It would've been more of a hit, however, if it debuted on the Hallmark Channel between a Tiffani-Amber Thiessen bulimia flick and Joey Lawrence date rape movie where it belongs. The few plot points not drudged up from movies-of-the-week prove engaging enough to at least encourage moviegoers to round the bases. Though this Field of Pipe Dreams recycles an oft-told tale of failure and redemption amid the sporting life, it's not completely For the Flub of the Game. In addition to being a showcase for actors, the movie is most successful as a quintessentially New York film in which the characters are even more neurotic and comic than usual and the plot hinges dramatically on a subway station closure.Leastbound and down, Home Run is a presumptuous title for a sports movie that swings a lot but ultimately chooses to walk the road often traveled. Oliver’s film aims for a glossy mainstream aesthetic without the budget or skills to match. With awkward slow-motion effects, clunky transitions and pregnant zooms that seem conspicuously in the wrong speed or otherwise a little off, Mr. Oliver’s script and the performances by an ensemble of brilliant character actors, including James McDaniel’s portrayal of a doctor and Joe Morton’s turn as Jack’s father. With its touching portrayal of the relationships between the patients and health care workers, “Home” resembles something more like a low-budget “ Awakenings” (without the focus on pharmaceutical solutions) than last year’s screwball, maniacal “Silver Linings Playbook.” Mental illness is presented here as something by turns endearing, surprising and frightening. This seemingly impossible hunt is endured with humor and sensitivity, as well as minute pangs of suffering, thanks to a stunning performance from Gbenga Akinnagbe (Chris Partlow in “The Wire”) in the story of Jack’s efforts to leave a group home where he’s lived for many years. Jack, the hero of Jono Oliver’s debut feature, “Home,” is balancing his dosage of antipsychotic medicine while seeking an apartment in New York for less than $600 a month.
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December 2022
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