Rating: 4/10

Writer/director: Michael Meredith
Cast: Justin Timberlake, Jeff Bridges, Kate Mara, Mary Steenburgen
Studio: Anchor Bay Films

Justin Timberlake is a superstar in the music world, but so far he has yet to really break out in his film career (something that could soon change with David Fincher’s THE SOCIAL NETWORK). The lack of cinematic stardom for Timberlake so far can likely be attributed to only one of his films being a genuine hit, SHREK THE THIRD, and that was only voice work.

While Timberlake’s films have, for the most part, not done great with audiences, it is hard to not admire Timberlake for several of the more untraditional roles he has chosen. Timberlake played a spoiled wannabe thug in ALPHA DOG, as well as a scarred, sort of narrator in Richard Kelly’s bizarre SOUTHLAND TALES. Timberlake also filled the role of the kind, but oblivious boyfriend of a nymphomaniac in BLACK SNAKE MOAN. Timberlake might be low on projects that have done great at the box office, but at least he has taken chances with several of his films. However, Timberlake’s latest film, THE OPEN ROAD, is not an example of this, as Timberlake takes on an extremely bland role in a painfully formulaic and boring road movie.

In THE OPEN ROAD, Timberlake plays Carlton Garrett, a minor league baseball player, who is also the son of popular former baseball player Kyle Garrett (Jeff Bridges). When THE OPEN ROAD starts, it has been several years since Carlton or his mom, Katherine (Mary Steenburgen), have seen Kyle. After giving us just enough time to let us know that Carlton is having trouble on the baseball diamond for overthinking his game, we see a sick Katherine ask a big request of Carlton. Katherine is about to go on the operating table to hopefully cure her of a critical medical condition, but she wants Kyle to be there when she does, and she asks Carlton to get him.

Carlton, being the good son, agrees to his mother’s request even though he knows it will not be easy to get his father to agree to come. Soon, Carlton asks his friend and former girlfriend Lucy (Kate Mara), to come with him. She agrees, of course, because we cannot have Carlton just resolve his father issues in a cliché and familiar way in THE OPEN ROAD, but also his lady problems.

Carlton finds his father easily, and after a little convincing, Kyle agrees to go with Carlton to see his mom before the surgery. However, after a rather childish attempt by Kyle to get out of the trip, the trio end up driving to Katherine; it’s a move that allows for two big “I’m so hurt and confused” moments outside of their vehicle. One between Carlton and his estranged father, and one with the girl Carlton is in a romantic gray area with.

Formula does not necessarily mean failure, but you still need more than predictable emotional outbursts to make a film like THE OPEN ROAD work. Watching the film, it feels like the characters are simply killing time until the next supposed heartfelt or moving interaction. So, we wait with them, knowing just what to expect, and not being too impressed when we see what we knew was coming. Sadly, there is not much more to like about THE OPEN ROAD, except for a few quality performances; Kate Mara plays the conflicted friend pretty well, and Bridges gives Kyle plenty of relaxed charm. Timberlake’s whiny Carlton is too annoying of a character to care about, no matter who plays him.

THE OPEN ROAD is an unremarkable movie experience, and a film that also happens to be the most vanilla film to star Justin Timberlake up to this point. At least when BLAKE SNAKE MOAN or SOUTHLAND TALES went up in disappointing box office flames you had the positive of Timberlake doing untraditional roles for someone of his pop status. With the insipid THE OPEN ROAD, it is hard to think of any kind of positive spin for Timberlake’s film career other than he probably will not have to worry about doing an OPEN ROAD 2.