Rethinking my own restraining order...

Rating: 7/10 (6 July 2013)

Honestly, this sat at home for a while as I thought my wife had got the Sandra Bullock mainstream football movie. So the pleasant surprise in finally watching it and realizing my initial mistake gave this an extra boost.
It's a bit different than the typical dysfunctional family drama. In that the leads are aware of their dysfunction and trying with great effort to overcome. It's also different in that it strives to address a serious topic (listen to some of the David O. Kelley recounting of his son's illness on the DVD) but ultimately this is a comedy I feel.
In fact, I'd bet Kelley prides the Hollywood normalcy that the story takes, granted with a circuitous rout at times to find. You won't love this film as much as Kelley loves his son, but still it's worth a watch (I wish my wife could have pushed past some of the rough aspects of the beginning, but alas no...) The key is having these atypical leading characters, sure the "chase the wrong one" love story is hackneyed, but here Cooper's character is easily seen as chasing himself and how things were before the incident, rather than really chasing his estranged wife.
There are many precious moments, and DeNiro find a nice supporting role to act up a storm in (too bad they didn't edit out the lines that hamfistedly state the obvious coping strategy and illness that he as the father suffers). But Cooper carries the show (and I thought Chris Tucker shined in his small moments as well). Something about their enthusiastic energy that can be alarmingly charming, but springs forth from darker sources was fascinating. Perhaps no surprise they rose in entertainment as comedians, a career that also feeds off shock and odd angles.
The tone of the film is so accepting, it avoids the crass elements. But doesn't sugarcoat the sour slips. We've all said inappropriate things at times, but as Lawrence's character tells Cooper's, we typically don't say more inappropriate things than appropriate. Thanks to the disease of the film, and the ease of the actors in conveying it, this never feels like an FM shock jock reaching for provocation, just the lack of an emotional and empathetic editor in the consciousness of the two leads.
Anyways, if like me, you want a restraining order for the big commercial successes, I think you can have it lifted for this one.