REVIEW: 'The Glass Castle' is all about the acting - East Idaho News
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REVIEW: ‘The Glass Castle’ is all about the acting

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“The Glass Castle” is feel-good family drama and feel-good family dramas require two things to be successful: strong writing and top-notch acting.

These two things are required because these kind of movies take audiences on an emotional journey. We relate to the characters and what they’re feeling, and we develop a need to see their emotional issues resolved. That only works if the movie has well-constructed characters brought to life by capable actors.

“The Glass Castle” has functional writing and some of the actors turn in excellent performances. On a bummer side, there are a couple performances that don’t quite work and the writing is never stellar. In the end, thankfully, the good in “Castle” outweighs the bad.

“Castle” tells a familiar tale of growing up in the shadow of a domineering, unorthodox father. The focus is on Jeannette (Brie Larson), a gossip columnist who has become estranged from her family. She’s experiencing some success with her writing and is engage to David (Max Greenfield), an up-and-comer in the finance field.

Glass Castle

But Jeanette’s parents, Rex (Woody Harrelson) and Rose Mary (Naomi Watts) re-enter her life pushing her even further away. Meanwhile, Jeanette reflects on her past, and the experiences her younger self had with her family. Inner conflict and family drama threaten to destroy Jeanette’s contentment, and she must fight to keep it together.

The writing serves its purpose. It’s sturdy, the characters are dynamic and have discernible arcs. It also never really shines, and the story unfolds exactly how you’d think it would. So, “Castle” needs great acting to put it over the top.

And does the cast deliver? For the most part it does.

First up, Harrelson is fantastic. His character goes through a whole range emotions, from loving to terrifying and everything in between. And he nails every single moment. Watts doesn’t have as electrifying of a role, but she plays the woman stuck in a life she didn’t necessarily want to perfection.

Greenfield is also great as Jeanette’s smarmy fiance. He constantly wears an artificial smile, like he knows his life is about to crash and burn, so he has to fake it. It’s hard not to laugh at him but it’s also hard not to feel bad for him. And Ella Anderson is fantastic as a younger version of Jeanette.

The one performer that falls short is Larson. She isn’t awful, and maybe it’s because her character is the least interesting one in the movie (even younger versions of Jeanette hook you deeper), but Larson just seems like she’s sleepwalking through the movie. Apart from a couple big emotional outburst, she seems to just spout lines and take up space.

Larson aside, though, there’s enough good acting in “The Glass Castle” to keep you hooked. Harrelson’s performance is worth seeing all on its own. While this isn’t the best feel-good family drama, I was surprised how enjoyable it was. All thanks to some pretty great acting.

3 ½ Indy Fedoras out of 5

MPAA Rating: PG-13

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