Oliver meets the irreverent and unpredictable Anna only months after his father Hal Fields has passed away. This new love floods Oliver with memories of his father, who, following the death of his wife of 44 years, came out of the closet at age 75 to live a full, energized, and wonderfully tumultuous gay life – which included a younger boyfriend.
"Beginners" is a delightful film - gentle, playful, creative and ultimately happy - though it's a tricky journey.
– Bill Goodykoontz,
Arizona Republic,
23 Jun 2011
fresh:
A strange and beautiful film.
– Calvin Wilson,
St. Louis Post-Dispatch,
24 Jun 2011
fresh:
"Beginners" is warm and revealing and bittersweet, if a trifle all over the place stylistically and thematically.
– Roger Moore,
Orlando Sentinel,
29 Jun 2011
fresh:
The film is not about a straight man's struggle to understand how his father is gay; it's about learning that happiness is always possible if you're brave enough to keep your heart open.