Shadows on the Wall | Sam & Kate

Sam & Kate

dir-scr Darren Le Gallo
prd Ben Shields Catlin, Orian Williams, Darren Le Gallo, Cindy Bru, Ford Corbett
with Jake Hoffman, Schuyler Fisk, Dustin Hoffman, Sissy Spacek, Henry Thomas, Elizabeth Faith Ludlow, Tyler Labine, Elizabeth Becka, Dylan McNamara, Pat Dortch, Larry Larson, DeMorris Stroud
release US 11.Nov.22
22/US 1h50

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Iconic actors Dustin Hoffman and Sissy Spacek team up with their real-life children Jake Hoffman and Schuyler Fisk in this warmly effective holiday comedy-drama. There's nothing terribly original going on here, but writer-director Darren Le Gallo and his ace cast infuse the film with the charm of a comfy armchair by a cracking fireplace. And there's just enough edgy humour and honest emotion to keep things feeling fresh.

Returning to his small hometown, Sam (Jake Hoffman) is looking after his ailing but still cantankerous father Bill (Dustin Hoffman). Exploring the town, Sam has a spark of attraction with bookshop owner Kate (Fisk), who isn't ready to date. But they get to know each other, and are happy when Kate's mother Tina (Spacek) makes her own connection with Bill. Each person has deeper issues they will need to grapple with, including health problems, awkward secrets and past pain. And although their hearts are in the right place, none of them make it very easy.

Offbeat character details add interest, echoed in witty remarks and strongly well-played interaction. Le Gallo builds a sharp sense of local culture, as Bill's and Tina's lives orbit around the community church and Sam finds work in the chocolate factory. Meanwhile, the parallel romcom plotlines unfold at their own specific pace, with beautiful small moments as well as some lively flair-ups of passion. And of course, darker story elements add complexity to the way the narrative rolls out.

There's terrific chemistry between all four of these characters. As elderly parents, Hoffman and Spacek offer a wonderful collection of little connections, signs of interest that are strongly endearing, tinged with honest realism. The way they carry their years of experience has a real power, elevating the film in surprising ways. With some lovely moments all his own, the younger Hoffman gives Sam a thoughtful, scruffy charisma that finds terrific links with Fisk's smart, wounded Kate. They seem like opposites, but share deeper feelings.

Each character in this story has his or her own issues to confront along the way, offering multiple points of resonance for the audience. Refreshingly, Le Gallo lets things move at an organic pace, never forcing any unnecessary melodrama or falling back on trite genre tricks. So the film becomes less about a couple of sweet love stories than it is about four people who are quietly building the confidence to move forward with their lives. And where things go is both engaging and moving.

themes, language 8.Nov.22

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