Wes Brown

This is a brilliant movie with a great message. Seth Rogen's portrayal of Heschel is wonderful, but this movie is much more than a comedy. Has a great message about family and sharing. I highly recommend this movie because it is funny, yet has meaningful depth.

This movie is the classic American story and no, I'm not comparing it to Shane. It's classic because it's the same tired, untrue story of where a family person brings real happiness which fame and fortune cannot do. Oh really? Well the plot itself says several times "families usually hate each other". My experience to be sure. That working class hero can't send his ADHD kid to special school, because she's "active". Hmmm, most active kids I've known are intelligent and bored to tears from a public curriculum on pace with the dumbest blob of a kid. But I digress. The movie is enjoyable, I watched it and was entertained but I think it's the work from a writer who has been on ADHD drugs in their childhood because no being a working stiff doesn't make you a hero and being a rich person doesn't make you a jerk. Danny Collins tried to connect and sent 'many checks' which were not cashed. Who's the dick? The mother and the son if you ask me. The wife being pregnant is salt of the earth, a nurturer life giver who loves her working hubby. Uh huh. This is Americana cliche' meant to maintain the status quo where the rich do come to their senses and share the money so no need to address the fact that if there was national health care & education of high quality, which most countries provide, the "heroes" wouldn't be in such a jam and have to accept the money from the mean old rich guy. Show me a working father who attends every baseball game yet provides everything in this cruel system and I'll show you an episode of Father Knows Best. I'm sure the producers mean well and are trying to send a positive message about redemption and living a good life but I think the producers are victims of this overwhelming Stockholm Syndrome in this country and by definition don't know it. It's okay to be rich, it's okay to be a working person, it's not okay to maintain this ridiculous income inequality and there's nothing wrong with being a famous artist. Watch the movie, but watch out because it's a trap. Well meaning trap yes, but the producers bite into this nonsensical trope of working class hero & rich are jerks - hook line and sinker.

I enjoyed this movie. The first few minutes are a little slow but the chemistry between Barb & Star kept me and I'm glad I stayed because it is fun. I laughed out loud a few times, which is rare these days and couldn't take my eyes off of the screen. I wondered what the heck those two nuts were going to do next and it has several surprises. Just let it happen, let them do what they're doing and I think you'll enjoy it.

The flashbacks & inserted imagery were too much and interrupted the flow of the film. Much of Anthony Hopkin's character's "psychic abilities" predictions, I predicted because they were obvious, and the film gave them away thus taking away the impact of Hopkin's ability. It just didn't work and it is a shame because of the excellent cast. It's not a horrible movie, and did pass the time for me, but that's about it.