Coast to Coast (2003)

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"Every time we get together, we kick holes in each other's lives. Why do we do that?"

"Maybe it's the only pleasure we have left ."

Comedy writer Barnaby Pierce (Richard Dreyfuss) and his homemaker wife Maxine (Judy Davis) have a strained marriage. After raising three children and the death of a son, they really seem to have little in common any more.

They've put their home in Maine up for sale and set out in their old Thunderbird heading to California for their son Benjamin's (David Julian Hirsh) wedding. The car is to be a gift to him. But from Maine to California, they have many stops to make.

First it's to Maxine's sister's (Kate Lynch) and her husband (Richard Fitzpatrick) to drop of their dog. There they see the teenaged nephew (Owen Rotharmel) and get a glimpse at his mental illness. Then on to Maxine's college town where she is subcousiously looking for approval for her divorce from her beloved professor Casimir (Maximilian Schell) only to find that he's now divorced his formerly beloved wife and has been married to one of his young graduate students for three years.

From there they head to Chicago to see Barnaby's former writing partner Stanley (Paul Mazursky, who also directed the film) and his second wife. Barnaby talks with Stanley about Stanley's divorce and reasons for them and how is life is now with a younger trophy wife.

Their daughter Stacy (Selma Blair) awaits in Minneapolis where Stacy has strong suspicions about her parents' situation and also springs her own big news.

Onward to Denver to see Hal Kressler (Fred Ward), an old friend of Maxine's. In Beverly Hills, Berry (James Kee), a producer who stiffed Barnaby on a deal years ago.

Along the way, the couple considers why they married in the first place, what they meant to each other, and how they can move on in their lives.

An interesting study in relationships.

Rated R for language including sexual references, and for a scene of sexuality.

Run time: 1 hour, 47 minutes

My personal rating: B