The Short History Of The Long Road (2019) (Review)

Synopsis: A teen and her father live a nomadic lifestyle until tragedy strikes leaving the teen on her own. This film is quite sad. But really interesting. It’s simple, but not simplistic. It’s also realistic. And the actors are very natural. Personally, I love road movies, which are one of my favourite film genres. And I never forget the excellent ones: Little Miss Sunshine, Pieces of April and The Straight Story. The Short History Of The Long Road can easily join this fine list.

The film becomes less exciting when the road movie stops and is no longer a road movie for a while. Then it picks up again and ends reasonably well. Sabrina Carpenter is a young American actress, recording artist, model, songwriter, singer and film producer. At the age of 24, she’s been busy! This petite artist (1.52 m) has already released three studio albums, an EP, fourteen singles, nine promotional singles, thirteen other appearances and seventeen video clips. She cites Christina Aguilera and Adele as musical influences.  She set up her own YouTube channel in 2009, posting covers when she was just ten years old. At thirteen, she became more or less famous thanks to Disney. Or more precisely, thanks to a series on the Disney Channel. So much for her, given that the whole film rests on her shoulders! 

Here she plays Nola, still a minor, but who already knows how to drive, who has never been to school but has learned the essentials of life from her father. Very convincing in this role, very precise, very accurate. Steven Ogg and Maggie Siff play her parents, Clint & Cheryl, perfectly. They both have such charisma that I was mesmerised by them both. Sadly, we don’t see much of them in this film. We’re very happy to see Danny Trejo again, here in the role of a garage mechanic. And I don’t know Rusty Schwimmer, not from memory anyway. But she’s rather surprising in her role as Marcie, a very Christian woman who welcomes at first, but then yells. A fairly typical behaviour that I’ve had the opportunity to see for myself, in my own life.So there you have it! I can only recommend this film to those who still have a heart.