Raiders of the Lost Ark. Body Heat. The Big Chill. Silverado. The Accidental Tourist. Grand Canyon. The Bodyguard. Mumford.
What do all of these films share in common?
They were either written and/or directed by Lawrence Kasdan, who, much like the collie mutt at the center of his first film in nearly a decade, Darling Companion, has wandered off track and may or may not return in all his glory.
Inspired by real events in the life of Kasdan and his wife Meg (with whom he co-wrote the film), Darling Companion has a truly formidable ensemble cast headed by a trio of Oscar winners (Diane Keaton, Kevin Kline and Dianne Wiest), two nominees (Sam Shepard and Richard Jenkins), an Emmy nominee (Elisabeth Moss, of TV’s “Mad Men”), not to mention a talented triple-threat (writer-director-actor Mark Duplass) all doing their best – and periodically succeeding – with a meandering script in need of real substance.
One snow-filled afternoon while traveling home after dropping off loved ones at the airport, Beth (Keaton), and her daughter Grace (Moss), rescue a stray dog they find on a shoulder of the freeway. Despite initial protests from Grace, and later from her emotionally-distant surgeon husband Joseph (Kline), Beth forms an immediate and strong bond with the dog whom she names – of all things – Freeway.
It’s here that you realize this is going to be a Hallmark Channel-caliber movie with higher production values, not the thinking man’s comedy-drama it could and should have been.
Flash-forward a year later, when the whole family, including Freeway, gather at Joseph and Beth’s palatial cabin in the Rocky Mountains for Grace’s wedding to the veterinarian she and her mother first took Freeway to the day they rescued him. After Grace and her new husband head off on their tropical honeymoon, Joseph takes Freeway for a walk as he’s done countless times over the past year and accidentally gets separated from him. Joseph’s sister, Penny (Wiest), her doofus boyfriend Russell (Jenkins), as well as her surgeon son Bryan (Duplass) sign up to help Joseph, and a distraught Beth, search for Freeway, guided by the questionable psychic abilities of a local caretaker and admitted gypsy, Carmen (Ayelet Zurer).
What follows is about an hour of blatant audience manipulation in the guise of character development. Instead of delving into the real issues at foot, which range from Beth feeling so alone in her marriage to Joseph that she emotionally over-invests in a stray dog, to everyone except a smitten Penny believing Russell to be an opportunist on the make, Darling Companion is neither particularly profound nor particularly memorable outside of its shiny, star-studded packaging. Kasdan knows how to bring out the best in an ensemble and all involved get their moments, but it’s all for naught. All deserve far better, especially when you think back on their past triumphs, especially in the cases of Keaton, Kline and Wiest.
Darling Companion is a neutered effort despite its A-list pedigree.
Grade: 2 stars (out of 5)
Stars: Diane Keaton, Kevin Kline, Dianne Wiest, Richard Jenkins, Elisabeth Moss, Mark Duplass, Ayelet Zurer, and Sam Shepard
Directed By: Lawrence Kasdan
Written By: Meg Kasdan & Lawrence Kasdan
Produced By: Anthony Bregman, Lawrence Kasdan, and Elizabeth Redleaf
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Rating: PG-13, for some sexual content including references, and language.
Running Time: Approximately 103 minutes
Website: www.darlingcompanionfilm.com
Budget: $12 Million
Genre: Drama
Release Date: May 18, 2012
