Last Friday, the Lee Daniels produced independent film Tennessee starring Adam Rothenberg, Ethan Peck and Mariah Carey, opened in a very limited number of theaters in Tennessee and New York, so I took the opportunity to go see the film - again.
Last April, the film was shown at the Tribeca Film Festival, where I saw it for the first time. After not having seen the film in over a year, it was nice to see it again on Tuesday night. Centered around two brothers, Carter and Ellis Armstrong (Rothenberg, Peck), the film follows their roadtrip back to Tennessee to find their estranged father. Ellis, the younger of the two, is ill with Leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant to save his life, and after discovering Carter is not a match, their father is the only hope.
Along the way, the brothers encounter Krystal Evans, their saving grace, played by the lovely Mariah Carey. There is much more to her character, however it would spoil the movie to reveal it all - so I won’t. Krystal’s character brings a lot of warmth to the film and Carey shines in this role. Her appearance is toned down from it’s usual glamour, and replacing her heavy New York accent is a Texan one. She completely transformed to Krystal for this role, even altering her vocals to make them “less perfect” when she performs “Right to Dream,” an original song she wrote and played on the guitar for the film.
Although slow-moving in the beginning, the story picks up in the second half and ends with an unusual, yet heart-warming twist. But you’ll have to see the movie to find out what that is. The limited release ended today in most theaters, however the DVD will be available September 1st according to Amazon.com. For more about the film, theaters, and trailer, visit it’s official website.
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