The Doo Dah Man

I'm drawn to a) road movies b) true stories and c) easy viewing humours films. The Doo Dah Man ticked all of the above.

The story is gently told, not digging too deeply into the probable gritty details for Jake's journey. The connection between Smitty and Jake unfolds nicely.

Glenn Morshower, as Smitty, is great as the lovable rouge grifter that schools the rather naive hitch-hiker Is worth the watch alone. Although conning nuns had me conflicted.

The music is great.

Glad it is on Amazon Prime now, as my first viewing experience was poor quality. Looking forward to watching it through again.

Such a lovely movie and the fact that it's based on a true story heightens the appeal. Well written, produced and directed. The movie is engaging and I felt drawn to both Smitty and Jake's stories.

The Doo Dah Man unfolds gently and with humour. It looks good and the acting is persuasive. You care about both the main characters, and the relationship which develops between them. For much of its course this entertaining film portrays a generally benign world of enjoyable roguishness and likeable people. Yet the main characters are driven by an unresolved sadness, and the film touches lightly but resonantly on some deep themes, particularly the consequences of a broken relationship between father and son.

Another fine film in the tradition of European directors taking to the open US road. Also great to see the underrated Glenn Morshower - one of the finer character actors at work today - in a meatier role. Director Claude Green handles the story well and aces the atmosphere, capturing the spirit of a young man who yearns for adventure but soon realises the one thing he can't escape is himself.

Thoughtful story, told in understated fashion, with strong performances from two very likeable lead characters. Gently satisfying.