DIRECTOR: Ron Howard
PRODUCERS: Ron Howard & Brian Grazer & Karen Lunder
WRITER: Vanessa Taylor
PERFORMERS: Amy Adams Glenn Close Gabriel Basso Haley Bennett Frieda Pinto
Bo Hopkins Owen Asztalos
Ron Howard has been known for family oriented films, but never have I seen such one as intense as this since the 1996 thriller 'Ransom'. That was about a wealthy airline executive racing against the clock to save his son from his kidnappers. But this one is very much different from that, this is a telling of a story that actually happened and was published into a book by the main character himself: J.D. Vance. He came from a family with serious problems and heartbreaking past experiences, but through perseverance and hard work he overcame his hardships and made something of himself, never forgetting who he was and where he came from. That's one thing family always teaches us, to remember who we are and where we come from no matter how far we are from that foundation. This film is rather a look at how a family is defined, not by choice but by closeness and that unbreakable bond that can never be broken.
As we see the story of J.D. Vance unfold before our eyes, we also see him in two different timelines intertwining with one another. Played as a youngster by Owen Asztalos (in a rather riveting performance) and as an adult by Gabriel Basso, Vance goes from Kentucky born native to aspiring Law student in just fourteen years. Within that loop, we see him evolve from a troubled kid to a man with a bright future. Then he's called back home due to a family emergency where he confronts the very things that made him want to leave his hometown: his family with a history of abuse and unresolved issues. His mother, played by Amy Adams, is pretty much the tip of the iceberg as she struggles with unhappiness, drug addiction and serious problems with her mother (GLENN CLOSE) while raising two kids. This is the first time I've seen Adams in a film or role this dark since 'American Hustle'. If you thought that was intense, wait until you see her in this one! The themes in this film are also shown well throughout the show, especially in the flashback scenes. One in particular where young Vance stands up for his mother after a near violent encounter so unpredictable, that you thought to yourself whatever happened to 'respect for your parents,'? Even after such a potential altercation, he still showed some loyalty for her (EPHESIANS 6:2), one would think it takes a lot of guts and a big man to do that. The great thing about Close's character is that she may be doing or saying this and that, but she means well and like any other parent or guardian they want to see their children have success and happiness and avoid the same mistakes that they made themselves (HEBREWS 12:11). Close even at one point consoles her grandson during the middle of a certain crisis happening in the neighborhood streets and to prevent him from having a nervous breakdown, she shields him with comfort like the way Jesus calls us to him when were overwhelmed with so many things happening that we just don't understand (1 PETER 5:7).
"Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." - COLOSSIANS 3:13 NIV
During the first half of the film it seemed a little slow and nearly predictable. In the first ten minutes it shifts to fourteen years later and you think 'can't we see more of his childhood?' But then the second half arrives and then, you see it all come together like a puzzle being solved. In the end you get this big payoff of the prior events from childhood to the present day of Vance's adult years through retrospective and everything in between. Even with the strained mother-daughter relationship (which in turn plays a huge effect on her relationship with her son) you see how both these things interplay with one another leading to the point of making peace with your past and forgiving those who hurt you in a great deal. Confronting your past can lead you to a great future... by improving your present. This was an astounding demonstration of that, as it shows what happens to us when we hold on to the past for so long that it could corrupt our present living status and therefore, corrupt our future, unless learn to let it go (PHILLIPIANS 3:12 & PROVERBS 4:25).
"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." - EPHESIANS 4:31-32 NIV
This sums up the overall journey of these collective people that they go on. Some to escape, others to rebuild and restore but they all represent the same thing: change. That's what every family goes through and half the time it's never easy. The thing that made this appealing was it's true story side to it, while I watched it I had on clue or had just forgotten about that being mentioned, up until the end when the fates of those involved were revealed. Now I never came from a family background like the ones seen here, but it did remind me of the family theme and it's importance that plays in each of our lives. There's a reason we're connected to our relatives and part of that is because they shape us into who we are. That's why we can never forget who we are and where we come from, but whatever past we hold in our hearts or grudges or unforgiven circumstances, one thing this film touched on was the need to release yourself from your past and embrace your inner self for a brighter future. Ron Howard here really delivers and maybe it's not one of his best, I'd call it one of his most decent efforts in recent years. Times may be different in today's culture and way of living, but who you are is defined by the choices you make and those who instill into you the things that lead you to be the person you want to be. Having seen this for myself, I don't understand why this is getting so much bad rep, the performances were honest and raw, the story was compelling and the direction was also well done. I liked the 80's and 90's references as they were a great addition to the story as a reminder of what used to be. See it for yourself and you might be surprised... that's my final take on this one.
MY FINAL RATING: * * * 1/2 out of * * * * *