Review of Collateral Beauty (2016) by Lynngrasberg — 19 Dec 2016

I decided to see this movie in spite of the trouncing it has received from so many critics. I found it engaging, well written, and emotionally cathartic in more skillful ways than I would have expected, based on the negative reviews.

The reception Collateral Beauty has received makes me suspect that someone involved in the project has made some influential people mad. The acting is excellent, and there are some amusing sidelights for anyone who has ever been involved in theater.

In some ways, it is an update of “A Christmas Carol” where Scrooge is replaced by a grieving father and the support he attracts to help him heal. Laughter and tears seem like a good Christmas/Chanukah/Kwanzaa present for anyone armed with a hanky and some popcorn (or maybe just soggy popcorn for the unprepared).