CINEMA: Fireflies in the Garden

Yet another dysfunctional family goes under the microscope in this movie crammed with big name stars that never manages to live up to its potential.

The action is split into two parts: in the present we catch up with author Michael (Ryan Reynolds), travelling back to the family home after his mother (Julia Roberts) is killed in a car crash; in the past we visit Michael as his spirit is almost crushed by his overbearing, bullying father (a great performance by Willem Dafoe). Then, the only thing that saved him was the support of his feisty young aunt (Hayden Panettiere in the past, Emily Watson in the present) who taught him how to have fun. Can she once again come to his rescue now his beloved mother has died? Or will Michael have to face his father and stand up to him as an equal?

Although there are some nice sequences in the film, with Willem Dafoe truly scary as the dad from hell, Ryan Reynolds, better known for his comedic roles, is too lightweight an actor to convincingly convey Michael’s emotional tics and complexities. So, it is the flashback scenes of young Michael with his mum and dad that prove the most successful, while the modern day passages lack emotional clout.

Dee Pilgrim