Mark Wahlberg may be the headliner in this poorly conceived melodrama, but it is 21-year-old Reid Miller who shines through as the real star. Based on a true story, which has been disappointedly adapted for the screen by Larry McMurtry, Diana Ossana (Brokeback Mountain) this is a gay drama made specifically for straight eyes.
It is the story of Joe Bell, who failed to accept his gay teenage son Jadin. He cared much more about how Jadin’s sexuality would affect the family’s standing in the community than about the struggle that his son was dealing with on his own. When Jadin was severely bullied at school and the Principal claimed she could do nothing to help the situation, his father sat by on the sidelines. It wasn’t until a distraught Jadin took his own life, that his father started to finally react.
He suddenly selfishly claimed the moral high ground, refusing to accept that either Jadin’s mother (Connie Britton) or brother could possibly be grieving as much as him. As it had always been Jadin’s dream to move to NY, he decided to walk all the way there from their home in La Grande, Oregon, and talk to anyone and everyone en route about the tragic consequences of bullying.
Even though Jadin’s character is written as a cliched queer youth whose life centers around Lady Gaga (who else!) Miller’s performance is the real redeeming feature of the film. On the other hand, it is difficult to watch Wahlberg (also the Producer) in this role considering his own very public reputation for bullying. He is also known for turning down Ang Lee’s offer of a part in Brokeback Mountain because he claimed it was ‘too creepy”.
If Wahlberg considered this film a call for his own redemption, then sadly this rather heavy-handed and muddled annoying drama did not achieve its aim.
Labels: 2021, bullying, drama, Mark Wahlberg
