Heavy-handed in spots, but well-acted and sports a good heart. Jon Voight is fantastic as the crusty Grampa with yesterday's biased values and a bottle in hand. Greg Kinnear performs exactly as you'd expect, while Renee Zellweger is almost unrecognizable in dark hair and make-up. Djimon Hounsou's performance dips at times, but when he's on, he hits hard and right to the heart. They're all good really, but again, it's Voight who knocks it out of the park.
If you liked "The Blind Side" you'll like this. Sure, it's schmaltzy and hits some clichés movie moments head on, and it won't please the critics with its simplification of complex issues, but really, it's well acted – and will remind you that humanity is something we all have a hand in. Plus it'll make you cry.
Stylistically, there's a very early scene that sticks out as quite classy. The husband and wife must deal with a challenge to their relationship. Ironically, most other films can't resist playing to the high drama and make a cliché out of such a scene, but here filmmakers approach the moment with nuance, artistry and complexity. It's beautiful. While the rest of the film production is solid, it refrains from indulging in such style.
-- Books by Author/Illustrator Ross Anthony --
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