osokin88 Reviews

Alligator on the Zipper (2007)

A positive and sincere profile of female truckers

[30 October 2022]

Clocking in at a brisk 52 minutes, this documentary looks at the experiences and perspectives of seven female truckers ranging from 10 to 12 year veterans to relative newbies with a year or less, as well as representing both company drivers and owner-operators. The piece is really a collection of interesting and illuminating character sketches rather than any sort of profile of the long haul lifestyle, though the not-irrelevant topic of trucker stereotypes vs. Reality is discussed by several, as is what it's like to be a woman in a field dominated by men. However, those points are discussed evenly, calmly, with good humor; there's no griping or ax-grinding here. Also, much to its credit, the overall vibe of the film is positive, respectful and grounded, which serves to counter the lurid sensationalism of many journalistic exposés of the profession and the "deranged redneck" fantasy often perpetrated by Hollywood.

On the technical side, the camera work and editing feature lots of stylistic flourishes that I found to be a bit distracting on first viewing, although the second time around it seemed slightly less hectic. The director, Ivo Stainoff, has exclusively technical credits listed on IMDb, which might explain his penchant for odd camera angles and extreme close-ups. No one will be bored watching this.

Having driven a truck myself for about 12 years, I enjoyed and appreciated learning about the group of fellow professional drivers featured in this brief documentary. That those professionals also happen to be well-spoken and female is a potential PR boon for an industry sorely in need of a better image.

Willa (1979 TV Movie)

Fairly decent trucker melodrama

[13 March 2022]

Willa (Deborah Raffin) is a hash joint waitress who's always dreamed of being a trucker. When she finds out that a local produce distributor (John Amos) offers truck driving lessons in exchange for labor, she persuades him to take her on, convincing him that she can work just as hard as the men, and that she's serious about driving a truck.

So for the next several weeks she maintains the grueling schedule of waitressing during the day, loading produce at night, and training on the big trucks. This latter activity provides many moments of amusement, with Willa running over and backing into things, eliciting Amos's trademarked exasperation in response.

The movie's dramatic tension comes from the fact that Willa has two small children, with another on the way (the derelict father is nowhere to be found), an alcoholic mother (Diane Ladd) at home, and a welfare worker threatening to remove the kids from the home because their mother has the audacity to want to raise them by herself, without a man around.

Raffin gives Willa the appropriate degree of pluckiness and verve. The supporting performances are all good, particularly Clu Gulager as Willa's suitor, who respects her individuality enough to resist the urge to "take care of her," as he was raised to do. Cloris Leachman is a hoot as a buxom lady-trucker who takes Willa on as a co-driver. In addition, Hank Williams Jr. And Merle Kilgore have a cameo in the first few minutes, and Corey Feldman makes his movie debut as Willa's little boy.

This movie is a rarity in that it's one of the few trucking-themed films from the 1970s that doesn't have any chase scenes, or semis crashing through barricades and disposable cop cars. In that regard it's totally refreshing.