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 | boy in a wheelchair | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

The book that Kate Winslet reads in the movie is "Living the Good Life: How to Live Simply and Sanely in a Troubled World" by Helen K. Nearing and Scott Nearing.

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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

Features Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

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Soundtracks

Here Before
Written and Performed by Vashti Bunyan
Courtesy of DiCristina
By arrangement with Revolver USA Inc.

User Reviews

Much better than I expected

The movie Labor Day stars Kate Winslet, Gattlin Griffith, and Josh Brolin. When I saw this film yesterday, I was lucky enough to have the director, Jason Reitman, get up on stage and introduce the movie. He made it clear that this film was not a comedy, but a romantic drama that he made with tons of passion. For what it is, I think the film is amazing. I will warn you, this is a film was made for women, but guys can appreciate it too.

So this movie was fun to watch. There was a lot of tension, and the actors did a good job of making even the unbelievable situations seem natural. There was a mystery that unfolded over the course of the movie, and the film was able to create real emotion and genuine shock from the audience. There is also great cinematography, nice subplots, and a final quarter that keeps you guessing. I'm not exaggerating any of this, so seriously ignore the critics and give this film a chance.

The main thing that is wrong with the film is a certain level of disbelief, but it doesn't require more suspension of disbelief than any of the big blockbuster movies. It could also get cheesy and a little uncomfortable to watch at times, but it is still a great movie. i hope Jason Reitman continues to make great movies, as he has not made a single misstep in his career yet.

This is a good movie to take a girl to on a date, and I'm sure you both could enjoy it. It is a little like a Nicolas Sparks book except with Oscar level acting, directing, cinematography, and screen writing, so if that sounds like your kind of thing, I highly recommend this movie, and reward it with an 8.7/10 stars.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Brazil] Official site [Japan]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 January 2014 (USA)

Also Known As:

Labor Day

Filming Locations:

Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$18,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,175,282, 2 February 2014

Gross USA:

$13,371,528

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$20,275,812

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