The Odd Way Home

Last updated
The Odd Way Home
The Odd Way Home poster.jpg
Film poster
Directed byRajeev Nirmalakhandan
Written byRajeev Nirmalakhandan, Jason Ronstadt
Produced byPatrick Nelson, Peter Touche
Starring Rumer Willis
Brendan Sexton III
Chris Marquette
Veronica Cartwright
CinematographyMatt Wilson
Edited byBen La Marca
Music byDaniel James Chan
Distributed byBreaking Glass Pictures
Release date
  • October 25, 2013 (2013-10-25)(Austin Film Festival)
Running time
87 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Odd Way Home is a 2013 independent film directed by Rajeev Nirmalakhandan. This drama follows a troubled woman, Maya (Rumer Willis), on the run from an abusive boyfriend, who accidentally robs an old woman and steals a delivery truck, only to find the back of the truck has been converted into a bedroom by Duncan (Chris Marquette), a high-functioning autistic twenty-something. Through a picaresque road-trip to Duncan's only-living relative, the two develop a friendship and an understanding of what family really is. The film world premiered at the 2013 Austin Film Festival. [1]

Contents

Cast

Release

The Odd Way Home was released on VOD by Breaking Glass Pictures on June 3, 2014. Many reviews compared the story to Rain Man or the Sundance hit Adam, though the film has a much lower budget than both. Variety said "the pic’s small scale, tight focus and generally low-key tenor lend it an attractive modesty that succeeds in tamping down the more melodramatic moments." [2] The Washington Post noted the film "gets under your skin, thanks mainly to the nuanced performance of Chris Marquette," [3] a feeling echoed by The Village Voice which said Marquette "elevates some ghastly material, bringing a human touch to the script's overripe yet hackneyed dialogue." [4] The Hollywood Reporter was extremely negative, finding the film "riddled with cliches and hamstrung by a scattered script and often forced performances." [5] In contrast, the reviews on the website Autism Today have been overwhelmingly positive, with some calling the film "beautifully written and expertly executed" and "The Odd Way Home is a movie that will stay with you for days." [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ann Richards</span> American politician (1933–2006)

Dorothy Ann Richards was an American politician who served as the 45th governor of Texas from 1991 to 1995. A Democrat, she first came to national attention as the Texas State Treasurer, when she gave the keynote address at the 1988 Democratic National Convention. Richards was the second female governor of Texas, and was frequently noted in the media for her outspoken feminism and her one-liners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Darabont</span> American filmmaker (born 1959)

Frank Árpád Darabont is an American screenwriter, director and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. In his early career, he was primarily a screenwriter for such horror films as A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), The Blob (1988) and The Fly II (1989). As a director, he is known for his film adaptations of Stephen King novellas and novels, such as The Shawshank Redemption (1994), The Green Mile (1999), and The Mist (2007).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Evans (actor)</span> American actor (born 1981)

Christopher Robert Evans is an American actor. He began his career with roles in television series such as Opposite Sex in 2000. Following appearances in several teen films, including 2001's Not Another Teen Movie, he gained attention for his portrayal of Marvel Comics character the Human Torch in Fantastic Four (2005) and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007). Evans later reprised the role in Deadpool and Wolverine (2024). Evans made further appearances in film adaptations of comic books and graphic novels: TMNT (2007), Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010), and Snowpiercer (2013).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rumer Willis</span> American actress (born 1988)

Rumer Glenn Willis is an American actress. The eldest daughter of actors Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, she made her acting debut opposite her mother in the coming-of-age drama Now and Then (1995). She subsequently appeared in films such as Striptease (1996), Hostage (2005), The House Bunny (2008), Sorority Row (2009), and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019). She portrayed Gia Mannetti on The CW teen drama series 90210 (2009–2010) and Tory Ash on the FOX musical drama series Empire (2017–2018). Willis won season 20 of the ABC dance competition television series Dancing with the Stars, and made her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in the musical Chicago on September 21, 2015.

<i>Public Access</i> (film) 1993 American film

Public Access is a 1993 American drama film directed by Bryan Singer in his feature film debut. Singer also wrote the screenplay with Christopher McQuarrie and Michael Feit Dougan. The film was shot in 18 days for US$250,000. It was screened at the 1993 Sundance Film Festival, where it was a joint winner of the Grand Jury Prize. Critics praised the technical direction of Public Access but did not lend similar praise to the film's story and the characters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Pine</span> American actor (born 1980)

Christopher Whitelaw Pine is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as James T. Kirk in the Star Trek reboot film series (2009–2016) and Steve Trevor in the DC Extended Universe films Wonder Woman (2017) and Wonder Woman 1984 (2020).

<i>The Rum Diary</i> (film) 2011 film by Bruce Robinson

The Rum Diary is a 2011 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Bruce Robinson, based on the 1998 novel of the same name by Hunter S. Thompson. The film stars Johnny Depp, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Rispoli, Amber Heard, Richard Jenkins, and Giovanni Ribisi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Levinson</span> American filmmaker and actor (born 1985)

Samuel Levinson is an American filmmaker and actor. He is the son of Academy Award-winning director Barry Levinson. In 2010, he received his first writing credit as a co-writer for the action comedy film Operation: Endgame. The following year, he made his directorial film debut with Another Happy Day (2011), which premiered at Sundance Film Festival. He then received a writing credit on his father's HBO television film The Wizard of Lies (2017). He continued writing and directing for the feature films Assassination Nation (2018) and Malcolm & Marie (2021).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam Wingard</span> American filmmaker (born 1982)

Adam Wingard is an American filmmaker. He has served as a film director, producer, screenwriter, editor, cinematographer, actor, and composer on numerous American films.

<i>The Stand Up</i> 2011 American film

The Stand Up is a 2011 American comedy/drama film written and directed by David Wexler and starring Jonathan Sollis, Margarita Levieva, Arija Bareikis, and Aidan Quinn.

<i>The Nut Job</i> 2014 film by Peter Lepeniotis

The Nut Job is a 2014 animated heist comedy film directed by Peter Lepeniotis, who also wrote the film with Lorne Cameron. It stars the voices of Will Arnett, Brendan Fraser, Liam Neeson, Katherine Heigl, Stephen Lang, Jeff Dunham, Gabriel Iglesias, and Sarah Gadon. The film is loosely based on Lepeniotis' 2005 short animated film Surly Squirrel. Produced by Gulfstream Pictures, Redrover International and ToonBox Entertainment, it was released in the United States on January 17, 2014, by Open Road Films. The film received negative reviews, but grossed $120.9 million worldwide against a production budget of $30 million.

<i>The Way, Way Back</i> 2013 American comedy-drama film by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash

The Way, Way Back is a 2013 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film written and directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash in their directorial debuts. It stars Liam James as Duncan, an introverted 14-year-old who goes on summer vacation to Wareham, Massachusetts, with his mother and her overbearing boyfriend. It also stars Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Allison Janney, AnnaSophia Robb, Sam Rockwell, and Maya Rudolph, with Rob Corddry, Amanda Peet, Faxon, and Rash in supporting roles.

<i>20 Feet from Stardom</i> 2013 US documentary film by Morgan Neville

20 Feet from Stardom is a 2013 American documentary film directed by documentary filmmaker Morgan Neville and produced by Gil Friesen, a music industry executive whose curiosity to know more about the lives of background singers inspired the making of the film. Using archival footage and new interviews, it details the behind-the-scenes experiences of such backup singers as Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer, Judith Hill, Jo Lawry, Claudia Lennear, and Tata Vega. The film won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 86th Academy Awards, 23 years after In the Shadow of the Stars (1991), a similar documentary that focused on the members of an opera chorus, won the same award.

<i>Chef</i> (2014 film) Comedy film by Jon Favreau

Chef is a 2014 American road comedy-drama film directed, written, co-produced by, and starring Jon Favreau as a celebrity chef who, after a public altercation with a food critic, loses his job at a popular Los Angeles restaurant and begins to operate a food truck with his young son. It co-stars Sofía Vergara, John Leguizamo, Scarlett Johansson, Oliver Platt, Bobby Cannavale, and Dustin Hoffman, along with Robert Downey Jr. in a cameo role.

<i>Short Term 12</i> 2013 film by Destin Daniel Cretton

Short Term 12 is a 2013 American independent drama film written and directed by Destin Daniel Cretton. It is adapted from Cretton's short film of the same name, produced in 2009. The film stars Brie Larson as Grace Howard, a young supervisor of a group home for troubled teenagers. The film was the first leading performance of Larson's career.

<i>Road to Paloma</i> 2014 American film

Road to Paloma is a 2014 American drama thriller film directed by, produced by, co-written by, and starring Jason Momoa. Robert Homer Mollohan co-stars and co-wrote the script. It also co-stars Sarah Shahi, Lisa Bonet, Michael Raymond-James, Chris Browning, Timothy V. Murphy, and Wes Studi. The film was released on July 11, 2014.

<i>Whiplash</i> (2014 film) 2014 film by Damien Chazelle

Whiplash is a 2014 American psychological drama film written and directed by Damien Chazelle, starring Miles Teller, J. K. Simmons, Paul Reiser, and Melissa Benoist. It focuses on an ambitious music student and aspiring jazz drummer (Teller), who is pushed to his limit by his abusive instructor (Simmons) at the fictional Shaffer Conservatory in New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morris S. Levy</span> American film and television producer

Morris S. Levy is a film, television, and theatrical producer who was born in Brooklyn, NY and raised in Kings Point, New York. He is the founder and President of M.E.G.A. Films, a New York-based production company. He often films in Great Neck as well as all over the New York City area. His films have appeared in the Sundance Film Festival, the Cannes Film Festival, and the Tribeca Film Festival amongst other festivals. His film A Novel Romance won the Audience Award and Best Picture Award at the New York International Film Festival. His TV series, Cop Show won best comedy, among other awards at the 2015 New York City Webfest. His 2020 critically acclaimed film ″Angie: Lost Girls″ won Best Picture at the Moving Parts Film Festival and also won an Award of Excellence from the Accolade Global Film Competition. Mr. Levy is a producer of the Off-Broadway show My Life on a Diet starring Renee Taylor, which received rave reviews from the NY Times, NY Post, LA Times, and was nominated for a 2019 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Solo Show. He is also a producer on the Off Broadway show Mornings at Seven starring Tony Roberts, Judith Ivey, and Don Lauria. Before entering the entertainment business, he was a principal in a ladies' clothing company and was also prominent in the New York nightlife business as a promoter/owner.

<i>Exists</i> (film) 2014 American film

Exists is a 2014 American found footage monster horror film, directed by Eduardo Sánchez. The film had its world premiere on March 7, 2014, at South by Southwest, and stars Chris Osborn and Samuel Davis. The story revolves around a group of friends hunted by something in the woods of East Texas. Following the darker psychological tone of Sánchez's previous film Lovely Molly, the film returns to the creature-feature horror of Altered, also written by Jamie Nash.

<i>Lovely Man</i> 2011 Indonesian film

Lovely Man is a 2011 Indonesian film written and directed by Teddy Soeriaatmadja. The film had its world premiere at the 2011 Busan International Film Festival to positive reviews on the segment "A Window on Asian Cinema". Donny Damara plays the starring role as Syaiful/Ipuy, a transgender woman in Jakarta. Actress Raihaanun plays the female lead role as Cahaya, Syaiful's long-lost 19-year-old daughter who comes to the city to look for him and learns that her father is a transgender woman. This is their second film together after 2007 remake of drama Badai Pasti Berlalu.

References

  1. "Austin Film Festival First Wave of Films for 20th Anniversary Lineup". 19 August 2013.
  2. "Film Review: 'The Odd Way Home'". 29 May 2014.
  3. Michael O'Sullivan; Stephanie Merry; Ann Hornaday (2014-06-12). "Watch online: 'The Odd Way Home,' 'Date and Switch' and 'The Great Flood'". The Washington Post . Washington, D.C. ISSN   0190-8286. OCLC   1330888409.
  4. "Marquette and Willis Elevate the Material in The Odd Way Home | Village Voice". www.villagevoice.com. Archived from the original on 2014-09-08.
  5. "'The Odd Way Home': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter . 31 May 2014.
  6. "The Odd Way Home". Archived from the original on 2014-10-01. Retrieved 2014-09-07.