A screenplay that feels written by numbers, but excellent performances make it deserve more attention than this late summer dump

The Open Road is no Grand Prix winner, but it's no six-car pileup either. It's a low-key road movie that doesn't stray far from the very, very beaten path.

Despite its dependable cast, this ponderous road movie remains stuck in the slow lane.

An earnestly acted film with a movie-of-the-week vibe, it's watchable but too slow-moving -- and far too predictable -- to be entirely engaging.