Life on the Line Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		2.0

Life on the Line Blu-ray Movie Review

He is a lineman for the county.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman February 8, 2017

One of the oddest major hits from the always fascinating pen of Jimmy Webb was Glen Campbell’s 1968 smash “Wichita Lineman”, a song which recounted an almost hallucinogenic tale told by one of those guys who hoists himself up a power pole to work on the electric lines that keep our country lit and otherwise powered. Webb’s ode to a working class hero had the benefit of a gorgeous melody and a stellar singer, two things that might have helped Life on the Line, an obviously well intentioned effort that does indeed attempt to shine a light on (sorry) undervalued workers who make our lives so much easier every day but who rarely get their due. What might have been a commendable if kind of preachy homage to the working stiffs of America instead wants to ply first more traditional soap operatic material and then ultimately some disaster movie territory oddly mixed with what might almost be thought of as a horror element, several things that clash at times with a more naturalistic depiction of guys going about their daily grind to make others’ lives better.

It’s probably indicative of some turmoil in either the production or post production of Life on the Line that the film itself mentions a 2013 genesis (in some actually moving post-film text that details the many lives that have been lost in the lineman community), and that it bears a 2014 copyright, while the IMDb lists a late 2015 premiere at the Napa Valley Film Festival, with most of the rest of the screenings and overseas Blu-ray releases taking place in 2016, and now this domestic Blu-ray release coming in 2017. Obviously, someone somewhere along the line recognized there were problems with this film, something that may have kept it on the shelf for some time.

Life on the Line begins with a needless framing device of a lineman named Duncan (Devon Sawa) being interviewed by an unseen questioner for what appears to be a documentary or news feature, with the leading question of what really happened at a substation obviously hinting at some calamity. The film then details a number of events, many of which Duncan could never have been privy to, in just one example of a kind of illogic that spills into this enterprise.

Beau Ginner (John Travolta) is a foreman of a lineman crew and not one to suffer fools gladly, but only because he’s so concerned about the safety of his charges (sorry, pun unavoidable). In interlinking plot points that are both predictable and silly, past errors on Beau’s part led to some shocking (sorry, just can’t help it) deaths, and he is now supervising his niece Bailey (Kate Bosworth). Bailey’s boyfriend also quite predictably turns out to be Duncan, a guy Beau doesn’t want on his crew. It’s all by the numbers stuff, albeit with a couple of really odd tangents thrown in (especially in the third act). Sharon Stone has a glorified cameo as Duncan’s distraught and substance abusing mother.

Life on the Line Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Life on the Line is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. Perhaps because the film sat on the shelf for so long and didn't have a huge theatrical exhibition, technical data is sparse to nonexistent online. While detail levels are generally quite high in decent lighting, a lot of this film plays out either in dark, dimly lit or (toward the end of the film) relentlessly stormy environments where both shadow definition and some fine detail can occasionally be lacking. Occasional anemic contrast also creates a few transitory problems in some interior scenes especially. Director David Hackl favors close-ups quite a bit of the time, something that helps to elevate fine detail levels.

Life on the Line Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Life on the Line's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix derives some good energy from its country inflected score as well as a lot of the outdoor scenes, where ambient environmental sounds are nicely scattered through the surround channels. The climactic storm, something the film itself relentlessly teases with a number of subtitles announcing how many days away it is, provides sufficient bombast as well. Dialogue comes through just fine, and in fact much of this film is built out of smaller scale dialogue scenes.

Life on the Line Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Behind the Scenes (1080p; 16:49) is standard EPK fare, with interviews and snippets from the film.


• "Life on the Line" Music Video by Fiona Culley Featuring Darius Rucker (1080p; 3:55)


• Life on the Line Trailer (1080p; 1:51)

Life on the Line Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

As churlish as it may sound, the best part of this film is the credits sequence, which offers shots of many linemen who have died in their line of work, along with a bunch of explanatory text about a group set up to aid their families. If only Life on the Line had told that story instead of going off in a number off different, and at times patently odd, directions. Fans of the cast may find this bearable, but even they will probably recognize this film's almost weird lack of energy.