Reservation Road

Reservation Road is a 2007 American crime drama film directed by Terry George and based on the book of the same title by John Burnham Schwartz, who, along with George, adapted the novel for the screenplay. The film, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Ruffalo, deals with the aftermath of a fatal car crash. It was released to theaters on October 19, 2007. Plot Dwight Arno is an attorney who is going through a divorce from his wife Ruth. As part of the divorce agreement, Ruth has custody of their son Lucas while Dwight has visitation rights. On a recent afternoon, Dwight took Lucas to a baseball game. When Dwight and Lucas were leaving the game, Ruth called Dwight to remind him that he was running late in returning Lucas home. Dwight, worried that he might lose his visitation rights if he were late, drove Lucas home in a rush. In his haste, Dwight lost control of his vehicle and struck a young boy, Josh Learner, who was standing by the roadside. Dwight was horrified by the accident, but was thankful to learn that Josh had only suffered minor injuries. Dwight, in a moment of honor, was aware that he had just struck the young boy, Josh. The boy Lucas had only suffered a minor injury, so Dwight, panicked, told him they had collided with a tree log. Little did Dwight know, however, that Josh had not survived the collision. When Dwight heard the news on a newscast, he was overwhelmed with guilt and fear. He frantically attempted to cover up any evidence that could implicate him in the hit-and-run. Meanwhile, Josh's mother, Grace, slowly began to pick up the pieces and moved on with her life, but her husband Ethan was determined to find the perpetrator and bring them to justice. As the police were making little progress, Ethan eventually chose to hire a lawyer, and to his surprise, it was Dwight. Dwight is consumed with guilt and the burden of his actions weighs heavily on his conscience. He finds himself contemplating turning himself in to the police, but in the end, his cowardice gets the better of him and he is unable to go through with it. When he goes to the police station, the investigating officer mistakes him for Ethan's lawyer and tells him that the case is going nowhere. Dwight leaves the station without confessing. When he picks up his daughter Emma from her piano lessons with Ruth, Dwight is forced to face his guilt and the reality of his situation.