Fatherhood — Movie Review
by KJ Proulx
When it comes to feel-good films, saying that I’m a sucker for them is an understatement. Yes, a lot of them feel similar to one another in terms of their messages, but if it’s well-made it usually gets me. Fatherhood has just dropped on Netflix and even though it’s filled with cliches, it’s a very heartwarming story that I found impossible to dislike. I’ve also never seen Kevin Hart dive into drama the way he did here before, so that also elevated it for me. Even though it’s far from perfect, here’s why I recommend checking it out.
After giving birth to their daughter, Liz (Deborah Ayorinde) passes away unexpectedly, leaving Matt (Kevin Hart) to raise young Maddy on his own. Not knowing how to handle the situation and not looking for any new relationships or help, he puts himself in a very tough spot. Upon giving it his all to take care of his daughter and meeting someone new, this film eventually becomes a light-hearted story of a Father and his Daughter. There were a few narrative choices that were on the verge of losing me as a viewer, but I accepted them and was able to move on. This film strives to be sweet and tug at your heartstrings and it absolutely did that for me.
Other than films like Top Five or The Upside, I’ve always been a fan of Hart’s dramatic side. I believe this is the first major release to place him front and center the entire time, hardly giving him any time to shine in terms of comedy. There were multiple times where his dialogue or the way he would react to situations, had me in tears. This film isn’t amazing or anything, but the touching moments really hit home for me. If for nothing else, Fatherhood hits all the right emotional beats.
Overall, this is a very simplistic movie in that it really only strives to be a Father/Daughter film. In that regard, it works wonderfully and I loved watching it. When looking back on the film as a whole though, it definitely has a lot of predictable elements and many of the secondary characters are crutches for Matt. Everyone seems to be helping him and forwarding him in the right direction, which in turn never really gives him any down moments, other than the overall situation itself. Fatherhood has issues, but I thought it was very sweet and I recommend checking it out.
Rating: 3.5/5
Check out the trailer below:
