Plot: What’s it about?
Just like the name says, Tumbleweeds follows the story of a mother and her daughter. The mother, Mary Jo Walker (Acadamey Award Nominated for this role Janet McTeer) has been married since she was 17 years old, not to the same man however. She married at a young age to get away from her parents, and was emotionally immature enough to handle the responsibility of a marraige. So when things start to go wrong in her relationships, and they always do, she pack up and leaves town. When we first meet the family, Mary Jo is in the midst of breaking up with another abusive man that she has such a tendancy to find. They grab their stuff and head out of town. Ava (Kimberly Brown) seems to have no problem with what they’re doing, but knows what’s going on with her mother and all of her relationships. They then decide, literally out of the blue, to move to California (though it does take some convincing on Ava’s part). Things seem fine, as Mary Jo has found yet another boyfriend, Jack (played by director Gavin O’Conner) this one a trucker who helped them at the side of the road. However, as things start to go the way they always do, Ava has less and less tolerance for her mother’s behavior. Mary Jo, it seems, could do this the rest of her life, pack up and leave town; but Ava has made friends, has been out on her first date and even kissed a boy for the first time. She certainly does not want to leave just because her mother doesn’t want to take a chance of bumping into one of her old boyfriends. Tumbleweeds is not a chick flick, though some might think it so. Janet McTeer is great as the Southern mother, and it’s impossible to tell that she’s from England! That’s right! Newcomer, Kimberly Brown delivers a solid performance as well and it’s nice to see a director like Gavin O’Conner who can act as well as he can direct. Pick up a copy of Tumbleweeds and you won’t be disappointed, I wasn’t.
Video: How does it look?
A New Line release shows this movie in an anamorphic 1.85:1 image. The colors are bright and vivid and black levels are perfect. I saw no evidence of grain or any blemish on the film at all. Like most other New Line releases, this has the option for widescreen or full screen. Another top notch transfer from New Line.
Audio: How does it sound?
While the audio won’t exactly blow you away, the Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is suprisingly good. The soundtrack has it’s moments as well, and the whole thing has a range that impressed even me, and I sure wasn’t expecting a soundtrack this good form a movie like this. It’s nice to be pleasantly suprised.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Basically it’s a standard New Line production that includes production notes, cast bios, a trailer and a commentary. The commenary is very intersting, seeing as how the director has a major part in the film. O’Conner’s brother also produces the movie. Overall, a very solid disc and another solid effort from the folks at New Line, who rarely let us down.
