Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

Crossing the Bridge Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf February 8, 2018

1992’s “Crossing the Bridge” is a personal film for writer/director Mike Binder, collecting tales from his youth in Michigan to make a coming-of-age movie about the painful years that arrive post-high school, where the world opens up to some and swallows the rest. It’s a nostalgia piece, but the helmer adds a suspense element to the screenplay to keep it focused, finding tension between moments of reflection. Binder’s fingerprints are evident throughout the feature (he even narrates), and that special touch keeps “Crossing the Bridge” together when editorial slackness rises to ruin the effort, which suffers from a nasty case of repetition. It’s not an especially warm endeavor, but Binder has an eye for emotional and period details, capturing uncertainty with care.

The year is 1975, and Mort (Josh Charles), Tim (Jason Gedrick), and Danny (Stephen Baldwin) are buddies struggling to make sense of the world after high school, bombing around Michigan in a beat-up Buick they nickname “The War Wagon.” Tim has anger issues, Danny is a faded football star, and Mort wants to be a writer, leaving them caught in adolescence while their fellow students go off to make something of themselves. Trapped in routine and tamed by fear, the trio learns about a moneymaking opportunity during their regular visits to Canada to visit strip clubs. Confronted with the chance to collect cash for moving drugs into America via the Ambassador Bridge, the pals consider the possibilities. Reflecting on their own shortcomings and the dismal path their future promises, Mort, Tim, and Danny begin to recognize the liberation such cash could buy them, setting out to right a few wrongs as they face an important decision.

Binder returns to an earlier era for “Crossing the Bridge,” but definitely not a simpler time, detailing the growing pains of Mort, Tim, and Danny, who are just beginning to understand how everyone else has lapped them already, professionally and psychologically. They’re a raw bunch, with Tim making beer money while street fighting, dealing poorly with his history of abuse; Danny was once a golden god in town, but now the community has moved on, leaving him with an alcoholic father; and Mort works on a way out, only he doesn’t have the drive to make the big move, terrified of taking a shot on college. Binder serves up formula with troubled young men chewing on their own slices of doubt, but he concentrates on personalities and the universal pain of maturity, allowing the viewer to understand why these characters aren’t inspired to alter their destiny, allowing their hesitance to evolve into resentment.

Not everything comes through sharply in “Crossing the Bridge,” which has difficult maintaining pace, finding Binder unwilling to exit scenes that are clearly over. The effort has a few dead spots along the way, and there’s a major miscalculation with the character of Carol (Cheryl Pollak), Mort’s old high school summer fling who’s returned to town, reigniting dormant feelings within the young man. Carol is positioned as inspiration for Mort to shed bad habits and confront his complacency, making moves on the receptive woman, despite the presence of her boyfriend. The idea is passable, and it gives Mort something to do in the screenplay, which isn’t always alert when it comes to the character’s internal ache. However, Binder orders up two resolutions for the subplot, and only one works, adding superfluous action to writing that’s best at its leanest, with the production aiming to send Mort off with wish fulfillment instead of the previously established reality. Binder clearly wants the best for his creations, but he can get a little grabby at times, with “Crossing the Bridge” periodically taking on the low impulse control of an After School Special.

Crossing the Bridge Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is not representative of a fresh scan, but as something older, it's not completely without appeal. "Crossing the Bridge" is a softly-shot feature to begin with, hoping to achieve a nostalgic haze, but some degree of detail is available, picking up on neighborhood decoration and signage, and performances remain open for study, along with make-up achievements. Colors are satisfactory, leading with warmer blues and browns for the 1970s feel, and skintones are natural. Delineation has a few inky stretches, but handles the movie's considerable evening activity agreeably. Source is in decent shape, without any significant areas of damage.

Crossing the Bridge Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix supports the feature's classic rock mood with strong, clear soundtrack selections, which provide a slightly heavier, comfortably wider presence with crisp instrumentation. Scoring sets a guitar atmosphere, permitting softness to support dramatic incidents. Dialogue exchanges are clean and expressive, managing wily banter and quieter confessions. Atmospherics secure bridge traffic and outdoor activity.

Crossing the Bridge Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interview (20:57, HD) with Mike Binder explores his early obsession with comedy, learning from the likes of Woody Allen, inspiring him to become a stand-up comedian and move from Michigan to Los Angeles. Trying his hand at screenwriting, Binder broke into Hollywood with his work on "Coupe de Ville," which eventually led to production on "Crossing the Bridge," an autobiographical tale that also represented his directorial debut. Binder details Jeffrey Katzenberg's enthusiasm for the movie, buying it from Sony, and his work on the soundtrack, securing tunes from Bob Seger and Jackson Browne, along with a score composed by Peter Himmelman (in his garage). For "Indian Summer," Binder discusses his history with Camp Tamakwa, where he palled around with Sam Raimi and was cared for by counselors such as Chevy Chase and Gilda Radner. Raimi's casting in the film was a personal touch, and the horror maestro kept himself busy dreaming up pratfalls. The director inspects the nostalgic aspects of the feature and his attempt to build a soundtrack appropriate for the era, only to be denied by Disney, who didn't want to spend any more money on the picture. Binder closes by sharing some screenwriting regrets, sharing with young talent the need to refine work before it's put in front of cameras.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:15, SD) is included.

Crossing the Bridge Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The drug run plays a critical part in "Crossing the Bridge" (David Schwimmer plays the stoner who informs the gang of the moneymaking opportunity), and Binder does a successful job getting to the pressure point of opportunity, with Mort, Tim, and Danny figuring out if they have the mettle to take The War Wagon over the bridge and bring home a small fortune. As with everything in the movie, the climax is too long, in need of more cutting and shaping, but the feelings it covers are fascinating, with the writing exploring friendship, the fatigue of recklessness, and risk. Binder delivers a satisfying resolution to the struggle, and he coats the rest of the picture in honeyed classic rock songs and period ornamentation, delivering a feel for post-teen life in Michigan (the feature was actually shot in Minneapolis). "Crossing the Bridge" retains tension, but it's also an effective time travel device, taking viewers back to the confusing and constricting moment where young lives, amped up on carefree behavior, are urged to take responsibility for their actions and begin to think clearly about their future.