Photo © Roadside Attractions
Summer Camp film still
Diane Keaton, Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard in ‘Summer Camp’
Ezra
(In Theaters May 31)
Screenwriter Tony Spiridakis takes a page from his own life in this comedy/drama about a comedian attempting to raise an autistic child. Played by William A. Fitzgerald, himself autistic, 11-year-old Ezra is the subject of contention between Max Bernal (Bobby Cannavale), Bernal’s ex-wife (Rose Byrne), and Bernal’s dad (Robert De Niro). While educative administers want Ezra medicated and enrolled in a special needs school, Bernal disagrees. In an effort to find a better way, he disappears with Ezra on a road trip. The pair spend time at a farm run by Bernal’s supportive friends (played by Vera Farmiga and Rainn Wilson), before landing in Hollywood where Bernal’s manager (Whoopi Goldberg), has nabbed the comedian a spot on the Jimmy Kimmel show. Directed by Tony Goldwyn, this R-rated film introduced a term I'm pondering: “neurodivergent.” Competing opinions about what’s best for such children can be confusing. Benefitting from a talented ensemble, the perhaps overly optimistic Ezra rightly observes a lack of one-size-fits-all answers. (Lisa Miller)
The Fragile King
(IndiePix DVD/Digital)
A single mom returns home with her 15-year-old, Michael, to find an eviction notice taped to the apartment door. She seeks shelter with her sleazy-looking boyfriend—until he beats her. Mom and Michael flee. A car crash follows. She dies. The low-key acting and presentation of South African director Tristan Holmes’ The Fragile King (2022) presents a storyline familiar from American television from slipping into melodrama. Social services hands Michael over to the grandfather he never met. The gap between them is displayed by silence and camera work; the internal dynamics in several scenes are shown by body language, not dialogue. A road trip follows. The crowded freeway fringed by palm trees and hillside homes, leading into desert flatland, resembles Southern California. As in most road pictures, the confined environment of a moving car provides the vehicle for a journey of discovery. It’s important to note the context: Michael and his family are part of South Africa’s white minority. Cinematography is exceptional throughout. (David Luhrssen)
Summer Camp
(In Theaters May 31)
It’s been 50 years since Nora (Diane Keaton), Ginny (Kathy Bates) and Mary (Alfre Woodard), regularly attended summer camp, where the trio became inseparable. Although they’ve managed to stay in touch, life took them separate ways. So, when their old summer camp hosts a reunion, the three agree to attend together. Cell phones and computers are forbidden, but Nora’s obsession with her business ventures prompts her to break into the camp offices to sneak onto a computer. In the process, she becomes acquainted with a handsome campmate (Eugene Levy) and romantic sparks fly (yes, Keaton’s still the mistress of the comedic, demure flirt). This turn of events reminds Nora why Ginny and Mary remain important connections for her well-being. Beverly D’Angelo, Nicole Richie, Josh Peck, and Dennis Haysbert also star in this film directed and written by Castille Landon. While it’s good to see talented, but aging American actresses play starring roles in gal-pal comedies, don’t they have other stories to tell ... hopefully, coming soon? (Lisa Miller)
