In a moment, the world changed forever.
Based on Cormac McCarthy’s beloved, best-selling and Pulitzer Prize winning novel, Academy Award nominee Viggo Mortensen leads an all-star cast in the big screen adaptation of “The Road,” the epic post-apocalyptic tale of a journey taken by a father (Viggo Mortensen) and his young son (newcomer Kodi Smit-McPhee) across a barren landscape that was blasted by an unnamed cataclysm that destroyed civilization and most life on earth.
The Road is a 2009 American post-apocalyptic drama film directed by John Hillcoat from a screenplay written by Joe Penhall, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning 2006 novel of the same name by the American author Cormac McCarthy. Principal photography took place in Pennsylvania, Louisiana, West Virginia, and Oregon. The film stars Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee as a father and his son in a post-apocalyptic wasteland.
The Road received a limited release in North American cinemas from November 25, 2009, and was released in United Kingdom cinemas on January 4, 2010. The film received generally positive reviews from critics; the performances of Mortensen and Smit-McPhee garnered praise. It also received numerous nominations, including a BAFTA nomination for Best Cinematography.
The film had its world premiere in September 2009 at the 66th Venice International Film Festival where it was in competition for the Golden Lion and Silver Lion prizes. It also screened at the 34th Toronto International Film Festival.
About the Story
A man and his young son struggle to survive after an unspecified cataclysm has killed most plant and animal life. Civilization has collapsed, reducing the survivors to scavenging and in most cases cannibalism. The duo search for supplies as they travel south on a road to the coast in the hope it will be warmer. The man is armed with a revolver, but carries just two rounds.
A series of flashbacks reveals that the man’s wife had given birth to the child shortly after the catastrophe. The flashbacks show her deteriorating morale and physical condition in their home, eventually leading to the man cutting up floorboards for fuel. Through the flashbacks and other scenes, it is revealed that they had been saving three bullets as a last resort in case of capture, allowing them to commit suicide. When the man kills an intruder and is left with only two bullets, she states he has done this deliberately in an effort to avoid her suicide. She eventually walks off into the cold with almost no clothing.
After shooting a member of a gang who inadvertently stumbles upon them, the man is left with only one bullet. Later, exploring a large mansion, the pair discover prisoners in the basement; serving as a food supply for their absent captors. When the armed cannibals return, the man and his son hide. With discovery imminent, the man prepares to shoot his son, but the cannibals are distracted by the captives, and the pair get away.
Further down the road, they discover an underground shelter full of canned food and supplies. They feast, bathe and groom themselves. When the man hears rummaging noises around the entrance to the shelter, he decides they must leave. They later encounter a nearly-blind old man on the road. The son persuades his reluctant father to feed him something, and they share some time together.
The Road (2009)
Directed by: John Hillcoat
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Robert Duvall, Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Molly Parker, Garret Dillahunt, Bob Jennings, Gina Preciado, David August Lindauer
Screenplay by: Joe Penhall, Cormac McCarthy (novel)
Production Design by: Chris Kennedy
Cinematography by: Javier Aguirresarobe
Film Editing by: John Gregory
Costume Design by: Margot Wilson
Set Decoration by: Robert Greenfield
Art Direction by: Gershon Ginsburg
Music by: Nick Cave, Warren Ellis
MPAA Rating: R for some violence, disturbing images and language.
Distributed by: The Weinstein Company
Release Date: November 25, 2009
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