Review of Labor Day (2013) by Martin G — 31 Jan 2014

I very seldom read reviews before going to see a movie preferring to read them after. All I needed to know was that this movie : 1) was a lover story as I am a sucker for them, 2) Kate Winslet was starring 3) as was Josh Brolin, so off I went.

After reading the critic's reviews for "Labor Day" I felt they were very unfair and may drive away an audience that would like it. Upfront just let me say that it is not a Must See movie, or a classic, but it is a good old fashioned love story without the 'F' word being used or showing sex acts on the screen--that in itself is rare for a film today. Yes it is rated PG-13 for the theme, sexuality in the sense that a man and woman become lovers, very brief violence and, possibly, a bathroom scene. This is a Hollywood film where the woman lead is a neurotic (Was there any other kind in the old love story films?) and the man lead is masculine, caring, loving, a father figure and, in spite of escaping from prison, is an upstanding man.

Kate Winslet plays Adele who is almost catatonic after 3-4 miscarriages and her husband leaving her while her adolescent son, Henry, played by Galttin Griffith, has, more or less, become her caretaker. They are both persuaded, when Adele takes a rare outing to get some new school clothes for Henry, in a somewhat threatening way by Frank, Josh Brolin, who has just jumped out of a hospital after an appendix operation. What kind of movie would it be if Adele said no to athe good looking man.

Within 24 hours Frank makes himself at home in more than one way. He washes and waxes a floor, teaches Henry and a neighbor's son in a wheel chair, played by Micah Fowler, how to play baseball, looks at a cord of firewood and tells Adele she has been shortchanged, teaches Henry how change a tire but, most important of all, makes chili and feeds Adele spoonful by spoonful and involves her and Henry it making a delicious looking pie! Heck I would want to marry him! Before you know it they are planning to run away to Canada and start a new life as a family.

We also meet Adele's ex-husband, Clark Gregg, who is married and has a new family and doesn't pay too much attention to his first born and a new girl in town played by Brighid Fleming who may or may not to be a troublemaker but you won't find out. She does supply some much needed comedy relief.

The director/writer Jason Reitman errs in making the picture too long by about 10 minutes, introducing a shocking scene between Brooke Smith as the mother and Micah Fowler and then completely ignoring it. He also completely misdirects the flashbacks at times no one never knowing whether it is Adele's or Frank's story we are seeing .

Watching Brolin and Winslet is always a treat and they have enough chemistry to make many unbelievable scenes believable. Their faces are so interesting to watch that when you see younger versions of them though they may resemble the adults their faces are blanks.

It is worth seeing if for no other reason to find how they get a 'happy Hollywood ending' for "Labor Day".

I very seldom read reviews before going to see a movie preferring to read them after. All I needed to know was that this movie : 1) was a lover story as I am a sucker for them, 2) Kate Winslet was starring 3) as was Josh Brolin, so off I went.

After reading the critic's reviews for "Labor Day" I felt they were very unfair and may drive away an audience that would like it. Upfront just let me say that it is not a Must See movie, or a classic, but it is a good old fashioned love story without the 'F' word being used or showing sex acts on the screen--that in itself is rare for a film today. Yes it is rated PG-13 for the theme, sexuality in the sense that a man and woman become lovers, very brief violence and, possibly, a bathroom scene. This is a Hollywood film where the woman lead is a neurotic (Was there any other kind in the old love story films?) and the man lead is masculine, caring, loving, a father figure and, in spite of escaping from prison, is an upstanding man.

Kate Winslet plays Adele who is almost catatonic after 3-4 miscarriages and her husband leaving her while her adolescent son, Henry, played by Galttin Griffith, has, more or less, become her caretaker. They are both persuaded, when Adele takes a rare outing to get some new school clothes for Henry, in a somewhat threatening way by Frank, Josh Brolin, who has just jumped out of a hospital after an appendix operation. What kind of movie would it be if Adele said no to athe good looking man.

Within 24 hours Frank makes himself at home in more than one way. He washes and waxes a floor, teaches Henry and a neighbor's son in a wheel chair, played by Micah Fowler, how to play baseball, looks at a cord of firewood and tells Adele she has been shortchanged, teaches Henry how change a tire but, most important of all, makes chili and feeds Adele spoonful by spoonful and involves her and Henry it making a delicious looking pie! Heck I would want to marry him! Before you know it they are planning to run away to Canada and start a new life as a family.

We also meet Adele's ex-husband, Clark Gregg, who is married and has a new family and doesn't pay too much attention to his first born and a new girl in town played by Brighid Fleming who may or may not to be a troublemaker but you won't find out. She does supply some much needed comedy relief.

The director/writer Jason Reitman errs in making the picture too long by about 10 minutes, introducing a shocking scene between Brooke Smith as the mother and Micah Fowler and then completely ignoring it. He also completely misdirects the flashbacks at times no one never knowing whether it is Adele's or Frank's story we are seeing .

Watching Brolin and Winslet is always a treat and they have enough chemistry to make many unbelievable scenes believable. Their faces are so interesting to watch that when you see younger versions of them though they may resemble the adults their faces are blanks.

It is worth seeing if for no other reason to find how they get a 'happy Hollywood ending' for "Labor Day".