Based on the true life memoirs of Jeanette Walls, this movie covers a lot of ground. Dysfunctional family drama. Coming of age tale. Discussion about parenthood. Dreamers vs Realists. Money. The premise covers multiple decades, but the one thematic arc that will make or break this film for people is likely the one about parenthood. By the end of the narrative, it will ask you to feel a certain way about the parents in this story. The problem there, is that you may not completely agree with their messaging. It's definitely perfect for a lengthy discussion, but it may just be the primary reason somebody may or may not like this movie.
While the movie has many scenes depicting happy moments that should make you smile, there's still a lot of darkness to what happens to the characters. I suppose that's the crux of this drama, and the most compelling aspect of the tale. You see this family go through a life journey, the good and the bad times. They face a lot of challenges in this movie, from dealing with how to get away from paying the hospital bill, to how long they can stay in a home before they get kicked out, how to teach a child how to swim, or how to make a meal out of butter and sugar.
I myself was invested in what happened to these characters, and some of those heartbreaking moments were truly heartbreaking. One could argue that some of those scenes can be seen as derivative plot cliches, but I thought they were handled well enough to give me that emotional reaction. What I thought helped a lot with my attachment to the characters is the great cast. Brie Larson, Woody Harrelson, and Naomi Watts, were all as good as expected, but I want to in particular give kudos to Ella Anderson and Chandler Head for their fantastic performances as Young and Youngest Jeanette, respectively.
There is quite a bit of idealism and sentimentality in this movie that will rub people the wrong way. I'm not even sure how good of an adaptation it is to the book, but I'm sure that will also rub people the wrong way. I think there's a case to say that this isn't as strong of a drama as it should be, but I thought it was good enough to get my full attention despite some flaws.
lovedit ENJOYED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible
