All Roads Lead Home

I think this was the last film Peter Boyle was in before he died.

He doesn't do it very well. I once read that some other actor has honoured him as being among the great actors. I'm not sure, I think at the end of the day he was just a character actor. He always looks the same from what I could tell - a sleazy balding sneaky-eyed man.

Here he just played the character he was probably best known for - Raymond's dad. That is to say, he has a crazed, wide-eyed look and tells the youth how wrong they are.

Patton Oswald was also in this film. I always enjoyed him in King of Queens. He doesn't do much better than any of the other actors here, though. In fact, he seems like a bad actor in this one. Maybe he was just playing himself on King of Queens and that's why he did it so well?

The movie's not worth mentioning. It's clearly some drivel lazily written for young girls. It's focused on being kind to animals and living in a world where no animal is killed or something. And apparently everyone in this universe is only involved in the caring of animals. The dad is a dog catcher, the dad's girlfriend is a veterinarian, and the grandfather raises farm animals for sale.

I appreciate the sentiment of having the young girl (Belle) trying to make a change in her community, but the changes she makes would only serve to support the beliefs that chyldren's ability to make any decisions should be limited. She forces her grandfather to eat fruit for breakfast in a totalitarian fashion, for example - and she tries to keep all the pound dogs alive in some sick little zoo. It must stink there.

Most of the drama is non-drama, too. She runs away for like 5 minutes from home and is quickly found.

The acting is atrocious. That's to be expected from most of the no-names who act just about as believably as if they were starring in a PSA marketed for grade schools. However, even veteran Boyle looks mostly just senile and only delivers a few impactful lines well. Oswalt should be ashamed as he gives one of the worst performances of the film despite probably having the second-most extensive resume in the business after Boyle.

Ironically the best performance comes from the girl who plays Belle who's very believable as an obnoxious and confused chylde who loves animals to the point of fanaticism.

Ohh, and the title is practically false advertising. Don't know why such a middling film hijacked such a good title. This one has nothing to do with finding home or travelling or roads.

Honourable Mentions: Twin Sitters (1995) - in the universe of Roads, everyone is somehow involved in the care of animals. It's practically an animal-centered society and economy. I believe it was Twin Sitters where all of their friends are also only twins. Similarly funny and trite.

Posted by Mike Fry

This evening, I had the privilege of seeing a private screening of a film titled "All Roads Lead Home". The movie is a must-see for anyone who feels a connection to nonhuman life forms. It could be the most powerful animal-themed film I have seen. It features a stellar cast and a story beautifully told. Those who may shy away from a movie labeled as a "family film" will appreciate the boldness with which "All Roads Lead Home" tackles tough issues. Be clear: This film is perfectly acceptable for all members of the family. However, it is far from the cliché, formulaic sorts of "family films" one might associate with that genre. All Roads Lead Home has already begun racking up some pretty nice awards, including one for Best Feature Drama at the International Family Film Festival. It also got kudos at the Palm Beach International Film Festival and the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. In some ways, these last two mentions are extra remarkable, because family films are not typically the kinds of films that do well at film festivals. The success of THIS "family film" at these international film festivals is a testament to the broad range of appeal "All Roads Lead Home" has. Put it on your "must-see" list.

Our family was so taken in by this movie! You fall in love with the characters and feel what they are going through like you are part of the story. This movie definitely makes a statement about the love and care of animals. It is amazing how true it is about animals intuition if they could only speak to us more clearly. Peter Boyle's last performance is hilarious! The art direction is outstanding. The Missouri & Kansas landscapes are picturesque! Could not wait for it to come out on DVD to buy and share with friends and family that did not get a chance to see it. Would love to see more of these actors in future movies. Thanks for making a movie that all ages could see!!

I don't typically post comments for movies, but I had to write in about this one. After seeing a decent rating (6.2 stars on IMDb is not bad), and mostly positive reviews, includes superlative statements such as: "It could be the most powerful animal-themed film I have seen.", "Defining Family Entertainment...perhaps re-defining." and "Put it on your "must-see" list.".

We rented "All Roads Lead Home" for our family, and were put off by the overt over-the-top animal rights themes, low budget look of the film (simplistic camera work, minimal post-processing, poor editing, sub par acting) and *very* choppy plot. The story seemed contrived in parts to go out of its way to pull at emotional connections to animals, and in all but a very few scenes was ineffective at doing so.

That is not to say that this film should not be watched, or is worthless, it just seemed like from many of the comments on IMDb that this was an Oscar-quality film. I would rather people go into this with their eyes open, so I decided to post. A number of these comments appear to be written from the perspective of a personal friend of the film crew, or someone who was invited to a private screening. Hardly a unbiased source. I don't at all mean to question the integrity of those comment authors, we are all entitled to our opinion! But I did want to balance that out with a more realistic look at this film.

To realistically rate this anything higher than 5/10 stars would be quite a leap, even for someone who enjoys cheesy sappy movies. This was a cheesy sappy movie that was done poorly with a small budget.

I would not recommend this movie, and feel there are many better choices on the market when it comes to family friendly movies.

All Roads Lead Home – Review By: J. Franklin Bradley, LBK Holdings, Inc.

True "family entertainment" is far more than just something everyone in the family can watch together. If done correctly, "family entertainment" is characters and situations that can be felt and understood by all generations…nicely blended into a compelling bit of storytelling that captures the imagination of it's audiences.

Just such a movie is "All Roads Lead Home", a little film with a really big payoff for its audiences. Each character adds a piece to the mosaic, from a cantankerous grandfather to his rebellious granddaughter, her father and his struggles with parenting, guilt and trying to move on with his life. Each has a differing view of their shared tragedy, yet no resolution can be found until they fight off the demons of mistrust, misunderstanding, stubbornness and resentment. Together, these characters form a wonderfully complicated mosaic, never fully revealed until the last piece is put into place.

Audiences of all ages will be mesmerized by this film. For it is a journey through life's complications, with every age and viewpoint represented. There truly is something for everyone in "All Roads Lead Home". And that "something" is a heart-warming story that proves that "family entertainment" really can reach out and hold an audience from the first to the last word of the script. Its storytelling at it's best. And it shouldn't be missed.