Even though the plot of “Labor Day” sounds like something plucked right out of Lifetime’s primetime television lineup, I was still optimistic considering the talent involved in the project. I greatly respect Jason Reitman as a screenwriter and a director. It also features Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin – two very capable performers who have done some great work during their careers. But I approached the film with a level of skepticism. Could Reitman deliver an intelligent romantic drama or would it be formulaic mush befitting a Harlequin novel?
First the story. The film takes place in the fictional town of Holton Mills, New Hampshire during a hot Labor Day weekend in 1987. 13-year old Henry (Gattlin Griffith) is a sweet and responsible boy who takes care of his severely depressed single mother Adele (Winslet). A number of terrible misfortunes have left her an emotional wreck so much so that their once-a-month trips to the supermarket triggers her anxiety. During one of those trips they encounter an escaped and injured felon named Frank (Brolin) who “convinces” them to drive him to their home. Once there he hopes to lay low until his wounds heal and he can skip town.
As every trailer and television commercial has already shared, Frank isn’t a terrible guy. We get some threatening vibes from him, but as escaped convicts doing time for murder usually go, he is pretty docile. He quickly connects with Adele and Henry, filling all sorts of fatherly and husband-like voids in their lives. He begins fixing things around the house, he teaches Henry how to throw a baseball, and a romance is sparked with Adele. The three create a beautiful fantasy-like world within the homeplace, but right outside is the reality of Frank’s past and his status as a wanted man.
In lesser hands this could have ended up a mushy, clichéd mess. Fortunately Reitman handles the material in a way that keeps that from happening. But not completely. There are a few incredibly sappy bits that hit us head-on. For example there is one scene where Frank reveals his culinary aptitude. In it we get a sequence ripped straight from the signature scene in “Ghost” except here the clay is replaced by peaches. We also get some schmaltzy lines of dialogue such as Frank saying in just the right romantic tone “I’ve come to save you Adele”.
There are also a couple of narrative choices that didn’t really work for me. There is an odd little diversion that gets into Henry’s pubescent struggles. Through it we meet an eccentric young girl who serves as his introduction to puberty. Both she and the entire story angle is underdeveloped and tacked on. We also get the old tried-and-true method of telling Frank’s backstory through a series of random flashbacks. They get the job done but it is a pretty conventional approach.
But despite all of these jabs I’ve thrown its way, “Labor Day” still manages to work. Other than the few hiccups, Reitman creates a small-scale intimacy that I connected with. Most importantly he gives us three main characters that we genuinely care about. This is important because when the film stumbles I still wanted to stay with these characters. I also love how Reitman uses the camera. He frames some beautiful shots and I love his visual perspective. And of course there are the two lead performances. Winslet has always been great at playing women in some form of anguish. Here she does it again with striking authenticity. Brolin’s rugged looks and charming sincerity are perfect for the role and helps their chemistry.
So clearly “Labor Day” has some issues but it also has some undeniable strengths. It can be a little too sappy and the melodrama can be extremely heavy. But it also has a sweet story with a lot of heart at its core. It all comes down to your ability to just go with it and get lost in the story. If you’re able to do that there is enough here to like. If you can’t then more than likely the film’s flaws will be all too glaring.
Keith & the Movies 
I think that’s the most positive review I’ve read for this one.
I hope I like it as much as you do, should I ever see it.
Thanks man. As I mentioned, it’s a movie that you have to just go with. If you can do that it’s fairly enjoyable. I could day that to a point. On the other hand I can perfectly understand those who don’t like it. It had plenty of issues.
Good review Keith. I’m glad Reitman decided to get outside of his comfort-zone a bit, but there is a better way to go about it. However, I still have to give him credit for trying, nonetheless.
Thanks. It’s definitely a different direction for Reitman. I’m with you, I’m not sure if this was the best result. Still I did find it to be a slightly above average film that entertained me.
Glad to see this actually scoring a more positive review. I am very willing to go watch it at some point regardless. Tacked on things never work, when are writers going to realize this?
I hear ya! These underdeveloped and thrown in side stories just bog things down. Yet we see it all the time.
Thanks for reading.
This has barely figured on my radar to be honest. Not something I reckon I’ll be seeing until it comes on TV or VOD or something. We’re still getting some of the big Oscar films so not sure I’ll have time for this one.
I can understand. It’s certainly not one that I would say you need to rush to the theater to see. Only a slight recommendation and it can wait till DVD. 😉
I saw this recently. Stay tuned. I’ll be writing a review for this by the weekend and uh it’s not going to be pretty. Ha ha. Nice review. Glad you enjoyed it at least.
Ha! I’ll keep my eyes out for it. As I mentioned, it’s a movie that you can enjoy IF you’re able to just go with it. If not, it’s going to sink like a brick. I’m giving it a slight recommendation namely because of the strong lead performances, I cared about the lead characters, and I enjoy how Reitman shoots a film. All of that helped me make it through the loads of sap we get (just barely though).
http://fastfilmreviews.com/2014/02/02/labor-day/
I prefer positive reviews even when one could type all day about what’s wrong with a film. Your three star verdict is about the best I will see, no doubt!
Probably. Ha Ha. I try not to read many reviews until after I write mine (if it’s a film I know I’m going to see soon). That said, I was aware that most reviews of the film were negative. But there are some positives. For example Richard Roeper gave it an “A”. I certainly don’t agree with that it’s that good of a movie, but he shared a thought I had – If you can just put somethings aside and go with the story, there’s entertainment to be had here.
The story line just sounds so utterly implausible to me. I”m struggling to imagine how it would work.
I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s implausible. It has enough corn to make a casserole and it does require you to simply accept certain things. It certainly won’t win any awards for best script but it has enough going that I got some enjoyment out of it.
Great post, may give this a watch as I’m a fan of Kate Winslet.
She’s definitely a strength of the film. Her and Brolin’s performances are key reasons why I can overlook some of the narrative flaws.
Nice review Keith. To be honest, even w/ Kate Winslet in it, I’m not all that interested in seeing this. Maybe on a slow night I might rent it. Glad it’s not as horrible as I thought it’d be though. Somehow I’m getting a Nicholas Sparks’ vibe from the trailer, and that’s NOT a good thing in my book, ahah.
It doesn’t quite sink to Sparks levels (thank goodness). I pretty much rebel against anything Sparks brings to film. That said, this isn’t something you need to rush to the theater to see. A rainy night watch at home would perfectly suffice! 🙂
Ahah, so we agree that we’re not fond of Sparks then. I’m not even all that crazy about The Notebook, everyone’s fave rom-com as it were. I only like it because of the older couples storyline.
Btw, I’m not too fond of Josh Brolin either in general, though he’s perhaps the best performer in Gangster Squad.
Ahh. I kinda like Brolin but he seems tailored to pretty specific types of roles. I thought he was pretty good here. But if you aren’t a fan, I can see this not winning you over.
Great review Keith! You are far more optimistic than anything I have seen as of yet. Maybe I will look into it at some stage!
Thanks. You shouldn’t feel the need to rush to see it. It certainly doesn’t have that kind of attraction. But there is a little entertainment there.
Great review bro! I was going to overlook this one initially but I’ll give it a go. The cast and Reitman should be worthwhile.
Thanks man. Just keep your expectations in check. It should have been a better film. Still Winslet is always good even if the material is “meh”. She and Brolin manage to make me care about these characters.
Good review here, Keith. I’m a bit surprised to see Reitman deliver something like this. I’ll still check it out since I have enjoyed the rest of his work so far, but this does sound a bit disappointing.
Thanks man. This is really a departure for him. I understand that he was wanting to try some new things. We do get a glimpse of some of the things that have made him a good filmmaker. But as a whole it doesn’t live up to his past work. I still found some enjoyment here but it could have been a better movie.
Nice review buddy!
I’m glad to read your thoughts on this one, am hoping to check it out myself soon.
Thanks man! Again, not a great movie. Still I was able to go with it and got some entertainment from it.
Nice review. Sounds like some great character sketches, besides the flaws you’ve mentioned. Am yet to find this, and am really keen on watching this. Great fan of KW, I’ve watched almost all her movies.
She’s really good here. I just wish she had a better overall story to work with. It definitely requires you to just except its premise and go with it.