The Matrix Reloaded
Cannes 2012
Two Clips From Salles' ON THE ROAD
Peter Weller Is The New BATMAN
Tom Hardy In LAWLESS Clips
IFC Takes Wheatley's SIGHTSEERS
THE GREAT GATSBY Trailer
MEN IN BLACK 3 Review

TV

Exploring The Twilight Zone, Episode #5: "Walking Distance"

by Scott Weinberg, June 13, 2011 5:55 PM


, ,

The Twilight Zone, Episode #5: "Walking Distance" (airdate 10/30/59)


The Plot: A harried businessman stops for gas near his beloved little hometown, only to discover that you CAN go home again. Sorta.


The Goods: One of the earliest nostalgia-based episodes of The Twilight Zone, "Walking Distance" is a quaint and comfortable little tale of semi-redemption, one that's packed with bittersweet insights, clever ideas, and one fantastic exchange between father and son. Set in a postcard-perfect mid-America town, this episode highlights the importance of letting go of the past while still retaining that crucial sense of childlike innocence. No space aliens or inter-dimensional monsters here; just a smart, sweet little story about the beauty of childhood and the importance of growing up. (And, seriously, that one dialogue scene is just lovely.)


Sedate but compelling, this episode earns a cool B-plus.


The Trivia: Lead actor Gig Young was nominated for an Oscar three times, winning only once in 1970 for the excellent They Shoot Horses, Don't They? And, yes, that's an extremely young Ron Howard as the little version of our confused protagonist. The sweet-natured father is played by excellent TV actor Frank Overton. In addition, according to Slashfilm, the recent Super 8 borrows the title of this episode, as it is a favorite of director J.J. Abrams. Neat-o.


On the Next Episode: Another visit from the devil, this time opposite a nervous man with some odd medical issues.


Program Note: Episodes 6 through 10 will be covered over at Film School Rejects, starting tonight! We'll be back with the following five next week. On behalf of both sites, thanks for reading, and feel free to also follow along on Twitter accounts @twitchfilm and @rejectnation.

More from Exploring The Twilight Zone


2 Comments

user-pic
by Paul, June 13, 2011 11:25 PM

Nice capsule review of a great episode. One correction, though: Ron Howard doesn't portray the protagonist as a boy; another young actor, Michael Montgomery, does. Ron plays a boy who's a playmate of Martin Sloane. In fact, he gets upset when the adult Martin identifies himself: "You're not Marty Sloane! I know Marty Sloane, and you're not him!" -- and runs into his house.

Otherwise, though, you're spot-on, and yes, that scene between Gig Young and Frank Overton is very well-written and beautifully acted.

Reply
by Zeljko, December 15, 2011 4:28 PM

possibly one of the best episodes

Reply

Leave a comment

Twitch homepage
About Twitch | Advertise on Twitch | Contact Us | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Twitter | Facebook
All Twitch Headlines Reviews Videos Comments Add to Google
 
Full Site | Mobile Site
Related Posts with Thumbnails