REVIEW: The Hollars

Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

John Krasinski, who most people know as Jim from NBC’s The Office, proves to be an adept filmmaker in his second directorial effort (I missed his adaptation of David Foster Wallace’s Brief Interviews with Hideous Men). It’s a comedic drama about a dysfunctional Midwestern family that won’t win any points for originality, but makes up for it with moving performances from a (mostly) great cast.

Krasinski – pulling double duty – plays John Hollar, a struggling New York City artist who must return to his hometown when his mother, Sally (Margo Martindale), is diagnosed with a brain tumor. As such, he’s forced to leave his pregnant girlfriend, Rebecca (Anna Kendrick), by herself to referee his childish father, Don (Richard Jenkins), and his brother, Ron (Sharlto Copley). Along the way, he must face everything that made him flee in the first place, including the aforementioned family drama, an old girlfriend (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and his high school rival (Charlie Day).

The Hollars incorporates every quirky independent film stereotype you can imagine, including an acoustic guitar soundtrack, a condescending “big city versus small town” dynamic, and quirky – bordering on preposterous – character traits. For instance, Rebecca is a rich kid who can afford to spend her free time designing dog clothing. And an unexpectedly charismatic Josh Groban (yep, that one) plays an empathetic youth pastor who’s dating Ron’s ex-wife and puts up with her former husband constantly hanging around their house with binoculars.

In real life, these people would be insufferable or naïve; yet, because of the actors’ solid work, they might be the most decent characters in the film. That’s how practically every scene played out for me: I’d roll my eyes at a clichéd turn the story would take, then find myself wiping a tear or two anyway.

Krasinski deserves kudos for elevating Jim Strouse’s middling screenplay with his direction, his own melancholy performance (something he says to Kendrick’s character in the film’s final third punched me right in the gut) and his knack for casting (almost) all the right people. The big standout is Martindale, one of the best character actresses of the last 30 years. Sally could’ve been yet another stereotypical Midwestern housewife, but Martindale instills her with fascinating, often contradictory traits. It’s a refreshingly nuanced performance.

Jenkins and Kendrick are terrific as well, although a bit underused. Where Krasinski drops the ball is with Copley, totally miscast as John’s brother. The South African actor (best known for his collaborations with Neill Blomkamp) spends so much time and energy trying to nail the accent that he forgets to make Ron a believable character instead of a cartoon.

Still, despite a big casting misstep, Krasinski instills enough humor and heart into this done-to-death story to make it worth a watch. Although it’s only playing in a handful of theaters right now, I could totally see it picking up a stronger following once it hits home video.

The Hollars is rated PG-13 for brief language and some thematic material. Now playing in limited release.

Grade: B-