious...and is not exactly 'fun' to watch. Perhaps you'll get more out of it than I did...I hope you do.

Although I'm not familiar with any of the makers of the movie, I must say it was an amazing experience. Playing to a packed house I was very lucky to pick up the last tickets. It was just what I love about a great night out and it even exceeded my already high expectations.

What I especially loved what the writing: Interesting plot twists abound plus the unconventional format of a road movie. And so funny to use all those different, wonderful KFC locations. Character development and bonding was also very nicely paid attention to like any great family drama.

That these great actors weren't nominated for an Oscar is beyond me (ok, Walken had its flaws but you can expect that from him). Even the lovely score we were still singing on our way home. Great editing also, very interesting to leave some key passages out of the story: it rendered a totally new perspective.

The only minor complaint I have was the mentioning of drug addiction and child abuse: the movie could very well do without. And our grandmother fell asleep, but that's not a bad sign per se.

I found this in a video store and with the great cast (not always a good indicator!) and the list of awards won I took a chance on it being good. As is often the case when you have little expectation you are most pleasantly surprised. I thought the characters were wonderful the setting and photography beautiful and the soundtrack really made it. There are also nice little touches where an item seen in a passing shot has a connection to something later in the film.

The only weakness I felt was Josh Lucas in the role of the child's father. It was hard to make any genetic connection with the characters played by Michael Caine or Christopher Walken. It's not that his acting was poor he just didn't seem to fit in. Please try and see the movie - I doubt that you'll be disappointed.

I can't give this movie a perfect score, which I reserve for classic, Earth-shattering movies that may truly change one's ways of watching movies. But I give this a high nine, and as it stands, this is one of the very, very few movies that I could watch dozens of times more without ever feeling tired, and wanting more. This is a gripping, fearless movie that instead of drenching itself with tears and syrup, it grips you and plays with your feelings as if it owned you. You'll have to be willing to be taken over, of course, but once you do, you're in for a ride.

Honestly, I find it a bit banal to label this as a "road movie". To me, it's a genuinely comical family drama. I had great laughs with this movie, the way it was written and directed, and with the actors' performances, but especially because it wasn't aching to be a comedy. Nothing here looked contrived and forced, and none of the events, no matter how unexpected, felt like it didn't belong there. And we're talking about one interesting plot here. I suppose you can find a good synopsis of the movie elsewhere, so I'd rather settle on the review proper here, instead of giving details of how the movie goes. Suffice to say, it's a powerful story, intelligently written, cleverly paced, directed and acted with talent and care. You see, most times I demand a film to have content, something interesting to say, which this movie certainly has. But I was also delighted and entertaining by the way the movie was told. Being this Jordan Roberts's first effort, I think it's a particularly impressive one.

As for the actors, you must know them by heart, and if you're a fan of any of them, you won't be disappointed. Yes, Caine's present in only a fifth of the movie's length, but it's a memorable performance alright. Christopher Walken is the main force in the movie, and I really enjoyed his performance and his character, Turner. Lots of fun. Josh Lucas's character, Jason, isn't as immediately striking, but he's quite intricate, and the performance here is just spot on. And of course, the big focus isn't on either of them exclusively, but on their relationship. I just wasn't expecting to be so utterly amazed by Jonah Bobo, though! I was already familiar with his work on the children's cartoon The Backyardigans, doing the voice of my favourite character, no less. But to me, at least, he stole the scene almost every time; even when he didn't say a thing, for he could show only with his facial expressions, his movements and everything else, his character and what he was going through, in particular how curious he was about Turner and how attuned he was getting to him, and vice versa. It's worthy to mention how, in the "making of" documentary, we see he's a playful, intelligent and happy kid, and that he can switch into another kid entirely, wholly absorbed by the movie, with so much ease. I can't say the movie couldn't possibly be anywhere below "okay" with Jonah in it, and yes, I'm aware Caine and Walken are in it too. But the movie isn't just about that. It's much more. And if people can give up their resistance and make themselves ready for a thrilling, shameless emotional ride, this is a movie I can recommend. It's short, yes, but if you feel it's too short, just watch it again.