ANALYSIS:
RESERVATION ROAD isn't black and white. It has gray areas as two fathers struggle after a hit and run accident one night. Ethan Learner (Joaquin Phoenix) loses his son Josh to a hit and run driver. The driver is Dwight Arno (Mark Ruffalo), a divorced dad. Dwight struggles with what he did. Should he keep quiet or turn himself in? Ethan wants revenge as he searches for answers that will lead him to Dwight. His wife (Jennifer Connelly) becomes withdrawn and doesn't fully understand the degree of Ethan's guilt and grief. In a ironic twist of fate, Dwight becomes the lawyer for Ethan and his ex-wife (Mira Sorvino) is Ethan's daughter music teacher.

RESERVATION ROAD is sad and very human. Grief and guilt weighs heavily in the minds of Ethan and Dwight. Neither are bad men. They live in denial over the accident. They struggle with what to do. Ethan becomes obsessed while Dwight fears he will lose his son (as he searches for the courage to do the right thing). It is a hard story with no easy answers. The emotion of the characters fuel the story and that what kept me watching. RESERVATION ROAD is the type of film that makes you think of what would you do if your were in the position of Ethan or Dwight. Joaquin Phoenix still proves he is s strong actor. He can skillfully play the various emotions of whatever character he plays. Keeping the story down-to-earth is also in the film's favor. It is a powerful film that haunts you the day after.

SPECIAL FEATURES:
7 deleted scenes show what was cut for pacing reasons even though it might have been interesting to leave the last two scenes in.

LOOKING BACK AT RESERVATION ROAD features the actors, the book's author and co-writer of the screenplay, and director Terry George (who revised author John Burnham Schwartz's screenplay) talking about the characters and story. It also looks at the gas station location chosen for the scene of the accident. Don't watch this until you have seen the film.

Rounding out the extras is a episode of FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS season 2.

FINAL ANALYSIS: RESERVATION ROAD is made strong by the character driven script and the performances by Phoenix and Ruffalo.