Tennessee (film)

Plot

Two brothers, Ellis (Ethan Peck) and Carter (Adam Rothenberg), embark on a journey from New Mexico to find their estranged father in the hopes of saving Ellis, who has been diagnosed with terminal leukemia. Along the way while in Texas, they meet Krystal (Mariah Carey), an aspiring singer, who flees from her abusive husband, Frank (Lance Reddick), to join them on their journey.

Cast

Music

Mariah Carey co-wrote "Right to Dream" with Willie Nelson and performed it with Nelson's harmonica player, Mickey Raphael, for the movie's soundtrack. "It's not really country," says Nelson, "It's more Mariah."

In May 2010, Carey's cover of Kris Kristofferson's "Help Me Make It Through the Night," was leaked online. It was originally supposed to appear on the Tennessee soundtrack.

Release and reception

The premiere of Tennessee took place at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 26, 2008. Tennessee was released to 15 theaters on June 5, 2009.

Box office

Playing in limited release, Tennessee has grossed $9,438 from 15 theaters for a per-screen average of $629 in its opening weekend. As of June 24, it grossed a total of $16,100.

Critical

Critical response was generally mixed, with Metacritic calculating an average rating of 42% based on 8 reviews. Based on 21 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, it had an average rating of 33% with an average score of 4.5/10. The Hollywood Reporter said that the pacing is off and that the movie meanders until it reaches its unexpectedly powerful conclusion. Most of the critics praised Mariah Carey's performance, describing it as "emotional" and "effective". The music behind the film, especially the Mariah Carey written song "Right To Dream" received acclaim as well, and was even considered by notable critics as a contender for an Academy Award.

DVD

The DVD, initially scheduled for release on September 1, 2009, has been pushed back to January 26, 2010 according to the film's official promotional site.