Based on the children’s book Charlie and Me by Mark Lowery, this is ostensibly a road trip movie in which two young boys, Charlie (played by Dexter Sol Ansell) and Finn (Roman Griffin Davis), take it upon themselves to run away and visit their estranged grandfather (Bill Nighy) in Dingle in Co Kerry in Ireland. After pilfering money from their mother (Claire Dunne), they set out on the journey from Sheffield to the west of Ireland.
They begin their journey stowing Charlie in the luggage hold due to a lack of funds, and when Finn meets busker Kait (Masie Williams), she realises they don’t have much cash and resolves to help them out on their journey. Meanwhile, after halting their bickering long enough to notice they are missing, the boy’s parents, make a desperate dash to try and catch up with them before they board the ferry at Holyhead to head to the Emerald Isle.
The book on which this is based saw the boys heading for Cornwall, but shifting the action to Dingle makes it exactly 500 miles (or thereabouts) of the title. No doubt the geographical shift also ensured access to certain funding grants.
We are reminded throughout how close they are getting to their target, and given how scenic that part of Ireland is, the scenes set there unsurprisingly boast some beautiful cinematography. The area doesn’t need a tourism boost, but I’m sure this won’t hurt.
Jojo Rabbit star Davis and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Ansell are very cute together as the young siblings and have a lovely chemistry. Their scenes of sibling bickering will be relatable to most people. Meanwhile Nighy shines, albeit isn’t used enough, as the guilt-ridden grandfather desperate to reconnect with his family.
However, Williams, who is a fantastic actress, seems wasted in her role here with a character that is given lots of exposition but no real emotional depth.
On a personal note, as someone who travels back and forth to the UK a lot, I found the discrepancies in their journey shocking! I appreciate dramatic licence, but it really is contrived. Since they are supposed to have travelled this journey before with their parents, it is difficult to believe they wouldn’t opt for the more economical sail and rail instead of the roundabout trip we see them undertake on screen.
That aside, from the off you can the aim is to shamelessly tug at your heartstrings. It is also somewhat predictable even if you haven’t read the book. Despite this, it would take a hard-hearted person not to have something in their eye when the twist is revealed.
I would be lying if I said this didn’t get a bit schmaltzy, and it is extremely sentimental. It also has several pointless scenes which seem to be box-ticking exercises rather than designed to move the plot along.
But it is also very sweet and beautifully shot. It is nice and inoffensive and makes for a pleasant evening’s viewing; however, I imagine it will do far better on streaming services down the road than it will in cinemas.
500 Miles is in cinemas on June 26.