Adopt a Highway (2019)
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A man recently released from a long prison sentence must navigate a changed world and find his place after discovering a baby in a dumpster.
The story
Having spent the last 21 years in a Californian prison for possession of marijuana, a middle-aged man named Russell Earl Millings must find his way in a world that has changed completely since he was incarcerated in the 1990s. Upon his release, Russell finds employment in a burger restaurant. One night while locking up the restaurant, he finds an abandoned baby in the dumpster. A note in the bag reveals the baby's name is Ella. Russell attempts to care for Ella himself and bonds with her, while trying to navigate his new life in a world that has moved on without him.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After 21 years in a Californian prison, Russell Earl Millings is released into a world that has changed significantly since the 1990s. While working at a burger restaurant, he finds an abandoned baby named Ella in a dumpster and begins to care for her. After the baby is injured and taken by authorities, Russell travels to Casper, Wyoming, to visit his late father's grave and access a safe deposit box containing a letter of love and a valuable stamp collection. He also secures a storage unit containing his father's belongings. Eventually, Russell visits Family & Child Services in Los Angeles to set up a trust for Ella's future. The film ends with Russell leaving Los Angeles on a bus, smiling at the possibilities ahead.
- First release year
- 2019
- Runtime (minutes)
- 81
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Logan Marshall-Green
- Writers
- Logan Marshall-Green · writer
- Cast and characters
- Ethan Hawke · Russell Millings; Elaine Hendrix · Diane Spring; Diane Gaeta · Becca; Betty Gabriel · Deeks; Mo McRae · Wilson; Chris Sullivan · Orankle; Nate Mooney · Homeless Man; Christopher Heyerdahl · Jim; Anne-Marie Johnson · Tracy Westmore; Milauna Jackson · Detective Minardi; Loni Love · Cher
- Genres
- drama
- Themes
- rehabilitation; fatherhood; legacy
- Tone and mood
- dramatic
- Setting
- California, Casper, Wyoming, and Los Angeles, USA, spanning the late 1990s to 2019.
- Premise and plot tags
- post-incarceration; foundling; road movie
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics praising Ethan Hawke's performance. It received mixed or average reviews on Metacritic.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 53 · scale: 100 · review count: 11
- Production trivia
- It is Logan Marshall-Green's directorial debut.; It was produced by Jason Blum through his Blumhouse Productions banner.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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