An All Too Winning Formula

Rating: 6/10 (17 April 2011)

Name the film: A well-to-do Southern family takes in a homeless teenager. His talent in football and the love of a family lead him to a better life in this heartwarming and uplifting crowd-pleaser. ( I hope I didn't blindside you with the obviousness of my clues.) Now, let's follow that same formula with a few changes in tow. Name this film: A well-to-do ( middle class ) Southern ( New Jersey ) family takes in a homeless teenager. His talent in football ( wrestling ) and the love of a family lead him to a better life in this heartwarming and uplifting crowd-pleaser. The answer: Win Win, the latest independent film written and directed by Thomas McCarthy ( The Visitor, The Station Agent ) follows the Flaherty family, an average all-American family who are trying to eke out a living in today's economy. Mike ( Paul Giamatti ) is a small town lawyer and Jackie ( Amy Ryan ) is his loyal loving wife. Also part of this slightly clichéd family unit are two cute little girls, but, alas, no dog! Mike finds an aimless young boy at the doorstep of an elderly client and gives him a place to stay. The boy, Kyle, is the silent brooding type, a loner who has had a hard-knock life. Escaping his drug-addicted mother ( Melanie Lynskey ), he begins to befriend this family and build a more positive self-image through his wrestling skills. Oh, yes, Mike is also the high school wrestling coach, hence the title. This low key film has a very slow start, introducing minor characters as comic relief which does nothing to advance the storyline. It's not until the character of Kyle enters the film that the plot begins to cohere. That bond is due to the fine acting of newcomer Alex Shaffer who is perfectly cast in that role and Giamatti as his adoptive father figure. In fact, all of the acting has a genuine honest sincerity that helps the film tremendously avoid the pitfalls of sentimentality and mawkishness. McCarthy wisely sidesteps those obvious moments with his well written screenplay, giving the film's characters depth and nuance with his artful way with conversational dialogue. Even though its familiar plot structure follows the tried-and-true win-winning formula of other feel-good films of this genre, Win Win is an entertaining enough film that benefits from its talented cast and its interesting characters. And when you tally it all up, that still makes it a win-win situation for any moviegoer. GRADE: B-