Twelve Mile Road (2003)

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

What a freaking movie. So many twists and turns. Absolutely intense from start to finish.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

Every movie tells a story or communicates a concept. This movie, unfortunately, tells several sad stories, while it communicates a variety of negative concepts. It marks a low-water mark in Hallmark television. I wish I had never watched it. Avoiding too many details, The primary male lead (Tom Selleck) is a horrendously poor father, and the back story shows that he pulled the old switcheroo on his family, completely upending their lives. He provides zero parenting, and about as much financial stability. His wife was wrong to leave him ("for better or worse") and the nightmare daughter that results is very poorly matured within the story. She perpetrates a crime on screen for which she is NEVER held accountable. That crime should NOT have been shown. Indicated, suggested, communicated, sure, but shown in detail--in all it's evil--never! Especially because she got away with it! If you love animals it will break your heart. Redemption is important, but repentance is a part of true redemption, and this movie misses that mark a dozen times. One concept they seemed to clearly communicate is "bad things happen to good people." Okay, that's true ... but generally speaking, far more good things happen, and even the "bad" things tend to turn in favor of good people. But not in this movie. I watch Hallmark to avoid this sort of thing. If I want lame melodrama I can tune into Lifetime! You get the sense that somewhere along the lines this was a really great movie. It probably started out that way on paper. But in the end it's a thoughtless assault disguised as a good movie.

Now THIS is what I call a GOOD MOVIE!! My Melissa and I watched it and absolutely loved it! It was about a man who lived in the country. He had a daughter who was a mess. The daughter's MOM made her move up to her DAD'S farm. Yes, the MOM and DAD are divorced. So, this BEAST of a girl moves up there and feeds one of TOM SELLECKS'S cows ANT FREEZE. That was amazingly cruel. Tom Selleck's character even misses a wedding because he wanted to help a COW become UNSTUCK. That was interesting. I love cows as well, but I mean, come on. There was an unusual cameo by Patch Adams. It's so hard to see that though.So many good things about this movie. I don't regret watching this TEAR JERKER. In other words, my dame cried.

i didn't even know this was made for television...a good small film with good acting. maggie grace and tom selleck have great chemistry as father and daughter, the rest of the cast isn't bad either. the quiet pace fits well with the country atmosphere, and dulcie's journey to finding herself again is believable. the most impressive scene in the movie, for me, was when dulcie ran into the forest, her dad catches her, she screams and her dad asks 'are you crazy?'. that's where the chemistry really clicks, i get the feeling some other actors might have completely ruined the film. 12 mile road is not a very original film, not even particularly thought-provoking or profound, but it's a great pick to watch a film with your girlfriend that both of you can enjoy. recommended unknown film.

Stephen Landis (Tom Selleck) lived on a farm in Idaho, but his wife Angela (Wendy Crewson) wanted to live in the city and become a lawyer. So she and their daughter Dulcie (Maggie Grace) left Stephen alone.As the movie opens, Dulcie is 16, wearing too much makeup, and getting a tattoo. She is such a troublemaker her mother believes a summer on her father's farm would do her good. Meanwhile, Stephen's girlfriend Leah (Anna Gunn) wants to move in with him, along with her teenage daughter Roxanne (Tegan Moss). As you might expect, Dulcie causes problems, but she is not the only one. Surprisingly, she and Roxanne become friends, but Roxanne's troubles are not Dulcie's fault.Maggie Grace gives a wonderful performance, as Dulcie goes from delightfully nasty to just nasty to merely delightful. Dulcie is not really that bad once the movie progresses, though she hates the farm and becomes quite depressed. Going back to the city at the end of the summer is not the answer, however.One thing that makes this movie distinctive is its emphasis on Christianity. Stephen's neighbors are among the few real Christians shown on TV, and the term 'born again' is actually used by one character. There are serious moral dilemmas, and the solutions are not perfect.This movie had its ups and downs, and it appeared at one point that all was lost, but things started looking up again.