Directed by: Florian Zeller
Written by: Christopher Hampton
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Laura Dern, Vanessa Kirby, Zen McGrath, and Anthony Hopkins
Runtime: 122 minutes
‘The Son’ doesn’t stand as tall as ‘The Father’
“No love is greater than that of a father for his son.” – Dan Brown
Author and playwright Florian Zeller burst onto the cinematic scene, and the grandest worldwide stages embraced “The Father” (2020), his poignant and distressing debut feature film. “The Father” garnered six Oscar nominations, and Anthony Hopkins and Zeller won the coveted, prized statues for Best Actor and Adapted Screenplay, respectively.
(“The Father” was this critic’s #6 film of 2020. Here is the movie review.)
Zeller (along with screenwriter Christopher Hampton) adapted his 2012 play, “Le Pere”, for the silver screen, and in 2022, this modern-day renaissance man (and Hampton) customized his 2018 stage work, “Le Fils”, for the movies too.
“The Son” stars Hugh Jackman, Laura Dern, Vanessa Kirby, and Zen McGrath, and although both films are troubling family dramas – and both feature Hopkins – they don’t appear related.
Hopkins only has one scene in Zeller’s sophomore effort, but the Welsh thespian’s appearance is a doozy. It’s – arguably – the movie’s most crucial moment, as it frames Anthony’s (Hopkins) relationship with his son, Peter (Jackman), and instantly untethers fragments of recollections and spurs scores of thoughts about patriarchal outlooks between the generations.
The movie’s title can refer to Peter, a 40 or 50-something lawyer (and assumed partner) at Pierce and Grant LLP, but primarily, the story revolves around his relationship with his boy, Nicholas (McGrath). Nicholas lives with Peter’s ex-wife, Kate (Dern), but she and her frustrated teen clash at her New York City apartment. He regularly skips school, is emotionally unstable, and Nicholas recently frightened his mom. Kate says that he stared at her with hatred. Ultimately, the problematic teenager wants to live with his dad.
“There must always be a struggle between a father and son, while one aims at power and the other at independence.” – Samuel Johnson
Peter welcomes Nicholas to stay at his spacious Manhattan flat, but this new arrangement crowds the posh space. Nicholas must share his father with Peter’s 30-something wife, Beth (Kirby), and their infant son, Theo. Most unfortunately, Nicholas doesn’t suddenly internalize the error of his ways, and this depressed, unfocused, and lazy kid transports his baggage from one parent’s abode to another.
Now, life forces this industrious attorney – with a new career prospect in Washington D.C. – to carve a substantial slice of his limited time to devote to his disturbed boy, who sinks his tangled roots into this (previously) drama-free household.
Zeller’s “The Father” feels like a play, and most of the 93-minute runtime occurs in one location.
Physically, “The Son” is not. Although a majority of the movie transpires in Peter and Beth’s domicile, the camera occasionally finds our lead at the office, a D.C. meeting, a lunch with Kate, and another spot that won’t be revealed in this review. More importantly, the film practically and emotionally traverses across the screen like just about every melodramatic family production you’ve ever seen, ones that can be found on Lifetime, OWN, or an ABC Afterschool Special that dominated the 1970s, 80s, and 90s.
“Father and son are natural enemies, and each is happier and more secure in keeping it that way.” – John Steinbeck
Various and predictable conversations between our lead and Nicholas, Kate, and Beth dominate the 122-minute runtime, where Peter attempts to find common ground, negotiate harmony in the home, strengthen his relationship with his kid, and provide a sturdy, reliable foundation for him. However, in most cases, the familiar storylines unremarkably play out. No, the subdued and sometimes animated pace doesn’t move glacially, but it may be accurate to compare its speed with The Big Apple’s traffic conundrums at 5 p.m. on a Wednesday...during a rainstorm…with construction delays.
Comparing Zeller’s two films might be a tad unfair, but “The Father” breaks tremendous ground with the subject of dementia by cleverly and thoughtfully presenting the ungodly affliction through the eyes of the man who suffers from it. That’s not the case with its big-screen offspring. Generally speaking, it feels like a procedural affair.
Still, “The Son” is not void of some notable highlights.
“Baseball is fathers and sons. Football is brothers beating each other up in the backyard.” – Donald Hall
Jackman delivers an impressive performance as a dad struggling to grasp Nicholas’ chaotic feelings and calibrate appropriate responses to the “alien” stimuli. As an audience, we can – always - clearly see Peter’s transparency of confusion, conflict, empathy, love, and exasperation, and Jackman carries the burden of communicating these disputing emotions like a Heavyweight Champion of the Modern-day Parental World. Indeed, moviegoing parents will better appreciate Peter’s maddening responsibilities than childless adults. The film doesn’t offer lifelines, but Zeller seems to say, “I see you, and I understand your struggles.”
Zeller also distinctly articulates that mothers and fathers can imprint damage upon their kids, solely based on short-term and long-term reactions to a child’s or teenager’s fret, disarray, or turmoil.
So, this cinematic experience has value, and Zeller is an important voice. Still, “The Son” doesn’t stand as tall as “The Father.”
Jeff’s ranking
2/4 stars
