Fatherhood Netflix Movie Review
We’ve seen Kevin Hart do a lot of comedy,
but this time he once again
gets to show off his more dramatic side
in the Netflix original movie Fatherhood.
You might want to grab some tissues.
A father brings up his baby
girl as a single dad
after the unexpected death of his wife,
who died a day after
their daughter’s birth.
So this is based on a memoir
called Two Kisses for Maddy,
A Memoir of Love and Loss.
Heart starts as Matt and like I said,
he becomes a widower one day
after his wife gives birth
to their daughter.
He’s wildly unprepared,
which is understandable.
And what hurts a bit early in the film
is to hear others infer to him
that he won’t make it,
that he’ll not have what it takes
to raise his daughter without his wife.
This is a really touching movie,
but it also is infused
with a lot of humor.
And I think it’s balanced really well
where we have great dramatic moments,
some steeped in sadness,
and then those are offset by some comedy.
And I like the mix of the two
because it doesn’t get overly heavy,
but it’s
Hart shows some real
vulnerability throughout,
and he was extremely believable as a dad.
He’s trying to make things work
and care for his newborn.
There’s a scene at the daughter’s
first checkup,
her name is Maddy,
and the dialog is pretty piercing.
And Hart gets to voice
some things that cut right to the bone.
The reactions of all the actors
are very touching and emotional.
And there’s a lot in this story
that really questions the ideals
that men can be caregivers
and effective single parents.
The story addresses
how nobody blinks an eye
when a woman raises a child alone.
They’re more capable
and it’s almost a given that women
are more compassionate and patient.
And I have to agree,
I think that’s true.
When the story addresses this, it comes
not only from some great
introspection by Matt,
but also as he addresses a parent group
where he’s not welcomed at first.
Hart really shows his range in this one.
And we’ve seen him do
the dramatic turns before.
He was in the remake of the French film
called Le Intouchables,
which was the American
version of The Upside.
And he’s able to do it convincingly.
And maybe that’s because most comedic
actors have the ability
to go dark and deep
and it creates some really compelling,
dramatic emotion.
But regardless of what’s driving it,
he kills it.
In this role, he’s
both sympathetic and relatable.
Alfre Woodard also stars in this.
And while she’s not 100 percent likable
at the very beginning, it’s
very clear that she loves big
and it comes across in her performance.
Lil Rel Howard and Anthony Carrigan
play Matt’s best friends
and they had an odd
yin and yang mix to him.
Howard is kind of in
an arrested development stage,
but he’s well-meaning
and Carrigan is more of the responsible
or levelheaded type.
But he’s sort of bumbling and awkward.
Together they get to each bring new dynamics
to Hart’s character
as well as the story itself.
They also help to drive
some of the pointed
parts of the narrative.
Melody Hurd plays Maddy,
and she steals the show
a lot of the time.
I most recently saw her
in the Amazon original THEM,
and she’s really good at portraying
a precocious young girl.
Now to make the transition
from infant Maddy to six
or seven year old Maddy,
the film makes a brief time jump
and it was a little jarring at first,
but it’s easy to adjust to.
When the story takes on Hurd
as the non infant Maddy,
It gets a whole new angle as we watch
Hart and Hurd clicking with the routines
but encountering also new obstacles.
Now, as a dad myself
watching some of the interactions
between the two felt very real,
whether they were conversations or games.
There are even points later in the story
where Matt has to tell Maddy something,
and the hesitation, fear,
and awkwardness were very relatable.
Matt stammers and then even bribes Maddy
just to keep a positive
atmosphere surrounding
what he’s about to say.
Now, one thing that caught me by surprise
was the level of emotionality this had.
I’d be lying if I said that
I didn’t tear up more
than a few times during the story.
And sometimes it was
because the story was so sweet.
Other times it was because the narrative
would touch so close to the truth
that it just couldn’t be ignored.
When it came to Matt’s job,
there were a few unanswered questions
as the film wraps up,
especially because of the set up
for his work environment.
It’s meant to cause some conflict,
but they weren’t really addressed.
And I know it doesn’t
totally impact the story, but it could
if I play out the events
that come in the near future
after the movie concludes.
Now, I enjoyed how the story manages
to keep Matt and Maddy
at the center and forefront.
They each get moments
to have break off arcs,
but the film doesn’t get distracted
by other dramas or side stories.
It maintains focus
on our two central characters,
and I think it helps to keep
a really compelling story going.
When I saw the runtime of an hour
and fifty minutes,
my initial reaction was
“That sounds too long.”
It really wasn’t.
There was a portion towards the final act
that did have a slower pace,
but through this,
the story breathed a bit
and was also able to work in conflicts
that helped push everything forward.
So I was wrong with my
thought that it would be too long.
I mean, this isn’t a rom-com
where it needs to wrap up
in that 90 minute sweet spot.
The drama required
the time and I didn’t feel
like it wasted any of it.
This is a really touching
and sweet story,
and I think it’s fitting
that it lands on Netflix
for Father’s Day weekend.
And while it’s really great
to see stories of strong women
overcoming all kinds of obstacles
to raise a child alone,
this was refreshing to have a story that shows
that a loving and caring
dad can do the same.
I never got the sense
that it was bashing either identity,
whether it be a single mom
or a single dad.
This was more about a parent’s
love for their kid as they work and fight
to figure it all out
and then hopefully not screw it
all up in the process.
Kevin Hart was the perfect
choice for this role, and I can’t
wait to see more dramatic turns from him.
And the best part is he can be both
serious and funny within the same story
and have it feel completely natural.
There’s no sex or nudity, some profanity
and just a little bit of violence.
I give Fatherhood
four and a half out of five couches.
So who’s a comedic actor
that you’ve really enjoyed watching
their dramatic performances?
I know that there
are more than a bunch to choose from,
but let me know yours
in the comments below.
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please give it a like.
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I’m Chris.
This is Movies and Munchies.
Thanks for couching with me.
