Crossroads: A Story of Forgiveness

There’s little doubt that Crossroads: A Story of Forgiveness initially fares pretty well, particularly given its movie-of-the-week, Hallmark Hall of Fame pedigree – though there’s no denying that the film eventually becomes as overwrought and melodramatic as one might’ve expected. Dean Cain stars as a successful businessman whose wife and daughter are killed in a car crash, and – following the revelation that a street-racing teen was responsible – he hires a tenacious attorney (played by Peri Gilpin) to ensure that justice is served. Screenwriters Peter Hunziker, Cynthia Riddle, and Oliver Goldstick have infused the proceedings with a vibe of predictability that becomes more and more pronounced as the story progresses, and there are subsequently few surprises to be had in terms of the various character arcs (ie it’s not terribly difficult to predict that Cain and his sullen teen will reconcile by the time the credits roll). And although Cain and Gilpin are quite good in their respective roles, young Joaquin Phoenix look-alike Shiloh Fernandez – cast as the aforementioned street-racing teen – offers up a remarkably strong and flat-out powerful performance that’s ultimately much more effective than the film actually deserves. The impact of the tear-jerking finale is dulled by the film’s undeniably superficial nature, and – despite the fact that the entire production is dripping with good intentions – there’s just no overlooking the relentlessly cliched atmosphere and subpar supporting performances (in terms of the latter, this is particularly true of one of the actors playing Cain’s character’s son).

** out of ****