Movies: Long Journeys, Part 2

I had a boss once who complained that it took me took me too long to find presenters for the association's workshops. He thought I was trying too hard to find really good presenters. I explained to him that it takes just as long to find mediocre speakers as it does to find exceptional ones. 

Thus I introduce Part 2 of the Long Journey Movies. (Part 1 is here.)

Because I am not immortal, I don't wish to invest many long minutes in watching bad movies and have nothing to show for that investment. So you get the yawn with the good.
 
First, the good: 10 MPH (or America at 10 MPH) is a charming movie. It is good-hearted and light. Synopsis: A team follows one guy across America on a Segway. One dude, J.Fred, doesn't accompany the team on the trip. I'm not even sure what his role is, but his spirit somehow intertwines with the journey, and he's listed on the closing credits as associate producer. He is a trip. I especially love his idea for a magazine that he explains at the end of the movie. He'd call it Failure - stories of people who tried to make a go of their dreams, and failed. Sounds better when he explains it.

I also like how the team seems to hit people we don't usually see on such adventures. The people on the Nez Pearce Indian Reservation. The folks in East St. Louis. The team rolled through New Haven, Missouri, a really pretty river town close to my original home base.

New Haven, Missouri

There's no preaching about how we all should live. The team doesn't embarrass anyone, with the exception of a supercilious cop in a small Illinois town who, frankly, should be embarrassed. I enjoyed seeing how the Chicago police represented the city's reputation for friendliness. The Segway in the corn maze. Loved it.

 
My Run. I was only able to watch about half an hour, then I started skipping ahead to see when everyone stopped talking about the guy's health problems and how they were sure he'd drop dead if he did the run he intended (from Minneapolis to Atlanta). I guess he did actually run, but I didn't stick around to watch.


Into the Wind (Terry Fox Story). A remarkable story about a young man who attempted to run across Canada, although he had an artificial leg. He made the run in 1980 in order to raise money for cancer research. I wish the movie about Terry Fox was more watchable, but I seem to be in the minority of those who didn't care for it, based on the good reviews it's received. I didn't finish it.