Now on DVD the movie Lullaby has a big name cast that’s enticing, but first time Director Andrew Levitas fails to deliver a good script beyond the first act. Emotionally driven the drama tugs a few times too many at the heartstrings creating more of a maudlin film that dampens the entertainment value. A disappointment for me as the initial first chapter looked like it was heading for a big hit.
The story follows Jonathan (Garrett Hedlund) a 25 year old who has come home after several years to visit his dying father Robert (Richard Jenkins). Losing to cancer, Robert has a limited time to live and we find him in the hospital on a ventilator. His wife Rachel (Anne Archer) has been helping him fight the disease over the past 12 years while both Jonathan and their daughter Karen (Jessica Brown-Findlay) have been occupied with their lives elsewhere. Jonathan has been estranged from the family traveling with a band and we find out why as the film spools out. On the other hand, Karen completed law school and has been closer to the family situation.
On this day we find Jonathan arriving at the hospital, not in a very good mood due to a disturbance he caused with smoking on his flight. He enters the hospital room where his mom greets him with a warm hug. Not long after he gets informed that his dad wants to pull the plug and end the long battle of pain. ‘Going off’ to the stairwell with a rant, he meets Meredith (Jessica Barden) a 17-year-old with bone cancer. The two strike up a conversation and a friendship of sorts begins. When Karen files for an injunction to stop what she feels is an assisted suicide, everyone takes a step back and tries to get control of the situation and themselves.
The film sets up a lot of drama involving family relationships, dealing with a heartbreaking illness, a broken romance and commitments to future goals. First time director Andrew Levitas opens his film with a very good premise that most everyone can relate in one way or another. The thought of being a cancer victim has far reaching affects that touch all ages in all walks of life and Levitas brings it to the screen up close and personal. At first centering on the family problems using flash backs through the eyes of Jonathan, the film moves on to a relationship with an old girlfriend Emily (played by Amy Adams), involvement with Meredith, bother sister differences, religious beliefs, his band, and other unresolved issues. Levitas also adds some aside emotional trauma including Karen’s objection to her father ending his life, her involvement with a married man and dealing with a decision involving her father’s estate.
The movie tries too hard to have a poignant effect on its audience and the film starts to waver between characters and situations. The Emily and Jonathan relationship takes center stage in the second act and actually weakens the film with meaningless concerns. I could muster no empathy for either character at this point, or reason why it should even be included in this movie that’s really about a family divided. Ok, I’m going to say it. Using Amy Adams in a role so lame could only be a ploy to boost the film’s awareness. Even walk on roles by Jennifer Hudson as a nurse and Terrance Howard as the attending physician are a waste of awesome talent.
On the upside, the performance by Jessica Barden as Meredith the teen who has but a few months to live is very touching and real. The scenes actually steal the show and are more heartrending than any of the other subplots. I found this segment openly thoughtful bringing awareness to the plight of a whole hospital wing of youngsters who are fighting cancer.
There’s not much else I can say about Lullaby other than it is rated R by the MPAA for language and brief drug use. The film also has teen smoking and some not so funny rants by Jennifer Hudson as a nurse livid with the attitudes of the family members. I found it kind of rude that out of nowhere Levatis stages a family Passover Seder for Robert in a hospital Christian chapel among statues and stained glass windows of Madonna and Child. Derogatory language is thrown around somewhat as well during their feast. Jonathan is asked to recite a Kaddish which is a prayer for a deceased parent, not the living. Was there not an auditorium or non denominational chapel in the hospital they could have used? A bit more research would have also revealed that one cannot talk readily with a ventilator hooked up to one’s throat.
Specifications and additional film information:
- Cast: Amy Adams, Terrence Howard, Anne Archer, Garrett Hedlund, Jennifer Hudson, Jessica Brown-Findlay, Richard Jenkins and Jessica Barden
- Director: Andrew Levitas
- MPAA Rating: R for language and brief drug use, also teen smoking
- Genre: Drama
- Running Time: 1 hr 57 min
- Video Release Date: July 29, 2014
- Original Film Release Date: June 13, 2014
- Language: English
- Format: DVD
- Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
- Video: 16×9 Widescreen,
- Subtitles: English SDH
- Number of Discs: 1 Disc
- Distributed by: ARC Entertainment
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
