Rating: TV-MA
Director: Clark Johnson
Alfre Woodard in anything new is a cause for celebration, and here she breathes life and some fire into Juanita, a single mom of three adult children living in Columbus, Ohio who is about to lose her mind. Whether watching her grand-baby or dealing with her job at a local hospital or trying to help fix every screw up her kids pull, Juanita is close to the breaking point; even her ongoing sexual fantasies featuring hunky Blair Underwood (who plays - and pokes fun at - himself here) aren't going well, and Juanita decides she's had it; she needs to get away, no matter how and no matter where. The solution? Pack a bag, kiss your family goodbye, and board a Greyhound for the first town you find on the map that sounds interesting - in Juanita's case Butte, Montana. She arrives there in the middle of the night, and after getting a ride from an upbeat lady trucker named Peaches (a wonderful Ashlie Atkinson), Juanita lands just after daybreak outside a small French diner in the town of Paper Moon. Frustrated at being unable to get simple eggs and toast at the restaurant (which only has a French breakfast menu), Juanita butts heads with owner/chef Jess (Adam Beach - like Woodard, another actor who brightens up anything he's in) and ends up cooking her own home-grown breakfast. Soon Juanita is cooking full-time at the cafe, bringing in a ton of business, and the woman who wanted a no-strings adventure and never to be tied down again finds herself attracted to not only the small town and its residents, but also the attractive chef who now employs her. Backstory on Jess and a peek at local Native American traditions depicted in the film make Juanita a unique, wonderful experience; certainly these scenes are the most interesting in the film, as otherwise Juanita - with all its good intentions and able execution - simply doesn't have the emotional impact it's going for. Nicely-told, well-acted and with pleasant touches of comedy, the film just never quite reaches out to touch the heart and make you care deeply about the characters. You root for Juanita, but deep-down know that soon as the end credits roll the film itself is largely forgettable. 6/10 stars
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