Wish I Hadn't Watched This Movie
Film: Wish I Was Here (2014). Young Actress: Joey King, age 14.
Why does Zach Braff make movies? Maybe he does it so that he can make out with women far more attractive than he is. (In Garden State, it was Natalie Portman, and here, it's Kate Hudson, from Raising Helen.) Maybe he does it because he feels that men should be celebrated for putting a bare minimum of effort into their lives. That's what this movie expects viewers to do with Braff's character Aidan, a unsuccessful actor and successful slacker. Aidan's father Gabe (Mandy Patinkin) pays the tuition for his two kids - teenager Grace (Joey) and her younger brother Tucker (Pierce Gagnon) - to attend a private Jewish school, while Aidan's wife Sarah (Hudson) works uncomplainingly at a job that she hates to pay for everything else. Aidan spends his days going to auditions, even though he hasn't gotten a role in years.
But after Gabe is diagnosed with terminal cancer, he's no longer able to pay the tuition bill for his grandkids. Convinced that his kids are too good to attend public school and that he's too good to get a job and pay the tuition himself, Aidan impulsively decides to homeschool them. A few painfully cliched "bumbling dad" scenes follow. At the same time, Aidan is planning his dad's funeral, taking care of his dad's dog, and trying to convince his estranged brother (Josh Gad, Beauty and the Beast) to start speaking to their dad again before he dies. It's impressive that even under those circumstances, Aidan still manages to be a selfish, unsympathetic jerk. The movie also contains some really cheap, pointless pop culture references, like Aidan's brother making a crude tweet about Miley Cyrus.
Grace (with Tucker and Aidan) starts wearing a purple wig after shaving her head. Aidan lets a car salesman believe that she has cancer so that he can test-drive a sports car. The speed limit doesn't apply to him. What a great parent.
Joey's excellent performance as Grace is the highlight of the movie for me. As a teenager, she of course shows some moodiness - at one point, she shaves her head to make some sort of a statement - but for the most part, Grace is one of the few genuinely likable, realistic characters in this film. Her hospital visit to cheer up her dying grandfather has more heart in it than anything else, and there's also a touching scene of Aidan teaching her to swim near the end. If you're a Joey fan, this movie is worth watching, but be warned that you'll probably come out of it furious at Zach Braff.
LINKS
Photos of Joey at the premiere can be seen here.
Other reviews of Joey's movies: The Conjuring (2013).
Why does Zach Braff make movies? Maybe he does it so that he can make out with women far more attractive than he is. (In Garden State, it was Natalie Portman, and here, it's Kate Hudson, from Raising Helen.) Maybe he does it because he feels that men should be celebrated for putting a bare minimum of effort into their lives. That's what this movie expects viewers to do with Braff's character Aidan, a unsuccessful actor and successful slacker. Aidan's father Gabe (Mandy Patinkin) pays the tuition for his two kids - teenager Grace (Joey) and her younger brother Tucker (Pierce Gagnon) - to attend a private Jewish school, while Aidan's wife Sarah (Hudson) works uncomplainingly at a job that she hates to pay for everything else. Aidan spends his days going to auditions, even though he hasn't gotten a role in years.
But after Gabe is diagnosed with terminal cancer, he's no longer able to pay the tuition bill for his grandkids. Convinced that his kids are too good to attend public school and that he's too good to get a job and pay the tuition himself, Aidan impulsively decides to homeschool them. A few painfully cliched "bumbling dad" scenes follow. At the same time, Aidan is planning his dad's funeral, taking care of his dad's dog, and trying to convince his estranged brother (Josh Gad, Beauty and the Beast) to start speaking to their dad again before he dies. It's impressive that even under those circumstances, Aidan still manages to be a selfish, unsympathetic jerk. The movie also contains some really cheap, pointless pop culture references, like Aidan's brother making a crude tweet about Miley Cyrus.
Grace (with Tucker and Aidan) starts wearing a purple wig after shaving her head. Aidan lets a car salesman believe that she has cancer so that he can test-drive a sports car. The speed limit doesn't apply to him. What a great parent.
Joey's excellent performance as Grace is the highlight of the movie for me. As a teenager, she of course shows some moodiness - at one point, she shaves her head to make some sort of a statement - but for the most part, Grace is one of the few genuinely likable, realistic characters in this film. Her hospital visit to cheer up her dying grandfather has more heart in it than anything else, and there's also a touching scene of Aidan teaching her to swim near the end. If you're a Joey fan, this movie is worth watching, but be warned that you'll probably come out of it furious at Zach Braff.
LINKS
Photos of Joey at the premiere can be seen here.
Other reviews of Joey's movies: The Conjuring (2013).