James Bowie As soon as that 'Desperate Housewives' plinky plonk type music started playing over the dialog early in the proceedings I should have pressed the eject button.But no, I thought what the heck, let me see how bad this thing can get. So, I sat through it, often on fast forward to escape the sheer dreariness of it. The dialog is simply awful. The story totally unbelievable, and the acting pedestrian at best.I don't know if KFC put money into this thing, but if they didn't they sure got a ton of free product placement.I found the "making of ..." documentary in the extras way more interesting than the film.Easily one of the worst films I have ever forced myself to watch.

JohnLeeT Very enjoyable film with an engaging script, fine direction, and superb performances from Walken and Caine. Overall, the film is entirely entertaining and quite moving at times. The photography and location filming are also a highlight. However, watching Walken and Caine in a film together is a delight and the story is both cockeyed and uplifting. If you admire the work of these two great actors, you won't want to miss them here even if you find the movie less than the funny, moving, and engaging film I found it to be. It certainly deserved a wider audience and more attention than it received. The director displays some real talent and the screenwriter delivers a uniquely well- done script with excellent dialog.

eric262003 Death is knocking on the door of archaeologist Dr. Henry Lair (Michael Caine). His last wish is to gather his disgraced son Turner (Christopher Walken) and his level-headed grandson Jason (Josh Lucas)to go on a road trip. Wheh they show up at his doorstep, Henry Lair feels like his last wish is starting to materialize before his eyes. But suddenly he dies and has left his legacy his will which is a variety of clues and directions hidden in a Kentucky Fried Chicken bag. The centerpiece of the film is centered around the topic of death and how it effects those around the survivors of those loved ones, but we feel that this death is rather assumed rather then actually getting the feeling of the character being dead. The first 20 minutes into the film, the connections between Henry and his family seems to be at times very disjointed.From a documentary focusing on the making of "Around the Bend", writer/director Jordan Roberts wrote the script for 10 long years which included a more in depth back-story involving Henry. Roberts goes all out to concentrate on the emotional impact on losing a person who was loved dearly and was taken into clinical masses. The deleted scenes that centres around the dying Henry has a more contrary perspective of the movie. Shamefully, Roberts edited out those scenes feeling they were incoherent to the plot. The film is only a measly 83 minutes long therefore, Mr. Roberts' theory to me seems rather unjustified.The good qualities about "Around The Bend" is that it thankfully refrains from being gratuitously sentimental and doesn't have any kind of teary outbursts. However it succeeds in making it more subtle in this difficult stage in life. Henry's will instructs Turner, Jason and son Zach (Lucas Bobo) to drive to New Mexico where they must scatter his ashes through many parts of this state. They must also stop at every KFC and have a meal before they continue. Henry's rigor mortis sets the tone towards the heavy burdens that has manifested towards the Lair clan, but the internal turmoil takes its toll on them. Turner and Jason milk upon Turner's mysterious abandonment and during the trip they continually argue over various issues that has been affecting their relationship. But Henry's will sends Turner and Jason to well known landmarks that bridge the gaps between them that has kept them apart.In the early parts of the film, Henry liked to refer to his clan as his tribe. All he ever wanted was to have cohesiveness and unity towards his family and to be at peace with one another. That's all fine fine and dandy, but it happened all too soon and abrupt making the movie too short and too rushed. There was a side-story that had an affect on Turner and he and Jason have a final battle of words at the last destination. The predictable conclusion deprives this nuanced tone. Death tries to removes the wedges from this estranged family and while the story is finger looking good, the conclusion is the one that flips the bird on us.

Welshfilmfan Though the schmaltz gets piled on like only Hollywood can *SIGH* I've never actually heard of this film before, having now looked at IMDb I now realize it was only given a very limited release by Warner's now defunct Independent arm and wasn't successful in that.It's not bad...but without Caine's & Walken's inclusion this would have been a TV Movie. Michael Caine (Sporting an odd accent has been made up to be an elderly man as he plays Christopher Walken's Father despite in real life only being 10 years his senior) plays Henry Lair, Walken plays his son Turner, Josh Lucas plays Turner's son Jason & Jonah Bobo plays Jason's son Zack....OK GOT THAT? GOOD.Turner (Walken) walked out on his family 30 years ago, and returns because his Father Henry (Caine) is gravely Ill....and dies in a KFC Restaurant (KFC must have paid a few bob to have such a huge advert) but not before leaving various notes to his Son,Grandson, & Great-grandson on what he wants doing with his ashes, so they embark on a road trip while at first failing to get along, end up of course making up and becoming a happy family in the process....But Turner hides a secretYes, at times this is rather too sickly & Schmaltzy but First time writer/Director does a good job with a surprisingly good script..but really this is just a superior Lifetime or Hallmark TV Movie with proper actors, and didn't stand a chance at the BOX-Office,Do I recommend it...Well yes I do, if only for the performances and pretty locations***1/2 out of *****