Highbrow Magazine - family movies https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/family-movies en ‘Flora and Son’ Is a Poignant Drama About Musical Ties That Bind Us Together https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/24146-flora-and-son-poignant-drama-about-musical-ties-bind-us-together <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/film-tv" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Film &amp; TV</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Fri, 10/20/2023 - 16:46</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1floramovie.jpg?itok=UqoCgZPy"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1floramovie.jpg?itok=UqoCgZPy" width="480" height="270" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>FLORA AND SON</strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>3½ stars (out of 4)</strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Writer/Director: John Carney (<em>Sing Street, Once, Begin Again</em>)</strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Eve Hewson and </strong><strong>Or</strong><strong>én</strong><strong> Kinlan</strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Rated: R for language throughout, sexual references and brief drug use</strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Available: Streaming on Apple TV+</strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Although his catalog is varied, writer-director John Carney is at his best crafting intimate dramas about the important role that music plays in human lives. In 2007, he released <em>Once</em>, the story of an Irish busker who makes beautiful music with an immigrant woman from the Czech Republic; in 2013, he made <em>Begin Again</em>, about a down-and-out promoter inspired by a young singer-songwriter; and in 2016, he delivered <em>Sing Street</em>, a charmer about a Dublin boy who starts a band just to impress a girl. <em>Flora and Son</em>, now streaming on Apple TV+, fits beautifully within this library.   </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">As a hobby musician who sometimes gets paid to play, I get the dedication it takes to gain competency at an instrument. I also understand how much joy music can bring to the lives of even nonprofessionals. Carney’s music movies perfectly capture this delight, and <em>Flora and Son</em> is particularly good at demonstrating the human connections a good song can build. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/2floramovie.jpg" style="height:675px; width:450px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">The story centers on a young Irish mother named Flora (Eve Hewson) who is struggling to relate to her troubled teen son, Max (Orén Kinlan). She had Max at a very young age, and she is desperate to steer him off a course that landed him on probation for petty crimes. Noting his interest in pop music, she rescues a guitar from a dumpster and gets it tuned up at a local music shop. Sadly, Max – who prefers rap and electronic tunes – rejects the gift. Flora, broken, picks up the instrument herself and decides to learn with the help of Jeff (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), an online teacher based in Los Angeles. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">As the movie progresses, Flora and Jeff form an increasing bond, with music at the heart of their relationship, and Carney demonstrates this with a series of fanciful scenes where Jeff appears to transport into the same locale as Flora. These are beautiful moments, each accompanied by gorgeous music. In fact, the soundtrack for <em>Flora and Son</em> is a treat on its own. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Gordon-Levitt and Hewson have excellent chemistry, but the fact that most of their interactions take place via Zoom surely presented an acting challenge. Most often shown as a face on a screen, Gordon-Levitt had to establish his character without the benefit of considerable body language. Hewson was not as restricted, as she freely interacts with other performers, including her screen son, but the warmth and charm she brings to the role is still noteworthy. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/3floramovie.jpg" style="height:377px; width:670px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Both actors are convincing as musicians, and Gordon-Levitt does a nice job singing. Hewson’s ease with music may – in part – stem from the fact that she is the daughter of U2 singer Bono (aka Paul Hewson) and businesswoman and activist Ali Hewson. There is, after all, nothing like having a rock star father to help one understand the music industry.  </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">“Flora and Son” is also interesting because the characters don’t always put their best feet forward. There are times when Max’s behavior (mostly toward Flora) is despicable, and Flora is not a Mayberry mother. She’s had a hard life and this is reflected in her frequent bouts with frustration and an obviously imperfect parenting style. Yet most audience members will likely root for these characters anyway. They may not be perfect, but they are real, and they are good people. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Despite landing an R rating for language and adult thematic material, it’s realistic to call <em>Flora and Son</em> a feel-good film. Some characters and events are rough, but the climax is designed to bring a smile to everyone’s face and – at least for me – it succeeded.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Author Bio:</strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong><em>Forrest Hartman is</em> Highbrow Magazine’s <em>chief film critic</em>.</strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>For Highbrow Magazine</strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/flora-and-son" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">flora and son</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/music-movies" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">music movies</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/films-about-music" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">films about music</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/john-carney" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">john carney</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/dramas" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">dramas</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/family-movies" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">family movies</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Forrest Hartman</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">In Slider</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-videos field-type-video-embed-field field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <div class="embedded-video"> <div class="player"> <iframe class="" width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/beNTTHnMIy8?width%3D640%26amp%3Bheight%3D360%26amp%3Bautoplay%3D0%26amp%3Bvq%3Dlarge%26amp%3Brel%3D0%26amp%3Bcontrols%3D1%26amp%3Bautohide%3D2%26amp%3Bshowinfo%3D1%26amp%3Bmodestbranding%3D0%26amp%3Btheme%3Ddark%26amp%3Biv_load_policy%3D1%26amp%3Bwmode%3Dopaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div> </div> </div></div></div> Fri, 20 Oct 2023 20:46:22 +0000 tara 12689 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/24146-flora-and-son-poignant-drama-about-musical-ties-bind-us-together#comments ‘Montana Story’ Is a Mellow, Lyrical Family Drama https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/19977-montana-story-mellow-lyrical-family-drama <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/film-tv" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Film &amp; TV</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Sat, 05/28/2022 - 13:16</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1montanafilm.jpg?itok=OxxLnTuT"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1montanafilm.jpg?itok=OxxLnTuT" width="480" height="243" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><em>Montana Story</em> speaks to a moment in which old monuments have eroded, layers of mythology have begun to unfurl, and the skyline is altered in ways that can’t be adequately articulated. Landscape is integral to Scott McGehee and David Siegal’s film, its setting functions as a means of explicating the chasms of understanding that time and distance create. The immensity of the symbolism captured within the Big Sky can serve to obscure the quiet struggle taking place underneath it, and it is this tension that <em>Montana Story </em>sets out so eloquently.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Cal (Owen Teague) returns to his family’s 200-acre ranch in Montana to care for his sick father. His estranged sister, Erin (Haley Lu Richardson), arrives unexpectedly at the ranch, seven years after she ran away following a confrontation with their father. Cal arranges for the last ageing horse left in the stables, Mr. T, to be put down; but Erin decides that she will take the horse back with her to upstate New York, and begins to arrange for the transportation. As the siblings share the details of their lives, they must reckon with the event that drove Erin away. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/2montanafilm.jpg" style="height:251px; width:600px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><em>Montana Story</em> has echoes of Wim Wenders at his most meditative, tapping into the aching sadness of these blank expanses fringed with imperious mountain ranges. As Cal and Erin drive across stark plains and struggle to come to terms with the people they have become, it is hard not to be reminded of <em>Kings of the Road</em> (1976) or <em>Paris, Texas</em> (1984). </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">It is equally a sort of Bressonian Western; the understatement of its tone undercuts the majesty of the backdrop, achieving a naturalism that interrogates the nature of the frontier and the legend that attends it. Cinematographer Giles Nuttgens lensed one of the defining neo-Westerns, <em>Hell or High Water</em> (2016), and there are parallels to the chilly, forbidding qualities he brings here.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Cal and Erin struggle to meet the past on their own terms: Cal approaches life from a position of anxiety, while Erin projects tenacity; but they are equally grasping for purchase against the upheavals that have warped what was once familiar. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/3montanafilm.jpg" style="height:257px; width:600px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Both performances reveal a slow seething to the surface: Richardson has a severity to her demeanor, which articulates Erin’s determination to rectify old wounds and pay off a karmic debt; while Teague is tortured by his inaction, striking a penitent posture to expiate his burden of guilt. The unease which Richardson and Teague bring to their interplay is compelling, unearthing depths of loss, pain, and anger. <em>Montana Story</em> hinges on its central performances, but also noteworthy is Gilbert Owuor as Ace, the father’s nurse, who functions as a buffer between these emotional poles.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">McGehee and Siegal’s framing communicates as much as dialogue ever could; contrasting the smallness of the story with the vastness of the landscape, charting the reverberations that are felt from what is left behind from a solitary life, and commenting on social issues with a light touch. But the writing occasionally lets them down, veering into expository territory rather than allowing details to be inferred from the unspoken elements. At one point, Ace reminds Cal that ‘Some things are clear without explanation’; it is advice that writers McGehee, Siegal and Mike Spreter should have heeded, as the somewhat inelegant handling of the family’s backstory doesn’t live up to the sophistication of the visuals, or the skill of the performances.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/4montanafilm.jpg" style="height:600px; width:405px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><em>Montana Story</em> belongs in the canon of post-financial crisis films that deal with characters seeking a new center in the wreckage of the world they once knew, echoing the likes of <em>Certain Women</em> (2016) and <em>Lean on Pete </em>(2017) in its understated pathos. The light and stillness turn into a reproach when the endless horizon begins to contract, and the fealty to violence upon the body, the soul, and the land becomes unbearable. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><em>Montana Story</em> enacts a kind of generational reckoning; Cal and Erin strive to clear up the eyesores of the past by choosing to recognize the skyline afresh. McGehee and Siegal have created a deft, perceptive yet imperfect testament to the power of letting go, and the necessity of connection amidst the wilderness. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Author Bio:</strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong><em>D.M. Palmer is a contributing writer at</em> Highbrow Magazine.</strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>For Highbrow Magazine</strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/scott-mcghee" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Scott McGhee</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/david-siegal" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">David Siegal</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/montana-story" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Montana Story</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/new-films" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">new films</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/dramas" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">dramas</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/movies" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Movies</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/family-movies" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">family movies</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/movies-now-playing" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">movies now playing</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">D.M. Palmer</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">In Slider</div></div></div> Sat, 28 May 2022 17:16:29 +0000 tara 11113 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/19977-montana-story-mellow-lyrical-family-drama#comments ‘Splinters’ Has Good, Subtle Characters but Lacks Drama https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/19923-splinters-has-good-subtle-characters-lacks-drama <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/film-tv" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Film &amp; TV</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Thu, 05/12/2022 - 14:54</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1splinters.jpg?itok=_A6YP53f"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1splinters.jpg?itok=_A6YP53f" width="480" height="270" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Many recent indie films have focused on making characters and dialogue that feel realistic as a means of compelling an audience. <em>Splinters</em> (Outsider Pictures) is a micro-budget indie drama set in the Midwest about a mother and her teenage son trying to navigate life without their husband/father. Its grounded characters and performances make for a realistic depiction of a family struggling with their emotions, but it still leaves something to be desired.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">After facing loss, Anna and her son Bo are navigating life on autopilot. They struggle to express how they feel and don’t know how to move on. Anna works night shifts at the front desk of a hotel, which leaves her physically drained during the day. The divide between Anna and Bo feels very real in the first half of the movie. Both are doing their best to behave normally and not get drowned in grief. Conflict arises when Anna becomes friendly with one of Bo’s teachers, David. Bo sensing that his mom is trying to move on too soon feels like something out of a sitcom. It’s not like Bo is a moody pre-teen, but his reactions to his mother’s actions seem  stereotypical for a grounded drama.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/2splinters.jpg" style="height:340px; width:604px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">The film’s biggest problem is a general lack of real conflict or some kind of plot hook that the audience can relate to. At one point, Bo tells David’s daughter Joan, who is the same age as him, about a story Bo’s dad told his boss about burying money and how he plans to dig it up. It again makes the movie feel like a weird sitcom, and even though Bo’s motives are somewhat understandable, it negates the overall serious tone of the film. Bo’s character becomes more and more emotional leading to a moment that could be considered the plot’s climax, but it still lacked the dramatic boom that the movie needed. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Paul Gordon as David is the highlight of the movie since his delivery is so awkward and dry. David seems like a boring person doing his best to impress Anna since he and his wife recently separated. He doesn’t come off as creepy and there’s a certain charm to his droning dialogue that gives the movie a comedic aspect that it needs. While David and Joan mirror Anna and Bo in some ways, they aren't as key to the overall plot as they could have been and fleshing out their characters could have added a lot more to the movie.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/3splinters.jpg" style="height:340px; width:604px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><em>Splinters</em> is only about an hour long, and while it has some good, realistic performances, it still lacks the necessary drama. A number of viewers will walk away from this film thinking it’s just boring, but my biggest issue is the plot device of the buried money and how Bo’s character becomes more bratty and less realistic. Even by the standards of slow, quiet indie movies, this film comes up short in terms of dramatic oomph and compelling characters.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Author Bio:</strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong><em>Ulises Duenas is a contributing writer at</em> Highbrow Magazine.</strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>For Highbrow Magazine</strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/splinters" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">splinters</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/splinters-movie" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">splinters movie</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/dramas" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">dramas</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/new-films" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">new films</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/family-movies" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">family movies</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Ulises Duenas</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-photographer field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Photographer:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Photos courtesy of Outsider Pictures</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">In Slider</div></div></div> Thu, 12 May 2022 18:54:40 +0000 tara 11087 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/19923-splinters-has-good-subtle-characters-lacks-drama#comments ‘The War With Grandpa’: A Sweet but Painfully Unrealistic Family Movie https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/10953-war-grandpa-sweet-painfully-unrealistic-family-movie <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/film-tv" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Film &amp; TV</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Fri, 10/09/2020 - 09:06</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1warwithgrandpa.jpg?itok=CFdVj3Ly"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1warwithgrandpa.jpg?itok=CFdVj3Ly" width="480" height="320" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p> </p> <p><strong>AT A GLANCE</strong></p> <p><strong>The War With Grandpa</strong></p> <p><strong>Director: Tim Hill (<em>Hop, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Max Keeble’s Big Movie</em>)</strong></p> <p><strong>Starring: Robert De Niro, Oakes Fegley, Uma Thurman, Rob Riggle, Laura Marano, Poppy Gagnon, Cheech Marin, Jane Seymour and Christopher Walken</strong></p> <p><strong>Rated: PG</strong></p> <p><strong>Critical rating: 2½ stars out of 4               </strong></p> <p><strong>                                      </strong></p> <p>According to Margaret Atwood, “War is what happens when language fails.” According to director Tim Hill, it’s what happens when Peter is forced from his room by an unwelcome visit from Gramps.   </p> <p> </p> <p>That’s right, <em>The War With Grandpa</em> tells the story of Peter, a precocious sixth-grader who gets worked up when his mom, Sally (Uma Thurman) and dad, Arthur (Rob Riggle) force him into the attic so Grandpa Ed (Robert De Niro) has a place to sleep. Ed doesn’t want to displace Peter, but a bad encounter with a self-checkout machine convinces Sally that her recently widowed father needs to be closer to family. Since Ed is an old man and Peter’s sisters – Mia (Laura Marano) and Jennifer (Poppy Gagnon) – share a room, the kid draws the short straw.</p> <p> </p> <p>One might expect a youngster to get excited by the prospect of an extended stay from Grandpa, but Peter is more selfish than the average kid. This is a problem area in the script, but viewers should feel some sympathy because Mom and Dad don’t have the decency to fix the leaky roof in Peter’s new home in the attic.  </p> <p> </p> <p>I can’t help but think most sixth-grade boys would dig the prospect of converting an attic to a living space, but not Peter. After going to war with a huge bat (Mom and Dad didn’t clear that out either), he decides it’s Grandpa who needs to pay. So Peter makes a formal declaration of war … and Ed buys in. Pretty soon we’re witnessing a May-December prank-fest with countless pratfalls, significant property damage and, of course, a little grandpa-grandson bonding.</p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/2warwithgrandpa.jpg" style="height:338px; width:600px" /></p> <p> </p> <p>Anyone who has seen more than a dozen family films knows where this one is headed as soon as it starts because the other possibilities are hopelessly dark, and <em>The War With Grandpa</em> is only dark if you stop long enough to think about it. Director Tim Hill, who brought us <em>Hop</em> and <em>Alvin and the Chipmunks</em>, is not the sort to do gloomy. His films are bright and cheerful, and <em>The War With Grandpa</em> is clearly meant to be a warm, slapstick comedy about a friendly feud. The movie IS entertaining.  </p> <p> </p> <p>De Niro and Thurman are too good – and too famous – to be in a picture like this. The same can be said for Christopher Walken, who appears in several scenes as one of Ed’s buddies. These actors elevate the movie to a degree, and I admittedly laughed, probably more than I should have.</p> <p> </p> <p>That said, <em>The War With Grandpa</em> is not objectively good. It mixes TV comedy plotting with an A-list cast and thematic elements that are slightly disturbing. It’s hard to like a kid who won’t willingly give up his room to an aging senior who is nothing but kind to him. The physical comedy is also harder to laugh at knowing the real-world results of virtually every stunt would be an extended hospital stay for Grandpa, likely followed by a permanent spot in a senior home.  And that analysis allows for the rather optimistic assumption that Grandpa would survive. Yes, this war is extreme.</p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/3warwithgrandpa.jpg" style="height:334px; width:600px" /></p> <p> </p> <p>I do understand this is a movie, and suspension of disbelief is part of the game. If you are willing to embrace a cinematic world where Grandpa can fall from towering heights without winding up in a coma and where Peter is too dim to see this as a horrifying possibility, <em>The War With Grandpa</em> is sort of fun. It also includes the requisite sappy finish and condemnation of war that youngsters need to see. Both are handled awkwardly, but they are better present than not.</p> <p> </p> <p>Although Mom and Dad never address the terrible condition of Peter’s room, we are led to believe there is love in this family. We also see that Peter’s war puts a spring in Ed’s step that wasn’t always there. In other words, if you read the film the way Hill wants, it’s sweet. We just have to hope real-world sixth graders know they shouldn’t duplicate these stunts at home.  </p> <p> </p> <p>Should you watch? That depends on how desperate you are for family entertainment. There are worse ways to spend 90 minutes, but that means there are better ways as well.  </p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Author Bio:</strong></p> <p> </p> <p><em><strong>Forrest Hartman, a </strong></em><strong>Highbrow Magazine</strong><em><strong> contributor, is a longtime entertainment journalist who teaches in the Department of </strong></em><a href="https://www.csuchico.edu/jour/" target="_blank"><em><strong>Journalism &amp; Public Relations at California State University, Chico</strong></em></a><em><strong>.</strong></em></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Highbrow Magazine</strong></p> <p> </p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/war-grandpa" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">the war with grandpa</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/robert-de-niro" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">robert de niro</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/uma-thurman" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">uma thurman</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/christopher-walken" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">christopher walken</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/family-movies" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">family movies</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/kids-movies" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">kids movies</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/comedies" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">comedies</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/new-movies" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">new movies</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Forrest Hartman</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-photographer field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Photographer:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Images courtesy of EPK.TV</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Fri, 09 Oct 2020 13:06:31 +0000 tara 9896 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/10953-war-grandpa-sweet-painfully-unrealistic-family-movie#comments