Labor Day (2013)

Depressed single mom Adele and her son Henry offer a wounded, fearsome man a ride. As police search town for the escaped convict, the mother and son gradually learn his true story as their options become increasingly limited.

Director:

Jason Reitman

Writers:

Jason Reitman (screenplay), Joyce Maynard (based on the novel by)

Stars:

Kate Winslet, Josh Brolin, Gattlin Griffith

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kate Winslet	...	Adele
Josh Brolin	...	Frank
Gattlin Griffith	...	Henry
Tobey Maguire	...	Adult Henry
Tom Lipinski	...	Young Frank
Maika Monroe	...	Mandy
Clark Gregg	...	Gerald
James Van Der Beek	...	Officer Treadwell
J.K. Simmons	...	Mr. Jervis
Brooke Smith	...	Evelyn
Brighid Fleming	...	Eleanor
Alexie Gilmore	...	Marjorie
Lucas Hedges	...	Richard
Micah Fowler	...	Barry
Chandra Thomas	...	Bank Teller

Storyline

A depressed mother's husband has left her for she could not bear a second child. Living alone with her only son, she has an unlikely meeting with an injured escaped convict, and reluctantly takes him into her own care. The man proves to be better than his criminal image as the three bond over Labor Day weekend. The only problem? Everyone in town is looking for him.

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Plot Keywords:

tied to a chair | escaped convict | neighbor | baseball practice | baseball | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for thematic material, brief violence and sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Brazil] Official site [Japan]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 January 2014 (USA)

Also Known As:

Aires de esperanza

Filming Locations:

Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$18,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,175,282, 2 February 2014, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$13,362,308, 16 March 2014

Company Credits

Production Co:

Indian Paintbrush, Mr. Mudd, Right of Way Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital Datasat Dolby Surround 7.1

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film cast includes two Oscar winners: Kate Winslet and J.K. Simmons; and Oscar nominee: Josh Brolin.

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Goofs

A limited edition (video store / retail outlet) plastic raised 3D VHS video cassette promotional poster ("Available on Videocassette") of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial seen in Henry's room. This movie takes place in September 1987, however it was not until May 1988 when it was announced that E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial's long awaited VHS home video release date would finally be on October 27, 1988. (It sold for $24.95. A $5 rebate from Pepsi-Cola reduced the price to $19.95).

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Quotes

[first lines]
Adult Henry: It was just the two of us after my father left. She said I should count the baby he had with his new wife Marjorie as part of my family too. Plus Richard, Marjorie's son. For the most part my mother never mentioned my father, or the woman he was married to now.

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Connections

References Body Heat (1981)

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Soundtracks

End Title
Written by John Williams
Courtesy of Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.
Under license from Sony Pictures Music Group
[From Close Encounters Of The Third Kind]

User Reviews

An art film, more focused on emotions and senses than story

Labor Day is an unbelievably gorgeous mood piece, a finely-tuned film which is strongly driven by senses and emotions over plot or story. It's arguably one of the best films of 2013.

I haven't seen a Reitman film since Juno so I haven't caught up. So I'm not sure where he matured from a 'good' director of a quirky script to an 'art' director who can carry an entire film on his shoulders. That's not to say everyone else in this film didn't do a great job. But the film works because of Reitman's meticulous vision.

Heavy use of cross-fades, editing driven by emotional undercurrent over logic, and some stream-of-consciousness flowing from a mysterious source. The music is avant-garde and beautiful, one moment eerie and unsettling, the next pleasant and lilting. Which reflects the way the film, like a piece of classical music, displays sudden shifts of mood or tonality, back and forth, requiring your utmost concentration and appreciation.

Writing too much else would spoil the fun. But the mindset you should bring this film, should you want to see it, is to give yourself over to the experience, rather than bringing an overly (and unnecessarily) critical mind to it's 'unoriginal' or 'uneventful' plot.