Sam & Kate, 2022.
Written and Directed by Darren Le Gallo.
Starring Jake Hoffman, Schuyler Fisk, Sissy Spacek, Dustin Hoffman, Henry Thomas, Elizabeth Faith Ludlow, Dylan McNamara, Elizabeth Becka, Larry Larson, DeMorris Stroud, and Tyler Labine.
SYNOPSIS:
Bill is an ailing larger-than-life father being taken care of by his son Sam, who has returned home to care for him. While home, Sam falls for a local woman, Kate. At the same time, Bill starts to fall for her mom, Tina.
First-time writer and director Darren Le Gallo has the novelty of that one but two parents acting opposite their offspring. Starring Dustin Hoffman and Sissy Spacek as the parents to the titular Sam & Kate, the film wisely knows its strengths lie in allowing everyone involved to act with nuance.
Sam (Jake Hoffman) has his hands full looking after his somewhat ill father, Bill, someone that he doesn’t refer to as dad since the old man believes doing so beyond childhood feels strange (although one gets the sense that by not calling each other as father and son, it helps them step out of their real-life dynamic and further into these characters). Nevertheless, between providing care, serving as a chauffeur, and running shopping errands, Sam has put his artistic ambitions on hold (not that he currently has the confidence to get the drawings published anyway) and doesn’t have much of a dating opportunity. The same could be said for Bill, who is also visibly lonely in his cantankerous old age and would probably benefit from making a connection.
Sam immediately takes an interest in bookstore owner Kate (Schuyler Fisk, the daughter of Sissy Spacek), once a talented singer but uncomfortable talking about that particular chapter in her life. Nevertheless, Sam is attracted even though she assures him multiple times she is not interested in dating. In what occasionally comes off as pushy but well-meaning, Sam continues to flirt and weasel his way into a meeting here and there, going as far as researching her with Google, which justifiably puts Kate off for a brief moment. Kate does recognize the good in Sam, eventually hitting it off further and meeting each other’s parents, who also seem like a match but require some good-intentioned egging on to interact and hang out.
In Tina’s (Sissy Spacek) case, she is still heavily grieving something, as made evident by overwhelming junk hoarding and general sadness. But the reality is that all four of these characters are suffering from something inside, with the script taking its time rather than forcing that inevitable drama front and center. Even during bits where Bill ridicules his son’s lack of manliness, the dialogue is grounded and comes from a place of misguided support with other reasons buried underneath the surface that eventually come to light. Sam & Kate is content letting viewers observe these character dynamics, watching them grow, and does all the more emotionally moving for it in the end.
That’s not to say Sam & Kate doesn’t fall into its fair share of clichés and one or two overwrought sequences, because it does. However, the performances from the central quartet here ring true and honest, unquestionably elevated by interacting with their real-life parents on screen. It’s earnest and moving while also leaving one coming away that the project was not so much a nepotism endeavor but something sincere; happy that we got to see Jake Hoffman and Schuyler Fisk share the screen with their celebrated acting parents.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
