Keeping "Paradise Highway" REAL
Desiree Wood (L), REAL Women in Trucking founder and president, taught lead actress Juliette Binoche (R) how to drive a truck for her role in the movie “Paradise Highway.” Desiree also took Juliette on longer rides so the celebrity could see what life is really like on the road as a female truck driver.
Editor’s Note: REAL Women in Trucking founder and president, Desiree Wood, was asked by screenwriter/director Anna Gutto to consult on all matters trucking for the new movie “Paradise Highway” (July 2022), starring Juliette Binoche and Morgan Freeman. This is Desiree’s account (written exclusively for MOXY) of what it was like to serve in this unique capacity on set.
Screenwriter/director Anna Gutto first contacted me in 2013 after she located recordings on the REAL Women in Trucking website of our women truckers’ phone conferences. She asked to sit in on our calls to hear what we talked about, how we talked and how we had united. She told me she had an idea for a movie about a woman truck driver.
About five years later, Anna contacted me again — she had finished her script and wanted to go on a ride along with me to help her better understand a few details. We spent a few days on the road so she could see what it was like to sleep in the truck at a truck stop, deliver a load and be refused the use of the bathroom at a shipping facility and have to find a creative solution.
In 2019, Anna got funding for the movie and wanted me to be a part of it.
I was hired for pre-production work to take Juliette Binoche on a ride along to give her the experience of being on a truck.
We traveled from the Bay Area of California through Las Vegas and over to Monument Valley. We did not have a load but we did have a full tractor-trailer combination. We spent a week together on the road; I drove and Juliette would read the script and ask me questions about how a truck driver would say certain things.
We were set to start filming a few weeks later in February 2020 but alas, the pandemic shut down production and the world. Initially, we were to film in New Mexico but the delay in production brought good fortune in the way of Morgan Freeman signing on. This moved production to Mississippi, which is where he lives.
Consulting on Set, Stunt doubling, script editing
I arrived in Mississippi in June 2021 a couple weeks before filming to teach Juliette how to drive a semi-truck and to counsel different departments on appropriate props and wardrobe (REAL Women in Trucking members will notice that the jacket (pictured above) Juliette wears has our “Trucking Industry Trailblazer” logo on it). I also did a final read of the script and made changes to the way some of the lines were worded.
During filming, I was primarily on hand if Juliette needed to ask me a question, when she had a driving scene, and once so I could show her how to close the trailer correctly after getting loaded.
I would be behind the curtain coaching her. I also drive in many of the longshot scenes for Juliette and Rose as well as Patty, the character I play.
When I wasn’t on set, I was scouting locations to make sure the truck fit in some of the areas the production wanted to film. I worked with the Transpo team to move locations and arrange trucks for scenes, and I also did a couple of stunt scenes. In one, I am the stunt driving double for Juliette when Leila (played by Hala Finley ) has her hands on the steering wheel and is urging Juliette’s character, Sally, to drive out of the truck stop, though she shouldn’t be driving.
Hobnobbing With Celebrities
I did get a chance to spend a lot of time with Juliette and I met all the other actors while on set. During one scene at the weigh station I am behind the curtain when Juliette is driving but she has to get out and talk to law enforcement. In that scene Morgan gets in the passenger side of the truck and the scene cuts. So, each time he got in we talked a few minutes before he did another take.
Morgan was as gracious and charming as he has always been on the silver screen. He told me that he too was a truck driver in the mid 1960s.
Kickass Female Cast & Crew
I was happy with how many women were working on this film. There were unfortunately a couple of guys who were really underestimating the ability of some of these gals and had no clue about the profession of being a truck driver — let alone women as drivers. I heard a few comments that were pretty juevenile, but generally, I was truly impressed watching the crew deal with problems and work together to find solutions to keep the schedule on track. I think the women working on this movie felt especially inspired to bring this story to life — many of them associated women truck drivers with female empowerment.
Juliette, who has also flown helicopters, took to the driving quickly. She is very focused and had a lot on her plate for this film trying to remember her lines and drive in some places a big truck should not be in the first place. She deserves a lot of credit for completing a driving class in parking lots in such a short time. Hala is also quite an actress and did an excellent job not just in her acting but being on the truck in less-than-ideal circumstances. I think we will see much more of her after this film. These two actresses together were quite moving to watch.
Professional Perspective
I think a lot of women truck drivers can relate to one of the movie’s major themes, which is to break away from a troubled past and make a better life, even if that means leaving all you know behind. I can personally relate to many of the themes in this movie and I think other women truck drivers will as well. I was uncomfortable with some of the scenes, but I know trafficking certainly does happen. Overall, it is thought-provoking, suspenseful and entertaining.
About the Author: Desiree Wood is the founder and president of REAL Women in Trucking. She advocates often on Capitol Hill for better policy to keep women in the industry safe and heard. Read more about Desiree here.
(L-R) Director Anna Gutto and Juliette Binoche as Sally in a behind the scenes image of the thriller film, Paradise Highway, a Lionsgate release. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.