Product Details

• Actors: Michelle Monaghan, Nathan Fillion, Benjamin Bratt, Jimmy Bennett, Joey Lauren Adams
• Directors: James Mottern
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: MONTEREY VIDEO
• DVD Release Date: January 5, 2010
• Run Time: 93 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B002T9H2O2
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #92,478 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Trucker" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Michelle Monaghan's commanding performance in the title role carries Trucker--and that's a good thing, because there's not an awful lot happening in director-writer James Mottern's 2008 film other than the characters and their relationships to themselves and those around them. Monaghan's Diane Ford is a tough cookie, a loner who passes the time with long hauls, heavy drinking, and not-even-one-night stands--if this woman was interested in commitment, she wouldn't have walked out 10 years earlier on her infant son and his father (Benjamin Bratt, good in a limited role). But now her ex is seriously ill and his girlfriend has her own family issues to deal with, leaving Diane to look after 11-year-old Peter for the time being… or maybe longer. There are no surprises in store here, as mother and son, as expected, mix about as well as oil and water. (If this were a contest to determine who is less mature, Diane would win in a landslide; unable to even call the kid by his name--"dude" is the best she can do--she could hardly be less maternal and more tactless). Anyone who doesn't think that will change hasn't seen many movies. But a predictable outcome doesn't necessarily preclude enjoying the ride; the performances by Monaghan, young Jimmy Bennett (as Peter), and Nathan Fillion (as Runner, Diane's drinking buddy and would-be lover) are enough to sustain our interest, and the film's lack of meretricious sentimentality is refreshing. --Sam Graham

Product Description

Diane Ford (Michelle Monaghan), a vivacious and successful independent truck driver, leads a carefree life of long-haul trucking, one night stands and all-night drinking with Runner (Nathan Fillion, Serenity, Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog; Cast) until the evening her estranged 11-year-old son, Peter (Jimmy Bennett, young James Kirk in Star Trek) is unexpectedly dropped at her door.

Peter hasn't seen his mother since he was a baby and wants to live with Diane as little as she wants him, but they are stuck with each other at least for now, while his father Len (Benjamin Bratt) is in the hospital.

Burdened with this new responsibility and seeing the life of freedom she's fought for now jeopardized, Diane steps reluctantly into her past and looks sidelong at an uncharted future that is not as simple or straight forward as she had once believed possible.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A thought-provoking and emotionally moving saga about the culmination of a turning point in one's life, highly recommended, November 16, 2009

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Trucker (DVD)

Trucker is a DVD movie about an independent-minded truck driver Diane Ford, accustomed to enjoying a carefree life marked by one-night love affairs, hard drinking, and long haul days on the road. But her life changes dramatically when she suddenly has the responsibility of caring for her eleven-year-old son Peter - whom she has not seen since he was a baby. Peter's father is incapacitated in the hospital; now Diane's life is turned upside down, as she struggles with caring for a boy as distrustful of her as she is of him. Difficult choices lie ahead for her, and she must come to grips with a future that holds more challenges and pitfalls than she has ever imagined. A thought-provoking and emotionally moving saga about the culmination of a turning point in one's life, highly recommended. 93 minutes, closed captioned, rated R.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Tough (but worthy) watch, bare bones DVD, January 2, 2010

By 

Steve Kuehl "SLV Video" (Boulder Creek, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Trucker (DVD)

This can be one of those films where a reviewer can write paragraphs of material about the narrative, performances, nuances, subtlety of emotions, and loads of other wonderful stuff, but when the credits suddenly appeared I had to wait a day to scribe some thoughts.

A character/performance film all the way, with Michelle Monaghan being given her first chance at carrying a film - and without hesitation I think she did an outstanding job. The story follows our main gal as she trucks for a living, unburdened by any emotional or long term physical relationships. She is suddenly given the responsibility of having to take care of her estranged boy, last seen when he was an infant. The rest (and majority) of the film covers their new relationship and the pitfalls they both face with her road life. Very dry at times, but some genuine moments and strong showings make for a solid film. Would have liked to see more happen with certain roles (I liked Serenity so it was nice to see Fillion) but I suppose the ending had to be ambiguous.

The picture clarity is average at times, clear in a few outdoor spots and the sound is a weak 5.1 with most everything directed through the center channel. The supplements are extremely weak and should not have even been added:
* Actress Prepares for her Role, less than 2 minutes. A music montaged slide show of Michelle walking around a truck stop - forgettable.
* Behind the Scenes Slideshow, less than a minute. Same thing - forgettable.

Would have hoped for some stellar supplements from Monterey as I am a big fan of their work (especially Humble Pie, Local Color and The Village Barbershop) but this will have to stand alone as a character film. 4 stars for Michelle but zero for anything else.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Trucker Review, December 16, 2010

By 

Craig Whittle (Phoenix, AZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Trucker (DVD)

TRUCKER

STARRING: Michelle Monaghan, Jimmy Bennett, Nathan Fillion, Benjamin Bratt, Joey Lauren Adams and Mathew Lawrence

WRITTEN BY: James Mottern

DIRECTED BY: James Mottern

Rated: R
Genre: Drama
Release Date: 09 October 2009



Trucker is the kind of film that explaining the details of to someone who hasn't seen it, makes it sounds like a clichéd mess. It's not. It has oodles of moments that could have been falsely tuned and resulted in scenes that have us rolling our eyes; but as they are handled with care, our eyes are instead affixed to the screen.

The upsetting phone call just as characters walk in the door with cheery faces; the moment where two best friends are shocked to learn they have feelings for one another even though we know they do after only two minutes with them; and of course the over the top "I love you" moment between the two main characters, all come to mind.

Trucker deals with all three of these overly abused cinematic scenarios, as well as countless others. But right when we are leaning on them, expecting them do exactly what we've seen those moments do in a million other movies; Trucker sidesteps with them, and instead has us fall over unexpectedly. We're smiling as we climb back up to our feet.

Some moments tear you apart, and my eyes were stinging with tears for a good third of the movie at least. It's put together brilliantly especially when considering that this is writer and director James Mottern's first picture. With any bit of movie-magic luck, it will be far from his last.

One of the things I liked most about this film is how it doesn't make a big deal about its plot points. It doesn't try to showcase them as overly cinematic; it just rolls with them, making them realistic and relatable which in turn transitions into cinematic anyways.

I've been watching Michelle Monaghan for quite a while now, wondering when someone was going to give her a shot at the title. She's certainly earned it, by practically carrying movies with her supporting performances in Made of Honor, Eagle Eye, The Heartbreak Kid and Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang, to name only a few. Despite the fact that she was seriously overlooked for an Oscar nomination, her journey to land leading roles will be a downhill breeze from here on out.

Monaghan plays a trucker named Diane, and we love her but hate her. She's a sweetheart, but she does some really stupid things and continuously lets us down. Her redemption comes from both her acknowledgement that this is the way she is, and her slow transition into something more.

When an old flame becomes ill stricken, Diane's 11-year-old son Peter (Jimmy Bennett) is dropped off to her by the ex's new girlfriend. The dying ex-lover and Diane made an agreement years ago, that she would have nothing to do with their son and that he would raise him. Diane isn't suited for this type of life you see; she drinks, she smokes, she sleeps around, she's on the road for weeks at a time and she simply doesn't like to get close to people.

Naturally she takes the youngster in for a few weeks, and he begins to grow on her. But not in the way you'd assume. He's more like an unwanted appendage or growth that she HAS to deal with.

Being as stubborn as his mother, Peter takes her attitude and dishes it right back. Peter's a bright kid, played perfectly by Jimmy Bennett, and we get the sense that if she'd only love him, he'd be an angel. But he's not about to be that easy on her. And after all, she doesn't love him. She makes sure he knows this, and that she didn't want to have him.

She doesn't say these things in an attempt to hurt him; it's just her way. She's brutally honest. And while that's not the way to raise a child, Peter is luckily smart enough to appreciate her at least for her honesty. And while she may not say it, her actions show that she cares for him. He and we sense she's a good person, but needs work. And maybe, just maybe, Peter will be able to help her out with that.