The Roads Not Taken Synopsis & Review: Plot Summary

🎯 Quick Overview

😅 Plot Summary – Badly Explained

A daughter tries to get her dad to the dentist, but his brain keeps ditching reality to re-live awkward moments and alternate lives, making it the most stressful errand day ever.

🍿 The Roads Not Taken: Detailed Plot Synopsis

A Day in New York

The film primarily follows a single day in the life of Leo, a Mexican immigrant living in New York City who is suffering from a severe form of dementia. His devoted daughter, Molly, spends the day navigating the city with him, attempting to take him to necessary medical appointments, including a dentist and an optometrist. The simple tasks of the day become immense challenges due to Leo’s confused and unpredictable state. Molly struggles to care for him while also trying to manage her own life and career responsibilities, highlighting the significant burden placed on caregivers.

Journey Through Alternate Realities

As Leo moves through the day, his mind drifts into vivid, often disoriented, visions of alternate lives he might have lived. These sequences intercut with the reality of his day with Molly, showing starkly different scenarios. One prominent alternate reality depicts a passionate but tumultuous life in Mexico with his first love, Dolores, hinting at a lost child and trauma. Another vision places him on a Greek island, living a solitary life focused on his writing, seemingly having abandoned his family in New York. These ‘roads not taken’ clash with his present reality.

The Weight on Molly’s Shoulders

Molly’s journey is one of immense patience, frustration, and love. She faces public misunderstanding, challenging medical appointments, and the constant emotional pain of seeing her father lost within his own mind. Her own aspirations and professional life are shown to be suffering due to her dedication to caring for Leo. The film portrays the isolating experience of caring for a loved one with dementia, and Molly’s struggle to find balance and maintain her own identity.

⚠️ Spoilers and Ending Explained

🎬 Cast & Characters

• Leo (Javier Bardem): An elderly man suffering from dementia who experiences fragmented visions of alternate lives he might have lived.
• Molly (Elle Fanning): Leo’s devoted daughter who struggles to care for him in the present day while he is lost in his mind.
• Dolores (Salma Hayek): Leo’s passionate first love who appears in his turbulent memories and imagined alternate life in Mexico.
• Rita (Laura Linney): Leo’s pragmatic ex-wife and Molly’s mother who offers support during the challenges of Leo’s condition.

💬 Memorable Quotes

• Molly: “We visited the dentist, the stupid optometrist, with a minor detour to emergency when you hit your head.” – Molly recounts the chaotic events of the day to another character, highlighting the exhausting reality of caring for her father.
• Leo: “Wherever I go, I am there.” – Leo utters this seemingly simple but profound line to Molly, potentially reflecting his internal state or fragmented consciousness amidst his condition.
• Leo: “After being gone for so long, is it possible to salvage the relationship, is it too late?” – In one of his alternate reality segments (Greece), Leo asks this question to a young woman, reflecting his internal conflict about past choices and lost connections, particularly with his family.
• Leo: “Molly.” – In a rare moment of clarity and recognition, Leo softly speaks his daughter’s name at the end of the day, bringing a moment of emotional connection for Molly.

💰Box Office

• Budget: $8,000,000
• Domestic Gross: $3,518
• Worldwide Gross: $105,439

💥 The Roads Not Taken Reviews

Personal Review

Wow, this one was tough but also surprisingly moving. I went in not knowing much, and yeah, the jumping around between New York City and these other places – Mexico, Greece – was confusing at first. I wasn’t sure if they were memories, dreams, or what. But Javier Bardem’s performance is just… incredible. He portrays Leo’s confusion and fleeting moments of clarity so realistically; it honestly reminded me of experiences with loved ones. Elle Fanning as Molly is the heart of the film; her quiet frustration and deep love for her dad felt so authentic. There’s a scene where she’s trying to get him dressed, and it just hit me hard – that struggle is real. The film doesn’t give easy answers, and it’s definitely slow-paced, but it left me thinking about life choices and how dementia affects not just the person, but everyone around them. It’s not a feel-good movie, but it’s a powerful look at a difficult reality, anchored by two amazing performances.

• Who would enjoy:
  • “Fans of character-driven dramas”
  • “Viewers interested in explorations of memory and consciousness”
  • “Those seeking films about mental health and caregiving”
  • “Audiences who appreciate strong acting performances”
• Content warnings ⚠:
  • “Depicts effects of dementia and cognitive decline”
  • “Emotional distress and challenging family dynamics”
  • “Slow pacing”
  • “Scenes that may be disorienting due to narrative structure”

Professional Reviews

• Review Aggregator Summary: “Sally Potter’s exploration of a man’s fractured mind is ambitious but often loses its audience. While Javier Bardem delivers a powerful, nuanced performance depicting the struggles of dementia, matched by Elle Fanning’s devoted portrayal of his daughter, the film’s non-linear structure jumping between perceived realities can feel disjointed and difficult to track. It’s emotionally resonant in moments, particularly in the father-daughter dynamic, but the overall narrative cohesion suffers.
• Independent Reviewer: “Though Bardem and Fanning shine, carrying the emotional weight, ‘The Roads Not Taken’ is a challenging watch. The ‘what if’ scenarios are intriguing but interrupt the central, powerful story of a daughter caring for her father. Salma Hayek and Laura Linney are underutilized. Beautifully shot, the film struggles to balance its artistic vision with a clear, engaging narrative, leaving viewers admiring the craft but sometimes lost.

Audience Reactions

Javier Bardem and Elle Fanning’s performances were universally praised.: Many viewers were deeply affected by the realistic portrayal of dementia and the father-daughter relationship.

The film’s structure and the alternate reality scenes were often found confusing.: Despite confusion, the emotional core resonated with those who have personal experience with similar situations.

Overall Consensus: A divisive drama praised for powerful acting and its sensitive portrayal of dementia, but criticized for a confusing, disjointed narrative structure.

Awards

🛠️ Behind the Scenes

• “Original scenes featuring Javier Bardem and Chris Rock as lovers in a separate storyline set in New York were filmed but ultimately cut from the movie because director Sally Potter felt they didn’t fit with the rest of the film during editing.”
• “The film is deeply personal for writer/director Sally Potter, as it was inspired by her experience caring for her brother, Nic Potter, who suffered from early-onset frontotemporal dementia.”

🖥️ How to Watch The Roads Not Taken?

Sally Potter’s ‘The Roads Not Taken’ (2020) is available to watch through various digital platforms. You can typically rent or buy the film on services like Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube Movies, and Vudu. Check these platforms for current pricing and availability in your region.

🎥 Similar Movies

If you enjoyed The Roads Not Taken, you might like these similar films:

• The Father (2020): Offers an immersive and often disorienting portrayal of dementia from the perspective of the person suffering, similar to Leo’s internal journey.
• Mr. Nobody (2009): Explores the concept of alternate life paths resulting from different choices, mirroring Leo’s hallucinatory experiences of the ‘roads not taken’.
• Amour (2012): A stark and emotionally raw portrayal of late-life illness, decline, and the immense challenges faced by both the person suffering and their caregiver.
• Minari (2020): A character-driven family drama released the same year, focusing on relational struggles, hope, and resilience amidst challenging circumstances, albeit with a different plot focus.

🛒 The Roads Not Taken Related Products

• The Road Not Taken and Other Poems: A collection featuring Robert Frost’s iconic poem that shares the film’s title, exploring themes of choice and paths taken.
• Still Alice: A critically acclaimed film also dealing with the effects of cognitive decline and its impact on family, starring Julianne Moore in an Oscar-winning role.
• Javier Bardem & Elle Fanning Film Collection: A curated set featuring notable films starring Javier Bardem and Elle Fanning, showcasing their range beyond this dramatic role.
• Coping with Dementia: A Guide for Caregivers: A practical guide offering support, information, and strategies for individuals caring for someone with dementia, mirroring Molly’s journey in the film.

🎧 Soundtrack

The Roads Not Taken features a captivating soundtrack that enhances the movie’s atmosphere and emotional impact. Here are some notable tracks:

• “The Roads Not Taken Main Theme” – performed by Sally Potter
• “Leo’s Travels (Ringing Phone Motif)” – performed by Sally Potter
• “Molly’s Strength” – performed by Sally Potter

You can find the complete soundtrack on Amazon Music and Apple Music.

🤨 FAQ

🔥 Bonus Content

Beware of FAKE people ⚠️ #shorts #art #viral

Ever think about who’s real and who’s putting on a show? This cool short piece of art touches on ‘fake people’ – kinda makes you think about the masks we wear, right?

If by Rudyard Kipling – Read by Sir Michael Caine

Listen to the legendary Sir Michael Caine, who you know from the movie, read the powerful poem ‘If’. It’s a really moving piece about keeping your head – interesting to hear in his voice, isn’t it?

How much does a PSYCHOLOGIST earn?

Curious about the world of psychology, especially after seeing Arthur’s sessions? This quick video looks into how much a psychologist might earn – makes you think about the system he was dealing with, doesn’t it?

✨ Rate