Main Cast: Bill Paxton, Mark Wahlberg, Julianna Margulies, James Gammon, Luke Askew
Release Year: 1996
Country: US
Run Time: 101 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Actor Bill Paxton produced this unusual film about a clan of Irish-American con artists practicing in the American South. They live in a secluded compound and have their own time-honored customs. Pat (Mark Wahlberg) is returning to the hideout for the funeral of his father, who irked the clan by marrying an outsider. Because his mother is not Irish, the compound's boss, Jack Costello (Luke Askew), tells him that he's no longer welcome there. But Bokky, played by Paxton, takes the younger man under his wing and teaches him the clan's trade. Bokky specializes in cheating homeowners by charging them to apply driveway or roof sealant, then leaving before they discover that it's only black oil. He also buys and resells shoddy mobile homes. Pat soon proves more nervy and creative than his boss. They try to scam a bartender, Jean (Julianna Margulies), but Bokky falls in love with her. Jean needs cash to pay for an operation for her hearing-impaired daughter, so Bokky finally agrees to work for a cowboy con artist named Double D (James Gammon), who has been trying to recruit him for a big job in Nashville. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
Review
This proud pet project for Bill Paxton is a strikingly independent and anti-commercial diversion from his usual fare. However, it is also such a quiet and unassuming story that suspense is virtually lost in the quest for realism. Traveller takes an inherently fascinating topic -- the wily day-to-day operations of a clan of fiercely isolated con artists -- and places it in a more earthy, blue-collar context than Stephen Frears did in his tense melodrama The Grifters (1990). The outcome is a reasonably involving slice-of-life movie with some cleverly executed double crosses, but also a film that feels flat by the ending -- resolved, but with little catharsis or ultimate meaning. Understandably, Jack N. Green's film (which he also photographed) is at its most assured when revealing the charms and tricks involved in hoodwinking ordinary folks. Traveller gives a clear impression that once the groundwork is laid, which takes some confidence and finesse, it can be as simple as shooting fish in a barrel. The film falters by offering little insight on what drives these people, beyond financial gain -- particularly, the empty young wannabe played by Mark Wahlberg. Still, it's an interesting enough snapshot of a secret existence unfamiliar to viewers, so it qualifies as a modest success that's intentionally smaller-than-life. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide
Nikki DeLoach - Kate; Jean Howard; Michael Shaner - Lip; Danielle Wiener - Shane; Robert Peters - Farmer's Son
Credit
Joseph Middleton - Casting, Douglas Hall - Costume Designer, Jim Hensz - First Assistant Director, Jack N. Green - Director, Michael Ruscio - Editor, Rick King - Executive Producer, Robert Mickelson - Executive Producer, Lennie Niehaus - Composer (Music Score), Andy Paley - Songwriter, Michael Helmy - Production Designer, Jack N. Green - Cinematographer, Bill Paxton - Producer, David Blocker - Producer, Mickey Liddell - Producer, Brian Swardstrom - Producer, Steve Davis - Set Designer, Carl Rudisill - Sound/Sound Designer, Jim McGlynn - Screenwriter
