Tumbleweeds (1999)

A woman constantly runs from town to town with her 12 year old daughter to escape failed relationships. The film opens with one escape and the shift into a new start in San Diego. There Mom... See full summary »

Director:

Gavin O'Connor

Writers:

Angela Shelton (story), Gavin O'Connor (screenplay),

Stars:

Janet McTeer, Kimberly J. Brown, Jay O. Sanders

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 10 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Janet McTeer	...	Mary Jo Walker
Kimberly J. Brown	...	Ava Walker
Jay O. Sanders	...	Dan Miller
Gavin O'Connor	...	Jack Ranson
Laurel Holloman	...	Laurie Pendleton
Lois Smith	...	Ginger
Michael J. Pollard	...	Mr. Cummings
Ashley Buccille	...	Zoe Brussard
Cody McMains	...	Adam Riley
Linda Porter	...	Mrs. Boman
Brian Tahash	...	Winston Jackson
Josh Carmichael	...	Billy Jo
Dennis Ford	...	Check-out Clerk
Sara Downing	...	Rachel Riley
Joel Polis	...	Vice Principal

Storyline

A woman constantly runs from town to town with her 12 year old daughter to escape failed relationships. The film opens with one escape and the shift into a new start in San Diego. There Mom takes up with a controlling trucker and fights with her weirdo boss. Meanwhile, the daughter, used to making the constant shifts, finds a fit at school including getting chosen for a play lead.

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Plot Keywords:

fight | boss | theatre production | flirtation | female nudity | 

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Taglines:

They ran away from everything but each other.

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Genres:

Drama | Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for language, sensuality and a scene of domestic discord

Details

Official Sites:

Fine Line Metropolitan Filmexport [France]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 March 2000 (UK)

Also Known As:

Huyendo del pasado

Filming Locations:

Agoura Hills, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$312,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$41,202 (USA) (26 November 1999)

Gross:

$1,281,176 (USA) (14 January 2000)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Spanky Pictures, Solaris, River One Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

Despite references to "driving across country" from the East (West Virginia), all shots in the film are obviously from the area around Los Angeles.

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Connections

Features Vengeance Valley (1951)

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Soundtracks

"My Heart Skips a Beat"
Written & Performed by Buck Owens

User Reviews

A Pleasant Surprise

The premise of a film about a mother and 12 year-old daughter on the road is not necessarily attractive to everyone. But this was a refreshing example of the genre, mainly because the director allowed character development. Mother and daughter have characteristics both endearing and infuriating (like all of us; something that Hollywood so often forgets) and, as a result, we're not forced to take sides with one against the other. Rather we find ourselves looking out for opportunities for them to both lead a more stable existence. Inevitably in a film of this nature there must be a great temptation to play on sentimentality and help boost Kleenex sales. But fortunately that doesn't happen; in fact the only tearful moment comes from one of the male characters recounting the loss of his wife. The two leads react well to each other, something which was essential for the film to work.

An entertaining approach to the genre for which the viewer doesn't have to suspend rationality.