Based on a true story about a bus driver and a teacher who saved 22 students from horrendous wildfires, The Lost Bus builds a lot of tension, but runs way too long.
I love a good survival story. I enjoy the real ones, like The Lost Children, and the fictional ones, like The Long Walk. The twists and turns of what people have to go through is fascinating and, at times, can make you wholly invested in what is going to happen to them.
The Lost Bus is based on the real story of Kevin McKay, a down-on-his-luck bus driver who has issues with his teen son and only moved back to town after his father recently died to help care for his mother. On Thursday November 8, 2018, a wildfire broke out and spread rapidly in Northern California. 22 stranded students and their teacher, Mary Ludwig, boarded Kevin’s school bus, and, over hours, navigated their way through fire-related horrors to get them to safety.
I struggled a little bit with this thriller. The tagline of the movie is “Inspired By A True Story Of Survival,” which tells you that Kevin survives. This is excellent news, but with all of the things that he encounters with the bus, it feels as if the film also tries to convince you that his life is going to end right now (over and over). I am cynical enough that those two things clashed and removed the major concerns that they were aiming to create.
The movie does a good job with both fire effects, fire visuals, and tension. That said, it is WAY too long. The first half hour (setting up Kevin’s life before the bus trip) could have easily been 10 minutes, and several of the impediments on the road could have been trimmed significantly.
Matthew McConaughey does a good job exhibiting Kevin’s stress over all of the things, and when America Ferrera finally shows up (way too far into the film), her vulnerability helps the tone of the movie take some emotional shape. Before this, I felt sorry for Kevin’s situation, but you don’t know him and there is a lack of connection despite his issues.
All of this said, once you meet the children on the bus and begin to see some of the interactions between terrified children and terrified adults, things begin to turn a little bit. Matthew McConaughey asks the kids to sit “criss-cross applesauce,” and the weight of the scene opens things up just a touch. I surprised myself by getting choked up. There aren’t many quiet moments, but those are the scenes that connect you to this world.
With some great aerial shots exhibiting the awfulness of the fire and the wind and ash increasing the danger, The Lost Bus is kind of a mixed bag. I did get bored at times (there are only so many dangers that one can show you before you begin to get numb), but there are moments of connection. So, I leave this one to you – but you might like Speed better.
I love a good survival story. I enjoy the real ones, like The Lost Children, and the fictional ones, like The Long Walk. The twists and turns of what people have to go through is fascinating and, at times, can make you wholly invested in what is going to happen to them.
