Two brothers set out in search of their estranged father in this road-bound family drama produced by Lee Daniels (Monster's Ball) and starring singer Mariah Carey. As siblings, Carter (Adam Rothenberg) and Ellis (Ethan Peck) never saw eye to eye. Now Ellis has been diagnosed with leukemia, and his only hope for survival is to track down their estranged father, who lives in Tennessee. Putting their differences aside for the time being, Carter agrees to join Ellis, and together the two siblings
decide to hitchhike their way across the country. Along the way, Carter and Ellis cross paths with a waitress named Krystal (Carey), who has put her lifelong dream of becoming a singer on hold for far too long. Somewhere on the road to Tennessee, all three will discover the true power of hope, and the importance of family in times of need. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
The good news for Carey is that she gets to prove she's a pretty decent actress after all. The bad news, of course, is that she's done it in a movie no one has any other reason to see.
Mariah Carey is more than just the big star in this small story. She's the warm, charismatic, deliciously down home presence that fills the screen with charm to spare, though her character lacks the attention and depth lavished upon the male protagonists.
Has beautiful scenery and brief suspense, but that's not nearly enough to keep you immersed or captivated in the often contrived story or any of its poorly developed characters.
So the big question is -- how was Mariah? Surprisingly, Mrs. Cannon was the light in an otherwise morbid and boring film. She had flair, swagger and a convincing Texas accent.
Tennessee is occasionally a chore to sit through, but it does yield some third-act rewards for patient viewers, as the characters' willingness to sacrifice for the other is suddenly brought into sharp focus.
Tennessee treads a path similar to other miser-indies (Ballast, Wendy and Lucy), but without the narrative or aesthetic flair to elevate its woefully tired road-trip-to-self-discovery premise.
Mariah Carey is more than just the big star in this small story. She's the warm, charismatic, deliciously down home presence that fills the screen with charm to spare, though her character lacks the attention and depth lavished upon the male protagonists.
This was a really good movie, despite that fact that Mariah Carey was in it. She isnt the best actress by any account, BUT the movie around her more than made up for it. The main cast was really talented, and they had me mesmerized. This was a very moving, touching slow paced drama...right up my alley on a dark and
dreary morning.
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