Movie Review - Labor Day

Labor Day **½ (PG-13) Kate Winslet’s character has been severely depressed since her husband left to start a new family. That forces her early teenaged son (Gattlin Griffith) into being not just nominally the Man of the House, but her active caretaker, and sole emotional support. For reasons we eventually learn, Winslet has been virtually sleepwalking through life, barely able to leave the house for routine errands without young Henry.

While shopping for some basics, they’re approached by a wounded stranger (Josh Brolin) who quietly intimidates them into bringing him home. They soon learn he’s a convicted murderer who has just escaped from prison. He says he only wants to stay until dark so he can hop a train. But his medical condition and an assortment of other factors extend his sojourn during the titular holiday weekend.

The script serves up numerous elements of suspense. Brolin ingratiates himself with some cooking and long-overdue repairs; he acts quite fatherly towards Henry; he sparks some long-missing emotions in Kate - all while claiming not to be as bad as his criminal record indicates. Even so, Brolin’s glowering presence makes him seem capable of anything on the spectrum from good to vicious. How dangerous is he? Are bonds he’s forming with young Henry and his mom legit, the mood of the moment, or merely ploys to help his flight to freedom at any cost?

The performances are first-rate. The handsome Brolin has shown fine range, shifting from romantic leads to action heroes to men of menace and malice. Winslet deserved her Golden lobe nomination for keeping this wounded woman a sympathetic figure.

But Jason Reitman’s screenplay and direction from a Joyce Maynard novel fall well short of his achievements in Juno, Thank You for Smoking and Up in the Air. Some aspects of character and plot movement do not seem to have come from the lofty intellect and sensibilities that crafted such fine films. His efficiency in sustaining appropriate tension while fleshing out the motivations for the principals seems is diluted by scenes that run too long. Labor Day is still a worthy product. It’s just a letdown after Reitman spoiled us with his prior successes. (1/31/14)