If the emotional scars that people carry around with them were visible, many of us would be a mess. Yet the fact that this damage isn’t apparent doesn’t make it any less real or debilitating. We try our best to cope with it or treat ourselves to the extent that we’re able. We continue through life with these wounds, telling ourselves and others that we’re alright. Occasionally, there are times of healing, when real strides can be made toward recovery.
Labor Day, adapted for screen and directed by Jason Reitman, is the story of such a period of rehabilitation. The film recounts a long weekend in the late summer of 1987 when the injuries of the past are undone to a greater or lesser extent for three damaged individuals.
Henry, portrayed by Gattlin Griffith, is the 12-year-old son of Adele (Kate Winslet). He’s stayed with her and done as much as a kid can to help his mom after his father has left them for his secretary. The two are limping through their isolated lives together in a small New England town when they come across an escaped convict named Frank (Josh Brodin) while out shopping. He convinces them to take him back to their house so he can lay low until he has the chance to slip out of town. Inevitably, Frank ends up staying longer than he’d initially planned and the time the three of them spend together is cathartic for everyone.
Reitman’s adaptation of Joyce Maynard’s novel has its strengths and weaknesses. While the idea that people thrust together by fate can be a salvation from one another is appealing, the scenario where a mother, no matter how lonely or vulnerable, would give a ride to a strange man she’d just met in a dollar store strains credibility. I found myself going along with this development and others, realizing that they were necessary to move the story along. This brings up another flaw; the predictability of the narrative. I kind of knew where things were headed and kept getting the feeling that I’d seen parts or variations of this tale before. That being said, there were still enough positive aspects of the story to make it moderately enjoyable.
At the center of Labor Day are these three characters; Henry, Adele and Frank. Their interactions and the development of their relationships are the interesting aspects of the film. The boy is the protagonist and the story is recounted from his adult point of view. He’s angry at his dad for leaving them and needs the reassurance a father provides. Adele and Frank have suffered tragedy in their lives. Their backstories come out sporadicly in flashbacks throughout the movie. They relate to each other in a way that only those who’ve experienced great loss can.
Kate Winslet, Josh Brodin and Gattlin Griffith all give solid, understated performances. Brodin’s Frank probably leaves the strongest impression with his assertiveness, physical presence and profound decency. None of the secondary actors in the film really have a chance to shine as their roles are generally small and their characters one-dimensional.
I commend Jason Reitman for keeping things low-key. Other directors might have felt that such a situation called for more drama and bigger performances. Reitman seems to realize that characters nursing emotional wounds are more prone to muted discourse than spirited theatrics.
There’s nothing particularly eye-catching or memorable about Labor Day. It hasn’t received a tremendous amount of critical acclaim or done a ton of business at the box office. What I can say for this movie is that it makes a concerted effort at quiet, ernest sincerity. The extent to which it achieves that will vary from viewer to viewer but I appreciate the attempt. For certain individuals, who can identify with these characters, that might be enough.
Labor Day is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned) for brief violence and sexuality.
