Last week’s review was about a film set in the Pacific Northwest. Redwood Highway, a film I watched on Amazon Prime recently, also takes place in that beautiful part of the U.S.
Marie Vaughn (Shirley Knight) is an independent “older” woman living in a retirement community in southern Oregon. She is headstrong, likes to walk, and has a sometimes difficult relationship with her son Michael (James Le Gros) and granddaughter Naomi (Zena Grey). Impulsively, Marie decides to walk 80 miles to the Oregon coast near Brookings to attend Naomi’s wedding. Redwood Highway is about her journey on foot to the coast. The film is rated PG-13 for thematic elements including a scene of menace.
I loved seeing the scenery of the forested land as she walked along the highway (not always facing traffic like all walkers should!), and the animals and people she encounters along the way. Some, like Pete (Tom Skerritt) and Stacia (Michelle Lombardo), are meant to be in her life, and give her tangible and intangible gifts she needs for her journey.
We are treated to flashbacks of Marie’s life as she remembers her past. In this way, we are drawn closer to the truth of who Marie is and why she became who she is, as every step takes her closer to the sea and her granddaughter’s wedding.
I recommend this film if you just want a mostly gentle story about a woman, her family and journeys on foot. If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, you’ll know that films about hiking and walking are some of my favorites, and this is a winner.
Did you see Redwood Highway? Did you like the film? What did you appreciate the most about it?
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