Parents' Guide to

Changing Lanes

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Emotionally violent thriller for mature teens.

Movie R 2002 99 minutes
Changing Lanes Poster Image

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What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 13+

Based on 1 parent review

What's the Story?

Gavin Banek (Ben Affleck) is a successful Manhattan attorney involved in a bitter contest over the control of a charitable foundation. On his way to court, he literally runs into Doyle Gipson (Samuel L. Jackson), who is on his way to court to fight his ex-wife from moving away with their children. Gavin, in a hurry, tries to pay the damages up front with a blank check. Doyle, wanting to straighten out his life, wants to swap insurance numbers. Haste and anxiety boil over into anger, and the confrontation leaves Doyle stranded without a ride. Gavin reaches court in time but without a crucial document, left at the scene of the accident with Doyle. Events quickly escalate out of control. Without the document, Gavin and his legal partners (one his father-in-law), are vulnerable to charges of fraud; Doyle, because of the accident, arrives late to family court and loses visitation rights with his children. The men confront each other again, but Doyle is too angry about losing his case to give Gavin the file. Gavin lies to the partners about the file to buy time. Each blames the other for his troubles and wants revenge. What follows is a battle of wits, with each character striking at the other with all of his available resources, culminating in a second highway crash.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (1 ):

This is an excellent but harsh thriller about two men whose moral bearings are dislodged by a cataclysmic accident. Most thrillers have audiences asking themselves what the characters will do next; CHANGING LANES will have them asking themselves what they might do in this situation, because it is a movie about how close all of us are to abandoning the thin veneer of civilization and breaking all the rules to lash out at each other. Both Gavin and Doyle are appealing, seemingly decent characters. But Gavin lacks the maturity to take full responsibility for his actions, while Doyle's rage -- an even more profound addition than his alcoholism -- overwhelms his good sense.

They both hover at the point of forgiveness, but neither is willing to let go of their self-righteous indignation and make mature choices. The characters along the way each present them with choices, each representing a world view that Gavin and Doyle must adopt or reject. Sidney Pollack (best known as a director) is outstanding as Gavin's corrupt boss and there are other strong supporting performances by Toni Collette, William Hurt, and Amanda Peet.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the characters' conflicting impulses to forgive and to get revenge. What finally convinces Doyle to give the file back? What did his friend mean when he told Doyle "Alcohol was never really your drug of choice?" Why was Gavin unwilling to go to Texas to do his pro-bono work, and what do you make of his final speech to his father-in law? In a way, this is a movie about the way people do and don't listen to each other and how that makes us feel. Where do we see that theme most clearly? Why was Gavin able to ignore the reality of his situation? Was the end of the film realistic? Parents will want to discuss safe driving habits with their teens after seeing this film as well.

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