Labor Day

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Plot

Depressed single mom Adele and her son Henry offer a wounded, fearsome man a ride. As police search town for the escaped convict, the mother and son gradually learn his true story as their options become increasingly limited.

Release Year: 2013

Rating: 6.7/10 (1,089 voted)

Director: Jason Reitman

Storyline

Depressed single mom Adele and her son Henry offer a wounded, fearsome man a ride. As police search town for the escaped convict, the mother and son gradually learn his true story as their options become increasingly limited.

Writers: ,

Details

Official Website:
Official site [Brazil]
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Paramount Pictures [United States]

Release Date:

Filming Locations: Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, USA

Technical Specs

Runtime:
111 min

User Review

Author:

Rating: 8/10


I attended the premiere of Labor Day at the Toronto International Film
Festival. Most people walked in expecting a Juno/Up in the Air style
comedy and if that's what you expect you'll be mildly surprised. The
film is darker that Reitman's usual works though you still recognize
the director's touch.

The movie tells the story of Adele (Kate Winslet), a woman who slowly
shut herself off from the world, relying heavily on her young son Henry
(Gattlin Griffith), whose father abandoned them to another wife and
other children. Enters a menacing escaped convict (Josh Brolin) who
finds refuge with Adele and her son as he tries to remain hidden from
the police.

The summary will have you believe that 'the mother and son gradually
learn his true story as their options become increasingly limited.' or
that the family realizes they're now prisoners in their own home which
makes it sound like the movie is going to be some sort of Panic Room 2
but the story is nothing like that. As Adele and her son get to know
the prisoner, they both find the family they've been longing for.

It's a beautiful story despite being somewhat implausible but I found
what mattered wasn't the story we see, so much as witnessing the
characters finally having a shot at happiness and how the remainder of
their days is shaped by this weekend they spent together. This film
isn't driven by dialogue as much as Reitman's other films were. The
director has said in interviews that he found it challenging to do a
movie where there was little dialogue (he actually said without music
or dialogue and I walked in half expecting to see a silent film.) He
worked around it by having Tobey Maguire narrate the film as an older
Henry. The narration works though I think the film could have done
without it as well. Don't let the whole 'silent' thing keep you from
seeing this film, I found there was enough dialogue, and there is music
as well though unlike Juno it doesn't play as a whole hipster
soundtrack.

The movie is more subtle yet more raw, slower than his usual films and
it lets the actors take us through every emotion. Kate Winslet is a
terrific actress and she gave a beautiful performance as Adele, very
convincingly portraying a woman who's given up on living. Josh Brolin
was great as well, giving us both a tough convict and a soft hearted
man at times. Gattlin Griffith was great at a kid who grew up faster
than he should. I'm always very iffy when it comes to child actors but
he pulled it off very well.

In conclusion, Labor Day is a different, more adult and more mature
film from Jason Reitman. It's a nice transitions from his previous
comedies and goes a bit deeper than his other films, bringing tension,
tears and some laughs. Whether you're already a Reitman fan or not, I
recommend this film, you'll be pleasantly surprised.