Tumbleweeds 1999

Mary Jo Walker, Janet McTeer, is a strong-willed single mother whose instinct in trouble is to pack up the car and drive away with her pre-teen daughter in search of a better life. The film opens with a tense confrontation between Mary Jo and a man, a scene that Ava, portrayed by Kimberly J. Brown, has learned to expect as part of their nomadic existence. In a small, intimate moment, Ava packs a suitcase, bracing for the next move.

Their journey takes them from one uncertain promise to another. After a disappointing reunion with an old beau in Missouri, Ava’s wish to see the Pacific Ocean nudges them westward, away from the remnants of Mary Jo’s old life. In a symbolic act of shedding the past, they fling Mary Jo’s old clothing out of the car window, a moment that marks a uneasy but hopeful break from what has come before. Along the way, they are aided by a long-distance trucker named Jack Ranson, who re-enters their world after they have settled in San Diego, suggesting that help can arrive when least expected.

Mary Jo’s pursuit of a new direction leads her to leave behind a steady office job in favor of pursuing a relationship, a choice that underscores her ongoing struggle to reconcile independence with connection. For Ava, the move initially seems to yield positive changes: she makes a new friend in her class, earns a lead role as Romeo in the school play, and even experiences the rush of having a boyfriend who invites her to a movie. These moments brood with optimism, yet they also lay bare the tensions simmering beneath the surface of their makeshift family.

However, danger and conflict surface when Jack becomes verbally aggressive toward Mary Jo, revealing a darker side to the new companionship that had briefly offered comfort. After a troubling dinner, the two flee the restaurant and spend the night in a motel—a familiar pattern in their sprawling, unsettled life. The next day, Mary Jo insists they should leave town with only their clothes and a sense of urgency, but Ava pushes back, determined to claim stability and a sense of belonging in a place that feels like home.

This wake-up call becomes a turning point. Mary Jo begins to recognize that her choices have deeply affected Ava, and the two start to confront the consequences of their nomadic existence. The story moves toward a quieter resolution: a friend lends them a house, allowing Ava to rebuild a friendship with the classmate who once felt left behind, and Mary Jo to begin rebuilding their lives together in a more grounded way. In the final moment of transition, Mary Jo finds work at a plant nursery, signaling a tangible step toward steadiness and responsibility.

Together, they navigate the painful but hopeful path from constant movement to a steadier rhythm, illustrating a mother-daughter bond that endures despite turbulence, a renewed sense of self, and the slow, careful rebuilding of a life that could finally feel like home.