Road movie is a genre that will never die. You may think that you've had enough. Then, once in a while, a good one comes along and you'll fall in love with it all over again. "Boundaries", for example.
The travelers here comprise three generations: a grandfather just kicked out of his institution for pushing marijuana; a 12-year-old grandson just kicked out of school for drawing everybody he knows in * (from imagination, of course); in the middle is smart, good-looking divorced mother who is always flustering at the verge of hysteria. Add to that an assortment of dogs and cats, both right from the start of the journey and picked up along the way. Not a very appealing bunch, it seems. But predictably, you'll become very fond of them at the end of the journey (well, perhaps not the cats and dogs).
The above introduction of the main characters basically sets up the plot line. Laura (Vera Farmiga) who lives in Seattle, needing the money to send his son Henry (Lewis MacDougall) to a private art school in L.A., seeks help from his almost-estranged father Jack (Christopher Plummer). The old man sees this as a heaven-sent opportunity of a chauffeured (Laura) weed delivery route, using various camouflage including adult diapers. He also loses no time at all enlisting his grandson as a "partner". He does indicate though that this is only a temporary arrangement and he will help to get Henry into a "better project", such as art.
Although everything is quite predictable i.e. no spoilers of any significance, it best not to go into details but rather let you enjoy the journey as things and situations unfold. Sprinkled with slightly amused chuckles to laugh-out-loud hilarity, and everything in between, this is a pleasurable ride.
Expectedly, the charm of the movie comes from the quality of the cast. Ever since the dashing Captain Von Trapp in "The sound of music" (1965) Plummer has never missed a step. In his eighties, still dashingly handsome in "Boundaries", he delight the audience once again, now with a totally trashy character, and still make them fall in love with him! Farmiga has always been underrated and should have landed a major role since her Best Supporting Oscar nomination in "Up in the air" (2009). Playing opposite Plummer here, she not only holds her own but makes you admire her pitch-perfect control as it is so easy to go overboard with Laura. As well, the chemistry between the two of them is excellent. Young MacDougall certainly proves his worth here in bringing out the balance between awkwardness and maturity in Henry, all with an easy, laid-back charm.
There are others. Although just a little more than a cameo, Peter Fonda is a joy to watch as Jack's old friend and weed customer. Bobby Cannavale whom you will perhaps remember best as the clueless but lovable husband of Ant-man's ex-wife, is fun to see as Laura's ex-husband here. Kristen Schaal, as Laura's sister in L.A., also has her moments.
For this movie, I could employ an alternative, but overused summary line: a gem.
