Synopsis

After losing his job and facing a personal crisis, Drew Baylor travels to his father's Kentucky hometown following the man's death. While handling funeral arrangements and reconnecting with his extended family, Drew meets Claire Colburn, a warm and unpredictable flight attendant. Their developing relationship, combined with an unusual road trip through the American heartland, gradually helps Drew reconsider his failures and his future.

Factoids & Trivia

• The story was inspired by Cameron Crowe's visit to his own father's grave. It was Crowe's first trip to Kentucky since his father's death 16 years earlier.

• Crowe originally wrote the role of Drew Baylor with Orlando Bloom in mind. Scheduling conflicts with Kingdom of Heaven initially prevented Bloom from taking the part, so Ashton Kutcher was cast. Crowe later decided that Kutcher and Kirsten Dunst lacked chemistry, postponed production, and eventually brought Bloom back.

• Jesse's fictional band is played by members of My Morning Jacket, a Kentucky band that also contributes music to the soundtrack.

• While filming in Kentucky, Bloom tried Ale-8-One, a regional soft drink produced in Winchester. He liked it enough to have regular shipments sent to his home.

• A cemetery scene was interrupted by rain. Rather than wait for the weather to clear, Crowe chose to continue filming, using the storm to create a more natural atmosphere.

• Music was central to the production. Crowe specifically wanted to feature "I Will Be There When You Die" by My Morning Jacket, and the film's soundtrack was issued in multiple volumes.

• The film's reception helped establish Claire as an example of the "Manic Pixie Dream Girl" character type, a term popularized in a contemporary review and later used in wider film criticism.