LULLABY
Estranged from his family, Jonathan (Hedlund) discovers his father has decided to take himself off life support in 48 hours' time. During this intensely condensed period, a lifetime of drama plays out. Robert (Jenkins) fights a zero sum game to reclaim all that his illness stole from his family. A debate rages on patients’ rights and what it truly means to be free. Jonathan reconciles with his father, reconnects with his mother (Archer), sister (Brown-Findlay), and his love (Adams) and reclaims his voice through two unlikely catalysts – a young, wise-beyond-her-years patient (Barden) and a no-nonsense nurse (Hudson). Through this intensely life affirming prism, an unexpected and powerful journey of love, laughter, and forgiveness unfolds.
Director:
Andrew Levitas
Cast:
Garrett Hedlund, Richard Jenkins, Jennifer Hudson,Jessica Brown Findlay, Amy Adams, Terrence Howard
Screenplay:
Andrew Levitas
Screening Date:
May 03, 2014
Running Time:
117
| Excellent | Very Good | Good | Fair | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10.0% | 26.0% | 22.0% | 28.0% | 12.0% |
“Sincere, well done and rare to see this kind of subject matter on the big screen with big name actors. Glad I saw it, won’t be buying the DVD.”
“My thought was that this seems autobiographical. Many scenes were too long. Otherwise I liked the screenplay and Jenkins could get nominations. I am not sure I enjoyed seeing this, however.”
“Needs cutting!”
“Just felt too contrived to push all that into a 24 hr framework. And it was too long.”
“Wow! Aside form the fact that Jennifer Hudson’s nurse would have been fired long ago I loved everything about this film.”
“Very true to life. Another dysfunctional family coping with death.”
“Too many scenes were manipulative.”
“Not so good, very clichéd.”
“Longest 118 minutes I’ve spent since waiting on the super market line.”
“Would not put a friend through watching this movie.”
“Heart wrenching lessons weaved from true life experiences.”
“Way too long. Some scenes were not needed. The young girl was amazing. I had trouble connecting to the characters.”
“This is brave filmmaking and from a first-time director. And writer! Mr. Levitas is clearly a talent to be watched.”
“Raw difficult subject matter handled realistically. Sad, poignant, family dynamics.”
“I thought it was a total cliché.”
“Trite.”
“Too many concepts to deal with in one film. Needs editing, too long.”
“It wasn’t bad, but one has to be in the right frame of mind. It was trite but manipulative and overly maudlin. And self indulgent and didn’t add any insight to a life experience many of us have gone through.”
“Very mixed feelings. I don’t know that the point of the film was the reality it showed concerning hospitals and end-of-life issues. However, having experienced a hospice-setting end-of-life it was very realistic. Not a bad film, not a great one either. Interesting character developments.”
“Dying is really this sanitized? Amy Adams could have been developed a bit more. What happened to the injunctions and the cops? The seder as the Last Supper a little forced but ok.”
“Powerful, touching, funny, sad. Spoiled daughter, pompous father, self indulgent son, but entertaining.”
“Truthful, but arguably upsetting.”
“I believe the technical term for this film is pornography of the tear ducts. The characters, especially the son were emotionally constipated, the reconciliations pat and defying credibility.”
“I was moved, the actors were great, the script wandered away at times such as a Dominican cop and a forgiven affair?!? But did I say I was moved?”
“The daughters escape of her father’s cancer causes her to retreat into the law and logic; the son’s denial just makes him retreat. Anne Archer and Richard Jenkins fabulous.”
“Very good acting. A father’s effort to reunite his family and enable them to go on with out him. Maddie really affected the son. A son’s journey to grow up and be able to connect emotionally. The topic is appropo - there are only a few states were people can opt for assisted suicide. From the prom to the end too long. Parts of it were too maudlin and sappy, predictable trite. A vehicle for the young lead actor’s singing career.”
“OK, the prom scene. Who didn’t have a teary eye? Few might admit it, most would deny it, but they would be lying. These cases go on everyday from hospitals to hospice.”
“Caught somewhere between a call for approval for assisted suicide to a terse examination of a family confronting the dissolution, but the reconciliation of a family. Maybe too much, maybe not enough of either.”
“Thank God for the moments of humor. Pray that when it’s our time we can still find some.”
If you'd like to know more about the film...
Oscar-Worthy Cast Announced for Andrew Levitas' Lullaby. Click on link to read further, http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=90444
