The Hollars (2016)

Powerful

Don't Believe the Hype

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

A story of dynamics in a small modern family and how love brings theme closer after many challenges.

If you were to create a spoof of independent family dramedies, it might share a lot in common with "The Hollars." That's not to knock the relatable, familiar and big-hearted intentions of writer Jim Strouse and director/star John Krasinski ("The Office"), but their movie is rife with not just clichés, but the most obvious clichés. Most people could guess what will happen after witnessing just the first 20 minutes.Like so many films before it, a major family occurrence brings the main character, in this case John Hollar (Krasinski), home from his big city life to his middle America hometown and into old and challenging dynamics. That inciting incident is news that mama Sally Hollar (Margo Martindale) has been diagnosed with an advanced brain tumor. Each Hollar takes the news differently, and it turns out that's not all they have to contend with; patriarch Don's (Richard Jenkins) family business is failing and older brother living at home, Ron (Sharlto Copley), is crossing the line with his ex-wife and two daughters. Oh, and John's girlfriend (Anna Kendrick) is eight months pregnant.Strouse's story doesn't just embrace clichés, it leans into them. John has to face his high school sweetheart (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and her high-strung boyfriend (Charlie Day) who "happens" to be his mom's nurse; Ron contends with his ex's seemingly perfect youth pastor boyfriend (Josh Groban); Sally has emotional trouble shaving her head in preparation for her surgery. And that's without mentioning the pregnant girlfriend. No character's behavior, circumstances or outcome comes as any surprise.In spite of it all, the film attracted all these terrific names in the parentheses above, and they lift Strouse's script about as high as it can go. The moments of the film that work work because of the talent. Krasinski does not offer much as a director to tell this story in a way that extends beyond the banal framework of the family that contends with big feelings and comes together in the face of adversity."The Hollars" will surely find fans in viewers who enjoy recognizable on-screen talent in a movie that's story safely goes where they want it to go, with its "profound" moments punctuated by indie folk music. Sure, the reason filmmakers started making movies like this in the first place was because there was something real, honest and tangible about this setup, and "The Hollars" touches these same universal themes and feelings. But Strouse's script feels more like a smattering of conveniently chosen archetypes, scenarios and personality traits weaved together to create that story instead of finding its own voice.Especially considering the talents of Krasinski, Kendrick, Jenkins, Martingale, etc. the lack of originality creates a staggering amount of apathy for their characters and the cookie-cutter ups and downs of the story. There's something bizarre about seeing moments in this film that are well-acted and come from such a sincere place, but feel empty because they go down exactly as you'd expect a movie to draw them up. Empathy requires novel moments in which viewers feel compelled to put themselves in a character's shoes. "The Hollars" proves that the key word in that formula is "novel," because if we've already pondered all of these exact predicaments depicted in a film, it's not so exciting to put on that old pair of shoes, even when they offer some familiar comforts.~Steven CThanks for reading! Visit Movie Muse Reviews for more

This movie has good acting first of all, a story that can happen to all humans, is 'nt boring at all - in spite of the sad theme of mother's illness. I was watching it with enough interest then came the scene where ill mother escapes with her son to have a dinner outside at a restaurant, celebrating with a dinner, before next day's operation. She is oh my God! with no scarf, or hat on her totally razed head, ready for the next day's operation! I'm sure, such an idea could never occur to anybody! On the other hand, the end with the sad final scene, seems real, brings in mind, the well known saying, operation succeeded, patient died! For that, I think, this movie doesn't reserve more, cause of bizarre writing details. We see comforting son, saying that is tired, or has enough, from his relationship and afterwards, admitting that he loves and wants to be together! Anyway, the dialogues are good enough but somewhere control over reality is getting lost.

I could nitpick and find a trillion faults with this movie. The direction lacks any sort of inspiration, letting the viewer actually "feel" the passive way Krasinski chooses to go about treating the all-star cast. Thankfully, most of the actors seem to know what they're doing so, albeit lukewarm directorially, the performances somewhat save the day.My opinion, unless he seriously ups his game, JC really needs to keep his front-of-camera day job and leave the technicalities to those with a more creative eye. Onwards.The writing is inconsistent, varying from incoherent to brilliant which, let's just say is not good for those with short attention spans. Like a screenwriter's hoarding wasteland, the plot is crammed with all sorts of random subplots that add nothing to the story, ultimately resulting in frustrating loose ends - so be prepared to invest and be disappointed.Now, for the surprise. I actually enjoyed this movie. Emotional manipulation, forced drama and all, on the back of the magnificent chemistry between Martindale and Jenkings, Krasinski's dead-pan despondence, Day's irrational wit, and Kendrick's refreshingly grounded performance, I was thoroughly entertained. The movie offers quite a few pieces of quotable dialogue and peppered with humorous lacings, certain melodramatic sequences that border on the twee never quite tip over to the cringe-inducing side, keeping the drama basic but real.All said and done, this would have been a two-star, forgettable annoyance, yet it somehow succeeded in gripping my attention enough for me to enjoy the otherwise menial material.From me, three stars and never forget that Margo Martindale is one of the great ones.