"THE SHORT HISTORY OF THE LONG ROAD" // TRIBECA 2019 REVIEW
THE SHORT HISTORY OF THE LONG ROAD is a quiet film. It’s a road movie, following a young girl’s journey to be found, to be accepted, while trying to find and accept herself. Sabrina Carpenter, who found fame on the Disney Channel series Girl Meets World and the Disney Channel remake of 1987’s Adventures in Babysitting. She is also well known by younger fans as a singer, releasing three full-length albums. However, she takes a hard-right turn here, muting down her entire persona for a quite and lovely indie film.
Carpenter plays Nola, a young teen who has been living on the road with her father Clint (Steven Ogg). They have been driving across the U.S. in an RV, camping out where they chose, moving where they chose. Her father repairs things for strangers along the way and makes money for the both of them, while Nola often picks through their drawers while they aren’t looking. They are a good team, and it’s clear the love that exists between the two of them. But you do feel the sense that perhaps Clint isn’t always looking out for Nola’s best interests. He’s decided that this is the way they live, so they do.
Tragedy strikes Nola when her father suddenly passes away, and she’s left all along. Desperate for a family of some kind, she heads back out to find her birth mother (Maggie Siff), who she barely remembers at all. And while she searches for her, she runs through several people’s lives, including a woman who seems very kind (Rusty Schwimmer) and a tough on the outside auto mechanic (Danny Trejo) who takes Nola under his wing. Carpenter turns in a winning performance here, understated and honest, and although her character is a lot to deal with, her life has been a bumpy path, so her search for a redemption of any kind feels real. Cinematographer Cailin Yatsko comes up with some beautiful imagery here, leaving you warm with the colors of the open road and the warmth of a young soul trying to find her place on it.
VERDICT: SEE IT
GRADE: B+
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY Ani Simon-Kennedy STARRING Sabrina Carpenter, Steven Ogg, Danny Trejo, Maggie Siff, Rusty Schwimmer. Playing as part of the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival. For more information: http://www.tribecafilm.com/filmguide/short-history-of-the-long-road-2019