Jam Movie Review

I have to give director Craig Serling some credit. Setting Jam where it is -- on a narrow road blocked by a car wreck and a downed power line -- takes balls. Ensemble dramas like this are legion, but suggesting that people will just hang out for 90 minutes (our time, anyway) and re-evaluate their lives while they wait for the cops to clear the way is either genius or insane.

As with many ensemble flicks, Jam has some good stories and some bad, some good actors and some poor ones. There's a couple dealing with overwork and considering whether to have a baby, a woman on the way to her wedding, and a lesbian couple, one of whom is nine months pregnant. One vehicle is stolen, and at least one angst-ridden teen can be found in the mix. In fact, everyone is pretty angry... though no one seems to overly mind being stuck on the road for hours on end.

The concept is cute but ultimately a little undercooked. Maybe catch it on late-night cable, where it's bound to become a regular.