A son returns to his small hometown to take care of his ailing father.
Chuck says:
A family affair in more ways than one, Darren Le Gallo’s “Sam & Kate” is a slight, trite romantic comedy that plays fast and loss with the feelings of its characters and the logic of their actions. However, one thing that makes it unique is the casting of Jake Hoffman as Sam and his father Dustin as, you guessed it, Sam’s father Bill. Not to be outdone, Kate is played by Schuyler Fisk who’s countered by her real-life mother Sissy Spacek to portray her mom, Tina. It’s stunt casting to be sure, but it does lend a sense of authenticity to the scenes in which the respective parents and their siblings interact, providing the movie with its best moments.
Sam and Kate meet cute, she running an independent book store, he thunderstruck the first time he sees her. She resists, he persists, and they are ultimately united when cranky old Bill, who Sam lives with and cares for, fixes Kate’s broken-down car. A thank you dinner is arranged, in the process Bill meets Tina and before you know it, they’re going out on a date, while Sam persists in trying to get Kate to give him the time of day.
There’s a sweetness to the story that doesn’t overwhelm but there’s also more than a couple of narrative contrivances that simply don’t ring true. An unforgivable act Jake commits that inadvertently and severely hurts Kate is forgiven far too easily, while a predictable third act exit provides the avenue to a happy ending that’s far too convenient. Equally troubling is a secret Kate harbors that should have been revealed far earlier, what with it being so obvious, while Sam is such an immature, stammering fool, it’s obvious Kate should brush him aside and tell him to get a life. Alas, by insisting on giving his audience a happy ending, Le Gallo doesn’t let logic get in his way.
2 Stars
Pam says
“Sam & Kate,” starring real life father-son and mother-daughter duos Dustin Hoffman and Jake Hoffman, and Sissy Spacek and Schuyler Fisk, is an oddball yet relatable romantic comedy with a healthy dose of drama. Bill (Dustin Hoffman) is a cranky curmudgeon in need of assistance from his directionless adult son Sam (Jake Hoffman).
For any of us who have gone through taking care of our parents, there are aspects of this story that ring true. We are introduced to Bill while he’s shopping, apparently on his own, discussing display logic with an employee. Immediately, Bill shows us that he has absolutely no edit mode and finds great pleasure in letting everyone know just how miserable he is. Sam nonchalantly comes to his father’s rescue–more likely the employee’s — unflustered by Bill’s behavior.
We get to know Sam, a pot-smoking unmotivated chocolate factory worker who had dreams of becoming an artist, and we see the potential within that he has long-forgotten. Meeting Kate who has her own ghosts, she, too is caring for a parent, her mother, Tina (Spacek), a spitfire with a few unresolved issues as well. As you might guess, the older and younger pairs get set up in unique ways and again, with each couple, they find a way to help the other grow or at least learn.
When you pair actual parents with their children in a movie, the chemistry is bound to be genuine and “Sam & Kate” comes through with this. Although the story is rather predictable, these characters’ personalities and authenticity hook us as we need to find out their backstories and how the issues at hand will be resolved.
The film is charming and we find ourselves connecting with each of the characters, rooting for them to find love and happiness. While its pacing stumbles intermittently and situations at times feel rather contrived, it rights itself and gives us a satisfying, albeit predictable, ending. And to see these parent-child pairs together on screen was sheer joy.
2 1/2 stars
