Beth, Calvin, and their son Conrad are living in the aftermath of the death of the other son. Conrad is overcome by grief and misplaced guilt to the extent of a suicide attempt. He is in therapy. Beth had always preferred his brother and is having difficulty being supportive to Conrad. Calvin is trapped between the two trying to hold the family together.
The film looks austere and serious, rather as if it had been shot inside a Frigidaire, and the oppressiveness of the images tends to strangle laughter, even at the most absurd excesses of Alvin Sargent's script.
– Dave Kehr,
Chicago Reader,
13 Dec 2006
fresh:
A powerfully intimate domestic drama.
– Todd McCarthy,
Variety,
20 Feb 2008
fresh:
An austere and delicate examination of the ways in which a likable family falters under pressure and struggles, with ambiguous results, to renew itself.
– Richard Schickel,
TIME Magazine,
20 Feb 2009
fresh:
What Redford accomplishes is to provide an excellent portrait of how well families can hide their inner turmoil from the prying eyes of outsiders.
– James Berardinelli,
ReelViews,
30 Apr 2009
fresh:
With the skill of a practiced surgeon, Redford gradually peels away the protective layers of his characters, exposing their flaws, their darkest fears and ultimately, their innermost feelings.