Fatherhood (2021)
Directed by Paul Weitz; screenplay by Paul Weitz and Dana Stevens, based on “Two Kisses for Maddy: A Memoir of Loss and Love” by Matt Logelin; starring Kevin Hart, Melody Hurd, and Alfre Woodard.
3/5
The argument surrounding the separation of art from the artist is one that’s raged for decades in film specifically and even though most of the lines that can be taken have been, it’s still something present in most people’s minds – especially nowadays when more and more once-beloved artists are finally facing scrutiny and backlash for the more damaging things they’ve done in the past. It’s an issue I have when watching a lot of films, even some of my favourites.
Sometimes I’ll struggle with the fact that, probably rightly, a film takes on a new, far more nefarious meaning once the creative voice behind turns out to be a bit of a dirtbag. Sometimes, though, I’ll struggle with the fact that the film doesn’t change in my estimation. Hell, even since I’ve started doing this I’ve struggled a little with figuring out where that line between fiction and reality is – most recently I found the last Conjuring film difficult to see for anything other than a whitewashing of the history it’s based upon.
Fatherhood, directed by Paul Weitz, whose work on American Pie with his brother and Little Fockers you’ll probably recognise, is another of these films, for the main reason that it stars Kevin Hart, who’s been a figure of some controversy for a good few years now.
For anyone not entirely up to speed on the situation concerning Hart, the most notable events in recent history, have been those surrounding the comedy-actor’s ejection from what was to be a career-defining role as host of the 2019 Academy Awards ceremony after some rather ugly bits of his stand-up resurfaced. Hart’s current low standing isn’t just tied to his past “jokes”, however, it’s tied to his reaction to the backlash.
Over the years, the thoughts Hart’s shared on why he was refused the hosting gig in 2019 have gone back and forth – swinging from, at best, claiming he’s made apologies (it’s difficult to see when these apologies were ever issued) to, at worst, claiming all those who expressed public outrage at his selection were internet trolls.
Even during the press run for this latest outing, Hart couldn’t help be react rather petulantly once again, lashing out against modern Cancel Culture – arguing that “[…] If somebody has done something truly damaging then, absolutely, a consequence should be attached. But when you’re talking, ‘Someone said! They need to be taken [down]!’ Shut the fuck up!” For me, this makes the film, which is halfway successful in its evocation of sickly, feel-good sentimentality, difficult to see as anything other than, as Charles Bramesco of The Guardian put it “manipulative reputation rehab.”
But this isn’t the only tie the film has to the real world – it’s also based on a memoir by Matthew Logelin entitled Two Kisses for Maddy: A Memoir of Loss and Love. The film follows Matt (Hart) – whose name isn’t changed in the film – a father, devasted by the sudden reality that he’ll be raising his new-born daughter, Maddy (Melody Hurd), entirely alone after his wife, Liz (Deborah Ayorinde), suddenly dies just moments after giving birth.
As it always is in the context of adaptation, “based” is an important word. Weitz’ Fatherhood diverges from its source material fairly early on in its runtime in the name of exploring different territory than that of the text. On the one hand, the very real Longelin’s memoir concerns the first year of Maddy’s life, being written as a series of blog posts discussing Logelin’s grief, loss, and the difficulties he was facing raising his child alone before he compiled and edited things into a novel format. The film, on the other, quickly moves beyond this first year, mainly so that Maddy can become an actual character but probably also such that things would take on less of a heavy atmosphere.
As a meditation on grief or the tribulations of single parenthood, there’s not much to Weitz or Hart’s efforts here. More interested in the easy-going comedy of messy nappy changes and the difficulty of installing a car seat than tragedy or genuine emotional tribulation. Early on in the film, during Liz’ wake, Matt rebukes his mother after he overhears her commenting to his mother-in-law on his extreme immaturity. It’s a moment that hints at potential internal conflict, the dilemma of trying to raise a child successfully whilst not yourself being fully put together, but ultimately the moment rings hollow. Matt is never a bad guy, he never really steps wrong and there’s never actually as much internal conflict as the title, source material or moment would have you believe.
Speaking of Matt’s mother-in-law, Marian (Alfre Woodard), she will come to be a key figure throughout – tied to Matt by both the death of her daughter and the birth of her granddaughter. Yet again, there’s room for complexity here, but Marian is nothing more than a stumbling block for the saintly Matt, an adversary who will inevitably come to bond with the son-in-law she never quite took a liking to.
A cynic – or maybe even just a realist – might see the feel-good angle Weitz takes with Logelin’s account as entirely calculated. A softball for Hart to knock out the park. I don’t disagree, and if anything this really does impact how I see the film, but I do think those unaware of Hart’s comments and history will actually find something to like here.
Not being the most adventurous piece of filmmaking in the world, Fatherhood leans hard on its cast for its conditional appeal, but the fact remains that all involved, even Hart at times, do come across charmingly. Hart is taking things down a notch compared to his most recent performances in things like Jumanji: The Next Level (2019), which really works very well contextually, and other standouts like Swan (DeWanda Wise), the woman Matt starts to show an interest in, Matt’s friends Oscar (Anthony Carrigan) and Jordan (Lil Rel Howery) and Maddy herself, are only ever incredibly charismatic.
So it’s a confusing puzzle of a film. It’s not fantastic by any metric and has an entirely problematic uncurrent to it, but I can’t help but feel a lot of people are going to put this on when they can’t think of anything better to watch, especially given yesterday was Father’s Day, and are going to have a decent time with it. ‘Manipulative reputation rehab’ it indeed is, but I have the sinking feeling it’s going to be successful.
Watched on 17th June 2021