Change seems to some in two extremes: overwhelming and imperceptible. LAAH is about change in both varieties. George (Kevin Kline), the main character, experiences several hard-hitting changes to his life within a matter of days. The biggest change is that he doesn't have long to live. After a 4 day stay in the hospital contemplating this news, he takes charge of his life and sets about fixing some of the things that are broken in his life.
(minor spoilers)
The story shines best because it doesn't dwell on George's illness. We don't see any doctors or hospitals until the very end. Instead, we see George pushing his life, trying to better himself and the people his life touches. In re-establishing a relationship with his son and ex-wife, George discovers happiness in his life that had previously been only an unrealized potential. In parallel, the house he builds mirrors the emotional ties he mends. And we find ourselves captured by the positive energy that George is able to give to those around him.
Missing is George's transition from simply meandering through life to taking charge of his life: we see the results, but never gain insight into his character. We see George find out about his illness, and later see him full of purpose. The gap in between would have helped establish his motivation.
Also missing is Sam's transition from rebelling from George to accepting him. This should have been a much bigger obstacle for the characters to tackle. Sam had stopped listening to his parents, having lost respect for them. He has installed a lock on the door to his room and refuses to answer their knock. He separates and distances himself from others. His prominent piercings and blue hair stand out against his more conservative classmates, who accuse him of being a 'freak'. Curiously, after ignoring other people, he listens to George after a brief 3 minute lecture, which initiates a change in his behavior. Unfortunately, this is out of character for Sam without some motivating factor.
Kevin Kline does a decent job playing George. There are a several scenes where he appears to be too strong and in control for a person as sick as George, but this is minor. In one scene he is taking morphine for pain and is out of it so much that his speech is slurred. He raises his head off his pillow for a moment, but when he sets it down he displays a control that shouldn't be there.
Hayden Christensen is well suited as Sam. I am convinced that if I were to meet him in person, I would dislike him for being that 'young with attitude' person he seems to be so good at playing (and I won't even mention Star Wars...). Hayden's character stumbles through a life which doesn't hold much purpose for him. Unfortunately, I haven't seen Hayden act any other way, so I can't tell if this is a skill or by accident. Perhaps they could have just flashed some more of his young, tight body on screen to make up for it. Another near-miss is Sam's uneven angst. He tells his family he wishes they would all go away and leave him alone. In other scenes, he talks about love, even though he has yet to find his first love in life.
Several small sub-plots should have lived only long enough to make it to the cutting room floor, including the one involving Josh and Helene. Suffice it to say that they didn't add anything to the heart of the story, leaving the impression that they were simply tacked on to amuse bored viewers who couldn't handle the main plot.
This movie doesn't fit the typical style of movie I tend to watch. This isn't because I am insensitive to emotional dramas, but rather that I am sensitized to images of death, having watched my brother die over a period of years.
In closing, there were a lot of difficult, emotional things that the movie got right, and a lot of small things that were uneven and wrong. Overall, I enjoyed this movie and would watch it again.
(minor spoilers)
The story shines best because it doesn't dwell on George's illness. We don't see any doctors or hospitals until the very end. Instead, we see George pushing his life, trying to better himself and the people his life touches. In re-establishing a relationship with his son and ex-wife, George discovers happiness in his life that had previously been only an unrealized potential. In parallel, the house he builds mirrors the emotional ties he mends. And we find ourselves captured by the positive energy that George is able to give to those around him.
Missing is George's transition from simply meandering through life to taking charge of his life: we see the results, but never gain insight into his character. We see George find out about his illness, and later see him full of purpose. The gap in between would have helped establish his motivation.
Also missing is Sam's transition from rebelling from George to accepting him. This should have been a much bigger obstacle for the characters to tackle. Sam had stopped listening to his parents, having lost respect for them. He has installed a lock on the door to his room and refuses to answer their knock. He separates and distances himself from others. His prominent piercings and blue hair stand out against his more conservative classmates, who accuse him of being a 'freak'. Curiously, after ignoring other people, he listens to George after a brief 3 minute lecture, which initiates a change in his behavior. Unfortunately, this is out of character for Sam without some motivating factor.
Kevin Kline does a decent job playing George. There are a several scenes where he appears to be too strong and in control for a person as sick as George, but this is minor. In one scene he is taking morphine for pain and is out of it so much that his speech is slurred. He raises his head off his pillow for a moment, but when he sets it down he displays a control that shouldn't be there.
Hayden Christensen is well suited as Sam. I am convinced that if I were to meet him in person, I would dislike him for being that 'young with attitude' person he seems to be so good at playing (and I won't even mention Star Wars...). Hayden's character stumbles through a life which doesn't hold much purpose for him. Unfortunately, I haven't seen Hayden act any other way, so I can't tell if this is a skill or by accident. Perhaps they could have just flashed some more of his young, tight body on screen to make up for it. Another near-miss is Sam's uneven angst. He tells his family he wishes they would all go away and leave him alone. In other scenes, he talks about love, even though he has yet to find his first love in life.
Several small sub-plots should have lived only long enough to make it to the cutting room floor, including the one involving Josh and Helene. Suffice it to say that they didn't add anything to the heart of the story, leaving the impression that they were simply tacked on to amuse bored viewers who couldn't handle the main plot.
This movie doesn't fit the typical style of movie I tend to watch. This isn't because I am insensitive to emotional dramas, but rather that I am sensitized to images of death, having watched my brother die over a period of years.
In closing, there were a lot of difficult, emotional things that the movie got right, and a lot of small things that were uneven and wrong. Overall, I enjoyed this movie and would watch it again.