Movie Breakdown: Fatherhood

Pre-Screening Stance:

Fatherhood looks pretty dang sappy, but I’ve got some faith in writer/director Paul Weitz (About A Boy, In Good Company, Admission) and have always generally liked Kevin Hart. Let’s give it a go!

Post-Screening Ramble:

Fatherhood is fine, but it kind of feels like someone went “Kevin Hart can legit act and I can prove it.” The film itself is centered around Matt (Hart), who suddenly finds himself tasked with raising his daughter all on his own after his wife suddenly dies post-child birth. No one – his family, friends, employer – believes he can do it, but Matt is determined to persevere and prove them wrong. And? Well, you can already guess what happens because Fatherhood isn’t geared to throw you for any loops. Likewise, outside of the challenges of being a single parent, the film doesn’t push Matt all that hard either, as his doubters also want to help him wherever possible and he has a great job that provides more than enough for him and his kid, but again, this movie is more of a showcase for Hart’s versatility than anything else. He jumps from emotionally crushed to bewildered to angry to funny or whatever else a particular scene needs, and he does it all pretty well. In that regard, I suppose, Fatherhood is a success. Overall though, the film never ascends beyond mildly engaging because there’s no effort to make it something more than just a dramatic vehicle for Hart.

If “not bad” is somewhere around your expectation level for this film, then check it out when it hits Netflix this Friday, June 18.

One Last Thing:

Anthony Carrigan is very, very funny as NoHo Hank in the show Barry and I was excited to see him in this, but he really doesn’t do much with the opportunity. He constantly looks like a guy who his somehow both entirely uncomfortable and overly relaxed – it’s kind of weird.