Fathers And Daughters
There will be suds...
With a title like Fathers And Daughters, Gabriele Muccino’s movie sets out its stall from the off: a mawkish melodrama that has all the hallmarks of an episode of Dynasty. Car accidents, mental breakdowns, promiscuity, alcoholism, family squabbles… all it needs is a dead character coming back in the shower. But for all its flaws – and there are a lot of them – it has heart-wrenching moments, too.
The biggest problem is its biggest star, Russell Crowe. He plays Jake Davis, an author who loses control of his faculties after a traffic accident that leaves his wife dead. He and his daughter Katie (Kylie Rogers) survive, but Davis ends up in a hospital for months.
With Katie looked after by her aunt and uncle (boozy Diane Kruger and lawyer Bruce Greenwood), the film cuts to 25 years later – with Amanda Seyfried now playing the daughter. Damaged from her childhood, she sees this as an opportunity to sleep around – until she meets Cameron (Aaron Paul), a fan of Fathers And Daughters, the book a cash-strapped Davis writes post-hospital.
Flashing back and forth, there’s also a subplot involving a custody battle over Katie. Muccino has form in this arena ( The Pursuit Of Happyness, Seven Pounds), but is seemingly unconcerned with these trashier elements – perhaps because the core relationships (Crowe/Seyfried/Paul) work hard to tug the heartstrings. With support from the likes of Jane Fonda and Octavia Spencer, it’s a real mix of class and crass, but if you’re looking for a family weepie, this’ll tick the requisite boxes. THE VERDICT So soapy you could scrub yourself clean with it, this is a guilty pleasure. Trash fiction and more tears than an Oscar acceptance speech. › Certificate TBC Director Gabriele Muccino Starring Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfried, Aaron Paul, Diane Kruger, Bruce Greenwood Screenplay Brad Desch Distributor Warner Brothers Running time 116 mins