RESERVATION ROAD — * 1/2 — Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Connelly; rated R (profanity, violence, sex, vulgarity, brief drugs)
There are a lot of dumb things about "Reservation Road," a film that tries to get us to sympathize with a lawyer who flees the scene of a fatal hit-and-run.
As for the rest of this dramatic thriller, it's hopelessly and ridiculously contrived. There are things here that make some of the plotting in your average "Scooby-Doo" episode seem more plausible.
As a result, it's hard to take any of this nonsense seriously, despite the presence of some very dramatic actors.
The weaselly lawyer is Dwight Arno, played by Mark Ruffalo. He's hurrying to get his son (Eddie Alderson) back to his ex-wife's home and is taking a few chances while driving, which includes talking on his cell phone.
While trying to navigate a tight curve, Dwight accidentally swerves to avoid another vehicle and in the process mows down a young boy (Sean Curley).
But rather than stopping, Dwight speeds off and takes his son home. He then spends the next month fretting and trying to cover up his heinous crime.
Meanwhile, the dead boy's father, Ethan (Joaquin Phoenix), is having a hard time coping with the tragedy, and he's frustrated by the lack of progress in the police investigation.
The coincidences and convenient events are almost laughable, as when Ethan seeks legal help at a small firm where — you guessed it — Dwight is employed. We also discover that the dead boy's music teacher was Dwight's ex-wife (Mira Sorvino).
To their credit, the actors keep a straight face while trying to convince us this is plausible. However, there's nothing really rewarding for any of them, especially Jennifer Connelly, who is particularly misused as Ethan's wife.
"Reservation Road" is rated R for strong sexual language (profanity and crude slang terms), strong violence (an auto-pedestrian collision, as well as brawling and gunplay), simulated sex and other sexual contact, and brief drug content (painkiller use). Running time: 102 minutes.
E-mail: jeff@desnews.com