Published in: Major Film Reviews

**FILM REVIEW** “Labor Day”

Author OneFilmFan

Published on: February 3, 2014

Hey, all!  While I am most certainly confident in my manhood, I will also be the first to admit that I am a sucker for some good ole fashion romance.  Romantic comedies or dramas are definitely on the list of viewable material as long as they’re done WELL and evoke the emotional responses that I feel these stories should. Now, as with any genre of film, you are taking chances with these, as even a great cast AND director does not always a good movie make.  Fortunately for me, one of these films I saw this weekend DID make the cut, and made it WELL.  I therefore give you, “Labor Day”.

Now, to preface this review, the trailer for this film alone captured my attention, and usually if it grabs me like that with only 2+ minutes of random footage, then there is a good chance I will like it.  Despite this, I went in cautiously to director Jason Reitman‘s (“Juno“, “Up In The Air“) drama, based on author Joyce Maynard’s novel of the same title, which centers on a reclusive and depressed mother Adele (the amazing Kate Winslet) and her son Henry (relative new-comer Gattlin Griffith) living a quiet and secluded life in a small suburban neighborhood in the year 1987. We begin to see that Henry has truly had to take care of his mother, who we ultimately find was so emotionally damaged by a split with her husband, that she has totally shut down and can barely even get up the nerve to leave the house to drive them to their once a month visit to a local store to stock up on goods and necessities. And it is during said trip to the store that Henry is unexpectedly confronted by an imposing man asking for help, Frank (Josh Brolin), who we find out is initially more than just anyone asking for assistance. By the time the encounter in the store is over, Frank has convinced Adele to drive him back to their house so he can “rest his legs” for a spell so he can then get out of their lives.

As we find out more about what has gotten Frank into his current state, the film also ventures even further into his story, specifically through flashbacks, that we get to see throughout the unfolding of the narrative.  And as we discover Frank’s story, we actually do start to feel for him, even as his stay over several days at the house turns from potentially menacing to genuinely sincere as he becomes the in-house handyman and cook all while also helping to bring Adele out of her emotional and being a confidant/father figure to Henry, who we see has all the initial hesitations about this new man in the house, much less his intentions, but grows to accept him as time passes. And again, we learn that the circumstances behind Frank’s plight are not all what they seem.  Of course, Adele and Henry are having to do everything they can to keep Frank hidden from neighbors and the authorities searching for him, and even when he finally proposes a solution to help all of them start fresh, leave it to other events to transpire that throw a wrench into best laid plans. I will not give anything away about the ending, but I was very satisfied with it.  Some solid supporting moments by Clark Gregg (“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.“), J.K. Simmons (T.V.’s “The Closer“, “2002’s “Spider Man“), Tom Lipinski (T.V.’s “Suits” and “The Following“), and James Van Der Beek (T.V.’s “Dawson’s Creek“) are also present.  And story from the beginning, we find, is actually narrated by an older Henry, played by Tobey Maguire.

This is the type of story that a lot of critics seem to tear apart, as several have done with this one, but for me, it’s the opposite.  It’s the kind of story that really draws me in and tugs at the heart-strings.  In particular, Winslet’s portrayal of Adele is just incredible….there are so many moments where she is saying nothing verbally, yet saying EVERYTHING by just the look on her face or the body language in her stance.  It’s that believability factor I mention so much that really comes out in her performance, and Kate emotes so well.  Josh Brolin is just as solid, being very menacing at one moment and then genuinely tender the next….I think it brings out the dichotomy of what his character is supposed to be…a man torn between what he’s done, where he’s currently at, and where he wants his future to be. And the two characters being brought together in the way they do just adds to each of them coming out of the shells they’ve been living in.

So it was ultimately a surprisingly solid film that I thoroughly enjoyed and was engrossed by for the entire runtime. I like when I feel I can actually get a legitimate lesson out of a film, even if it’s a small one, and I think this story has some merit in us as people needing to not judge a book by it’s cover.  We so often make assumptions about people without truly getting to know them, and sometimes, I think that can be a detriment and even a missed opportunity for growth and friendship.  And as always, this is for YOUR consideration and comment.  Until next time, thank you for reading!