"Bonneville" stars Oscar winners Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates and three-time nominee Joan Allen. After losing her husband, Arvilla (Lange) returns home to cremate his body and spread his ashes. These plans are spoiled by his vindictive daughter, Francine (played by Christine Baranski), who has a prior will ordering that her father's ashes be returned home and leaving his house to her. Arvilla's best friends, the wild Margene (Bates) and uptight Carol (Allen) suggest trading his ashes to Francine in order to keep her home. The friends embark on a cross-country road trip in the deceased's '66 Pontiac Bonneville to bring the ashes to Francine.
I had high hopes for this film, expecting nothing less than perfection from a phenomenal cast like this. But sadly, "Bonneville" felt like a post-menopausal "Thelma and Loiuse" rip off to me. I guess it speaks to the fact that Hollywood just isn't producing good roles for female actresses in this age range. This movie was an insult to these legendary ladies by casting them in parts they could have done in their sleep. They deserve better! Despite the best efforts of these veteran actresses, this feature struggled to be entertaining.
The only positive thing I can say about "Bonneville" is that the cinematography was enjoyable as the friends travel through scenic Utah, California, Nevada and Idaho. The score desperately tried to keep the tempo flowing, but this was a long 90 minutes. The gratingly monotonous story and dialogue were predictable, filled with clichés and droll humor. First-time director, Christopher Rowley, and writer, Daniel Davis, disappoint with this failed attempt at a middle-aged female buddy movie.
Bonneville debuted at the 2006 Toronto Film Festival, but hasn't been released until now after all the Oscar hopefuls. That says all you need to know about its commercial viability. If you watch the trailer, you'll already know what to expect from this aggravatingly ridiculous film. Simply put, this was a tragic waste of time and talent.
I had high hopes for this film, expecting nothing less than perfection from a phenomenal cast like this. But sadly, "Bonneville" felt like a post-menopausal "Thelma and Loiuse" rip off to me. I guess it speaks to the fact that Hollywood just isn't producing good roles for female actresses in this age range. This movie was an insult to these legendary ladies by casting them in parts they could have done in their sleep. They deserve better! Despite the best efforts of these veteran actresses, this feature struggled to be entertaining.
The only positive thing I can say about "Bonneville" is that the cinematography was enjoyable as the friends travel through scenic Utah, California, Nevada and Idaho. The score desperately tried to keep the tempo flowing, but this was a long 90 minutes. The gratingly monotonous story and dialogue were predictable, filled with clichés and droll humor. First-time director, Christopher Rowley, and writer, Daniel Davis, disappoint with this failed attempt at a middle-aged female buddy movie.
Bonneville debuted at the 2006 Toronto Film Festival, but hasn't been released until now after all the Oscar hopefuls. That says all you need to know about its commercial viability. If you watch the trailer, you'll already know what to expect from this aggravatingly ridiculous film. Simply put, this was a tragic waste of time and talent.