Last week I had the opportunity to see Adopt a Highway last week, starring Ethan Hawke (Reality Bites, Training Day, Boyhood). The film was written and directed by Logan Marshall-Green, who we’ve seen in acting roles, but this marked his directorial and writing debut.
The film told the story of Russell Millings (Hawke), a man fresh out of prison after serving 21 years on a third strike offense for an ounce of marijuana possession. He is able to get a fast food job, where he works hard to pay his long-stay motel bill. He is also trying to adapt to a world that has changed immensely since he last functioned in it. He has never used the internet or created an e-mail address, and he needs a lot of help getting used to the way things work.
While closing up at work one night, he hears a sound coming from the dumpster behind the restaurant. He opens it to find a baby. She’s wearing a dress and has a note attached to her with her name. We go through the emotional confusion alongside his character, not sure what the right answers are, but seeing that he is a truly kind person who is yearning for a connection in the world.
The movie is beautiful, and real. It ends up going somewhere I didn’t expect, and Hawke’s portrayal was so kind and so deeply human. I was so pleased with this quiet little film that really tugged at my heart.
Adopt a Highway is in theaters and On Digital and On Demand today, November 1st.
