The Road Not Taken…Yet

By Adam Pope
December 10, 2009 Issue

The last time a film was made from a Cormac McCarthy novel, it won four Oscars, including one for Best Picture. That film was No Country for Old Men, and writers/directors the Coen brothers referred to adapting the screenplay from McCarthy’s unflinching prose as “a perverted, dark trip down into the core of humanity.” Trekking into theaters this fortnight is The Road, an infinitely darker tale set in the most desperate of locales: post-apocalyptic America.

For the most part, the audience is left in the dark as to what caused the civilized world to end. The narrator tells us in bleak monotone, “The clocks stopped at 1:17. A long shear of light, and then a series of low concussions.” Cheery optimists beware; this may not be the film for you. The world has been reduced to a burned out, blasted wasteland, and humanity has been decimated. The audience is soon introduced to The Man (Viggo Mortensen) and The Boy (newcomer Kodi Smit-McPhee), a father-son duo trudging methodically through the desolate landscape heading for the coast to ease the conditions of the approaching winter.

It becomes clear that most of those “fortunate” enough to survive have become twisted creatures with no grasp on morality, decency or hygiene. Along their long jaunt, The Man and The Boy come across several horrific scenes, most involving the devolved humanoids who have gone cannibal in order to stay alive. One such scene involves a slaughterhouse where they encounter several folks unlucky enough to be on-deck dinner courses for their hungry jailors. The choices The Man is forced to make test his own morality and put a serious strain on his own sanity, but it becomes apparent he will do anything—and I mean anything—to protect The Boy.

Mortensen and Smit-McPhee give unnerving and achingly haggard performances as the last shred of humanity in a soulless and forsaken existence. Robert Duvall and Charlize Theron offer adequate and memorable side roles. Director John Hillcoat does a fantastic job of choosing lingering, haunting shots to perpetuate the story’s dark mood and hopeless demeanor. Nick Cave delivers an equally grim musical score. Nevertheless, the film seems to show a hesitance to go completely over into the dark madness that makes Cormac McCarthy novels so segregated from other literature.

The grit and the grime is there, but the spirit and spark of humanity The Man carries and ultimately passes to The Boy never truly come across on the screen the way they should, and the film never realizes its full potential. It is still a welcome distinction from effects-driven doomsday fiascos like 2012 or Knowing, but without a full commitment to the source material (such as the Coens gave to No Country), the movie becomes more of a tragic “What if?” tale than a theatrical masterpiece.

THROW SOME HOLIDAY MOVIES ON THE FIRE…
We asked our Facebook friends to share their favorite Christmas movies—if you’re not friendly with us yet, head on over to www.facebook.com/beachcomber.destin--and here’s what they threw back at us…

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. “His Christmas bonus is a year’s supply of Jell-O! Bahaha!”
- David A. Schmidt

A Christmas Story. “Some kids’ dads were Methodist. Some were Presbyterian. My dad was an Oldsmobilman.”
- Julie Shaw

How the Grinch Stole Christmas. “Both the original and the newer.”
- Elizabeth Crongeyer

Harold and Maude. “Chinese delivery on Christmas Day to bring out the more melancholy in ya!”
- Denise Marie

Love, Actually. “I actually watch it year round, because it makes you laugh, makes you cry, and makes you snuggle up to your sweetie. Beware, though—not for young ones…”
- Christina Greene

Next Beachcomber: Our favorite movies of 2009.

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