Road to Nowhere (film) explained

Director:Monte Hellman
Music:Tom Russell
Cinematography:Josep M. Civit
Editing:Céline Ameslon
Distributor:Monterey Media
Runtime:121 minutes
Country:United States
Language:English
Budget:$5 million
Gross:$161,619

Road to Nowhere is a 2010 American romance thriller film directed by Monte Hellman, written by Steven Gaydos, and starring Cliff De Young, Waylon Payne, Shannyn Sossamon, Tygh Runyan, and Dominique Swain. It was Hellman's first feature film in 21 years, as well as his final feature film before his death in April 2021.

Road to Nowhere was shot in western North Carolina from July to August 2009, before moving to Europe. The film premiered on September 10, 2010, at the 67th Venice International Film Festival and was nominated for the Golden Lion, but won Jury Award Special Lion for Career Achievement. The film was given a limited release in New York on June 10, 2011, and in Los Angeles on June 17, 2011.

Premise

A promising young filmmaker named Mitchell Haven invites Laurel Graham, an unknown actress, to play Velma Duran, a person involved in a financial scandal that made headlines, in his new film. The director falls in love with his muse, and the sordid criminal affair on which the film is based resurfaces.

Cast

Production

Development

Road to Nowhere was Monte Hellman's first feature film in 21 years. The film was written by Variety executive editor Steven Gaydos.[1] Shannyn Sossamon was the first actor to be cast after Gaydos saw her in a restaurant rehearsing a scene with another person. Reluctantly, Gaydos gave Sossamon his card saying, "I don't do this often, but I wonder if you or your agent would contact Monte Hellman." Hellman told the Los Angeles Times that he dedicated the film to Laurie Bird, with whom Hellman fell in love while directing her in Two-Lane Blacktop.[2]

Filming

On a budget of under $5 million, principal photography was almost entirely in western North Carolina (where the film is also set) between July and August 2009. Hellman shot with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II, which recorded 12 minutes at a time on a flash card (as opposed to 10 minutes with a 35mm film).[3] Scenes were shot at the Balsam Mountain Inn in Balsam for four to five weeks. Several other scenes were shot in the Boyd Mountain Log Cabins in Waynesville. Still other scenes were shot at Doc Holliday's bar in Maggie Valley, at the Fontana Dam, and at the Jackson County Airport. Students from University of North Carolina School of the Arts and Western Carolina University were hired as production assistants and also served as extras.[4] Other shooting locations were done in Los Angeles.[5]

Jim Rowell, a Cullowhee resident got a deal with the filmmakers that allowed him to make a fuel pump repair at the airport in exchange for flying his 1966 Piper Cherokee four-passenger plane as a stuntman. Rowell did eight to nine passes over the lake, flying 300 to 500 feet above the water. In post-production, film editors cut the shots back and forth of Rowell flying near the dam and the actual actor sitting in Rowell's plane pretending to fly in front of a green screen and crashing the plane into the Fontana Dam.[4] Natasha Senjanovic of The Hollywood Reporter called the plane crash one of "cinema's top plane crashes" and remarked that, "[it] is beautifully shot and comes as a total surprise".[6]

Hellman still needed to shoot some scenes in Europe, but was over budget. His daughter, co-producer Melissa Hellman, raised more money through private equity.[3] Hellman shot in the streets of London and traveled to Italy to shoot at Lake Garda.[5] Other scenes were shot in the church of San Pietro in Vincoli, and in front of Michelangelo's Moses and the tomb of Pope Julius II in Rome.[3]

Release

In January 2011, Monterey Media bought the United States distribution rights from Entertainment One.[5] The American Cinematheque at the Egyptian hosted a tribute to Hellman which culminated on May 14, 2011, with a special premiere screening of Road to Nowhere.[7] On June 8, 2011, the Film Society of Lincoln Center hosted an evening with Hellman, which included a special presentation of Road to Nowhere and a screening of Hellman's adaptation of Cockfighter.[8]

Festivals

Road to Nowhere was selected to screen at the following film festivals:

Limited theatrical run

Road to Nowhere was given a limited release in New York City on June 10, 2011, and in Los Angeles on June 17, 2011.[1] [15] In New York the film opened in one theater and grossed $2,521 for its opening weekend. It grossed a total of $4,984 in its first week.[16] In Los Angeles the film opened in six theaters and grossed $6,051—$864 per theater for its opening weekend, a 140% increase in tickets.[17] In its third week it grossed $3,936—$984 per theater, a 35% decrease in ticket sales from the previous week. It was removed from three theaters.[18] In its fourth weekend, a four-day weekend, the film made $3,113—$778 per theater.[19] By its fifth weekend it was removed from two theaters and had a 67% percent drop in tickets making $846–$423 per theater.[20] By its sixth weekend the film was playing in three theaters making $877–$292 per theater.[21] For its seventh weekend, it gained $3,609—$722 per theater in five theaters, an increase of 247.4% from the previous weekend.[22]

The film grossed $83,496 in France and $37,829 in Portugal.[23] [24] Road to Nowhere earned $40,294 in theatrical release in the United States and $121,325 in other markets, for a worldwide total of $161,619.[25]

Home media

Road to Nowhere was released to DVD and Blu-ray on .[26] Features include a 15-min behind the scenes (making of the film) video and a 14-min Q&A with Hellman and Gaydos at the Nashville Film Festival.[27]

Critical reception

Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "In its masterful use of evocative imagery and music, Road to Nowhere is flawless".[28] After an interview with Hellman, John Anderson from The New York Times said, "Road may also be as significant to the indie feature as Avatar is to the popcorn movie".[3] Road to Nowhere was also included in Roger Corman's Legendary Films Blog.[29]

Nick Dawson wrote a positive review after it screened at South by Southwest Film Festival.[12] Roger Ebert gave the film two out of four stars criticizing the story's film within a film narrative. He said, "Road to Nowhere is not a failure in that it sets out to do exactly what it does, and does it. The question remains of why it should have been done. Hellman's skill is evident everywhere in precise framing and deliberate editing. Each scene works within itself on its own terms. But there is no whole here. I've rarely seen a narrative film that seemed so reluctant to flow. Nor perhaps one with a more accurate title".[30]

Awards

FestivalCategoryWinner/NomineeWon
Venice International Film FestivalJury Award Special Lion for Career AchievementMonte HellmanYes
Palm Springs International Film FestivalMaverick AwardMonte HellmanYes[31]
Whistler Film FestivalSpecial Tribute for Lifetime AchievementsMonte HellmanYes[32]
Nashville Film FestivalColeman Sinking Creek AwardMonte HellmanYes[33]

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Monte Hellman's long and winding road. Thomas. Kevin. 1. Los Angeles Times. May 14, 2011. June 8, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110520024314/http://articles.latimes.com/2011/may/14/entertainment/la-et-monte-hellman-20110514. May 20, 2011. live.
  2. Web site: Monte Hellman's long and winding road. Thomas. Kevin. 2. Los Angeles Times. May 14, 2011. June 8, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110520024314/http://articles.latimes.com/2011/may/14/entertainment/la-et-monte-hellman-20110514. May 20, 2011. live.
  3. News: Elder Statesman's New Story . May 12, 2011 . May 12, 2011 . . Anderson. John. https://web.archive.org/web/20110904103655/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/16/movies/16hellman.html. September 4, 2011. live.
  4. News: Indie film brings big economic boost: From stunt pilots to bar scenes, movie producer weaves local people and places into script. Shrestha. Bibeka. Smokey Mountain News. August 5, 2009. May 26, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110928060236/http://www.smokymountainnews.com/news/item/1824-indie-film-brings-big-economic-boost-from-stunt-pilots-to-bar-scenes-movie-producer-weaves-local-people-and-places-into-script. September 28, 2011. live.
  5. Web site: Monte Hellman's "Road to Nowhere" on its Way to a U.S. Release via monterey media. Loria. Daniel. indieWire. January 13, 2011. May 25, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110716235353/http://www.indiewire.com/article/monte_hellmans_road_to_nowhere_on_its_way_to_a_u.s._release_via_monterrey_m/. July 16, 2011. live.
  6. Web site: Road to Nowhere – Film Review. Senjanovic. Natasha. The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. October 15, 2010. June 22, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110817022919/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/road-nowhere-film-review-30008. August 17, 2011. live.
  7. News: Road to Nowhere . May 10, 2011 . May 10, 2011 . ScreenCrave.com . Logue Newth. Tom von. https://web.archive.org/web/20111008202100/http://screencrave.com/2011-05-10/monte-hellman-sneak-preview-and-double-bills-at-the-egyptian/. October 8, 2011. live.
  8. News: Road to Nowhere . May 24, 2011 . May 24, 2011 . Film Society of Lincoln Center. https://web.archive.org/web/20110722181257/http://www.filmlinc.com/films/series/road-to-nowhere-cockfighter. July 22, 2011. live.
  9. Web site: Whistler Film Festival Shines Spotlight on Filmmakers. Vlessing. Etan. The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. December 1, 2010. May 25, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20101205015828/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/whistler-film-festival-shines-spotlight-55208. December 5, 2010. live.
  10. Web site: Coppola's 'Somewhere' wins Golden Lion. Vivarelli. Nick. Variety. Reed Business Information. September 11, 2010. May 25, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20121108090937/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118024027. November 8, 2012. live.
  11. Web site: Palm Springs film festival announces lineup. King. Susan. Los Angeles Times. December 22, 2010. May 25, 2011.
  12. News: Road to Nowhere . March 13, 2011 . March 13, 2011 . Film Maker Magazine . Dawson. Nick. https://web.archive.org/web/20110919051738/http://www.filmmakermagazine.com/news/2011/03/road-to-nowhere-director-monte-hellman/. September 19, 2011. live.
  13. Web site: 2011 Nashville Film Festival Announces Opening and Closing Films. Koh. Michelle. indieWire. March 17, 2009. May 25, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110727194225/http://www.indiewire.com/article/2011_nashville_film_festival_announces_opening_and_closing_films/. July 27, 2011. live.
  14. Web site: Road to Nowhere. Kviff.com. July 10, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110930110423/http://www.kviff.com/en/films/film-detail/3297-road-to-nowhere/. September 30, 2011. live.
  15. Web site: Film Release Chart 6/10/2011 – 7/1/2011. Variety. Reed Business Information. May 26, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20100825110615/http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=boRelease&starting=51. August 25, 2010. dead.
  16. Web site: Weekend Box Office Results for June 10–12, 2011. Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. June 13, 2011. June 22, 2011.
  17. Web site: Weekend Box Office Results for June 17–19, 2011. Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. June 20, 2011. June 22, 2011.
  18. Web site: Weekend Box Office Results for June 24–26, 2011. Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. June 27, 2011. July 2, 2011.
  19. Web site: Weekend Box Office Results for July 1–4, 2011. Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. July 5, 2011. July 11, 2011.
  20. Web site: Weekend Box Office Results for July 8–10, 2011. Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. July 11, 2011. July 17, 2011.
  21. Web site: Weekend Box Office Results for July 15–17, 2011. Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. July 18, 2011. July 19, 2011.
  22. Web site: Weekend Box Office Results for July 22–24, 2011. Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. July 25, 2011. July 31, 2011.
  23. Web site: Road to Nowhere (2011) -France Box Office Results. Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. July 17, 2011.
  24. Web site: Road to Nowhere (2011) -Portugal Box Office Results. Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. July 17, 2011.
  25. Web site: Road to Nowhere (2011). Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. October 21, 2011.
  26. Web site: DVD and Blu-ray Releases for August 23rd, 2011. The-Numbers. Nash Information Services. August 23, 2011. October 21, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110928114720/http://www.the-numbers.com/interactive/newsStory.php?newsID=6499. September 28, 2011. live.
  27. Web site: Monte Hellman's Road to Nowhere. Foster . Tyler. DVD Talk. Internet Brands. August 23, 2011. October 21, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110817032618/http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/50150/road-to-nowhere/. August 17, 2011. live.
  28. Web site: Movie review: 'Road to Nowhere' . June 22, 2011 . June 17, 2011 . . Thomas. Kevin. https://web.archive.org/web/20121109084254/http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jun/17/entertainment/la-et-capsules-road-to-nowhere-20110617. November 9, 2012. live.
  29. News: Road to Nowhere . January 19, 2011 . January 19, 2011 . Roger Corman's Legendary Films Blog . Goodwin. Matthew David. https://web.archive.org/web/20110812153939/http://blog.newhorizonspictures.com/2011/01/19/monte-hellman-50-years-later/. August 12, 2011. live.
  30. Web site: Road To Nowhere (R). Ebert. Roger. Roger Ebert. Chicago Sun-Times. . August 3, 2011. October 21, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20120405134001/http://www.rogerebert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110803/REVIEWS/110809996/-1/RSS. April 5, 2012. live.
  31. Web site: Palm Springs Int'l Film Fest Opens with Deneuve and Depardieu's Potiche, Closes with First Grader. Savage. Sophia. indieWire. December 22, 2010. May 25, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20111006073023/http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/2010/12/22/palm_springs_intl_fest_annouces_galas_premieres_special_screenings/. October 6, 2011. live.
  32. Web site: Snow in the alpine welcomes movie-goers as the 10th annual Whistler Film Festival offers a record number of premieres, not-to-be-missed parties and a tribute to iconic filmmakers. Whistler Canada. November 24, 2010. May 26, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110821095101/http://media.whistler.com/media-releases/?id=1217. 21 August 2011. live.
  33. Web site: Kris Kristofferson to Receive 2011 Career Achievement Award at Nashville Film Festival Presented by Nissan. NashvilleFilmFestival.org. April 8, 2011. May 26, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110421015936/http://www.nashvillefilmfestival.org/press/kris-kristofferson-receive-2011-career-achievement-award-nashville-film-festival-presented-nis. April 21, 2011. live.

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