Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin take a day off from ambitious work with Ivan Reitman's soapy man-on-the-run tale
The credits say "Labor Day" was written and directed by Jason Reitman from Joyce Maynard's novel. But that must be a mistake, because surely this is a Nicholas Sparks movie?
Let's compare the evidence.
Reitman makes subversive dramedies about sharp teens ("Juno") and disconnected adults ("Up in the Air") who embrace their cynicism or inhumanity ("Thank You for Smoking").
Sparks writes swoony, sun-dappled romantic fantasies ("The Notebook") that serve as the cinematic equivalent of a candle-lit bubble bath ("Nights in Rodanthe," "Dear John").
"Labor Day" recounts the swoony, sun-dappled romantic fantasy of a lonely, depressed single mother (Kate Winslet). Miraculously, she finds true love in a mystery man (Josh Brolin) who not only sweeps her off her feet, but voluntarily sweeps her floor.
Case closed.
Except there are signs that "Labor Day" is actually the work of an expert filmmaker, what with the heartfelt performances and the well-curated 1980s setting.
So Reitman has decided to expand his repertoire - and, mostly, he does it well. But make no mistake: This is the best original movie Lifetime will never have the budget to make.
Reitman is assisted by two pros who never treat the job as if it's beneath them.
Winslet's sad, exhausted Adele is doing her best to raise 13-year-old Henry (Gattlin Griffith). That changes on Labor Day weekend, 1987, when an escaped prisoner (Brolin) takes shelter in their home.
They're terrified at first, but Frank doesn't actually seem like such a bad guy. In fact, it's not long before he's doing their laundry, teaching Henry how to play baseball and cooking dinner for his increasingly willing hostages.
Once he shows Adele how to bake a peach pie, it pretty much seals the deal. She's found her soulmate, Henry's got the new dad he needs and Frank embraces the opportunity to create a family after years in jail.
Of course, he is still a very wanted man (and not just by Adele). Every time Officer Treadwell (James Van Der Beek) drives by the house on lookout, this unlikely idyll seems more and more tenuous.
Tobey Maguire's narration (as the adult Henry) is superfluous, and the flashbacks of Frank's past are awkwardly handled. But Brolin and Winslet develop a nice connection, and we really do want to see their characters find happiness together. The leafy New England setting, shot with appropriate but not ostentatious gauziness, adds to the romantic appeal.
It's just too bad Reitman himself takes the project so seriously. He's too good to make a campy guilty pleasure, so he winds up with lightweight escapism instead. From the guy who gave us the brilliant "Up in the Air," that's an undeniable comedown.
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