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World Traveler (2002)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:66
Fresh:23
Rotten:43
Average Rating:4.9/10
Consensus: Heavy symbolism and a repulsive lead character make World Traveler seems like a long trip.
Theatrical Release:Apr 19, 2002 Limited
Synopsis: Cal (Billy Crudup), is a man in his mid thirties, living in New York City, with a loving wife and a baby. But when he becomes frustrated with his family life, he follows his most immediate... Cal (Billy Crudup), is a man in his mid thirties, living in New York City, with a loving wife and a baby. But when he becomes frustrated with his family life, he follows his most immediate instincts--he gets in the car, and simply drives away. This straightforward yet shocking decision is the event that begins WORLD TRAVELER, in which Cal comes under the microscope of psychological observation. He embarks on a road trip that leads him down strange paths and introduces him to an eclectic cast of world-weary characters. Dulcie (Julianne Moore) is one of these people, an emotionally wounded woman who is desperately searching for her lost son. As Cal scans through memories of his family life, patched into the film through vivid flashbacks, he also absorbs his new, wholly unsettled, lost, listing life. Through his encounters on the road, and his conversations with the strange but fascinating Dulcie, he eventually finds a new perspective on his family life. Directed by Bart Freundlich, whose THE MYTH OF THE FINGERPRINTS carried a similar theme of looking at life with introspection through outsider's eyes, WORLD TRAVELER deftly uses the talents of both Crudup and Moore and allows them to propel the film into its nearly dreamlike crossroads between living life and just thinking about it. [More]
Starring: Billy Crudup, Julianne Moore, Karen Allen, Liane Balaban
Starring: Billy Crudup, Julianne Moore, Karen Allen, Liane Balaban, James LeGros
Director: Bart Freundlich
Director: Bart Freundlich
Screenwriter: Bart Freundlich
Producer: Tim Perell, Bart Freundlich
Studio: ThinkFilm
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Reviews for World Traveler
A wonderful, quietly offbeat little drama… [with] a deep inward reflectiveness and… unyielding, non-judgmental nakedness.
A journey that is as difficult for the audience to take as it is for the protagonist -- yet it's potentially just as rewarding.
A first-class road movie that proves you can run away from home, but your ego and all your problems go with you.
Were it not for a sentimental resolution that explains way more about Cal than does the movie or the character any good, Freundlich's World Traveler might have been one of the more daring and surprising American movies of the year.
Well-shot drama features great work from Billy Crudup and Julianne Moore -- and an infuriating script from director Bart Freundlich.
The setup feels a little been-there-done- that, but the writing is often piercing and there are unsparing characterizations by Julianne Moore and James LeGros.
Whatever complaints I might have, I'd take [its] earnest errors and hard-won rewards over the bombastic self-glorification of other feel-good fiascos like Antwone Fisher or The Emperor's Club any time.
World Traveler might not go anywhere new, or arrive anyplace special, but it's certainly an honest attempt to get at something.
It's not going to be everyone's bag of popcorn, but it definitely gives you something to chew on.
At its worst the screenplay is callow, but at its best it is a young artist’s thoughtful consideration of fatherhood.
God bless Crudup and his aversion to taking the easy Hollywood road and cashing in on his movie-star gorgeousness.
Freundlich's film won't appeal to those who like well-defined heroes and clear conclusions. But there is plenty here for folks who like something to chew on.
For demanding tastes, it's a profound, honest, superbly made, emotionally gripping, moment-by-moment road movie about a man trapped in a midlife crisis that is something of a revelation.
Though writer/director Bart Freundlich's film ultimately becomes a simplistic story about a dysfunctional parent-child relationship, it has some special qualities and the soulful gravity of Crudup's anchoring performance.
With Freundlich and Crudup in the front seat, I found that once I could see the road, I was able to sit back and just enjoy the ride.
World Traveler, written and directed by Bart Freundlich, isn't going to be Crudup's breakthrough hit. But it does have a wonderful, fascinating performance by him.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 66% 66% | Public Enemies |
| 83% 83% | Harry Potter and the H… |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 75% 75% | Julie & Julia |
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 88% 88% | Inglourious Basterds |
| 78% 78% | The Hangover |
| 49% 49% | Taking Woodstock |
| 26% 26% | The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard |
| 47% 47% | The Girl From Monaco |
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