The Greatest, a tearjerker about a family dealing with the loss of a son, doesn't live up to its name. Instead, it could more appropriately be known as just Good with Brief Moments of Absolute Brilliance.
What redeems The Greatest from being a melodramatic made-for-TV-ish film is Pierce Brosnan's tremendously moving performance. And he's not the only actor who emerges from The Greatest as someone able to rise far, far above average material. The Greatest proves Carey Mulligan (terrific in An Education) is a rising star who deserves serious attention. Susan Sarandon also has some shining moments in this melodramatic independent film from writer/director Shana Feste.
The Story
Bennett Brewer (Aaron Johnson) is a good kid, well-liked, well-behaved, and a little shy with women. It takes him his entire senior year of high school to get up the nerve to ask out Rose (Mulligan), but once he does, it's obvious Rose has just been waiting for this moment. The two have a real connection and young love blossoms, although his parents are unaware of this new relationship.Bennett is in love and he's not afraid to declare it. Unfortunately, he chooses the wrong time and place to do so. Stopping his car in the middle of the road, Bennett confesses his love to Rose. His timing's horrible as, at the same moment he's saying I love you, they're slammed into by another car. Bennett's killed, but Rose escapes without serious injury.
Pierce Brosnan and Susan Sarandon in 'The Greatest.'
© PaladinFlash forward three months and Rose shows up on the Brewers' doorstep, pregnant and with nowhere else to go. Dad, Allen (Brosnan), is willing to instantly believe his newly deceased son's the father - Rose claims they were both virgins and only had sex one time - but mom, Grace (Sarandon), isn't quite so accepting or trusting. Allen and Grace are dealing with Bennett's death in vastly different ways, and Rose's appearance does nothing to help ease the strain the Brewers' relationship is feeling due to Bennett's death.
Meanwhile Bennett's younger brother, Ryan (Johnny Simmons), deals with the death by going to support group meetings. There's a whole side story about a girl he meets there, and a drug problem he may or may not still have, but since the conclusions to both issues are left dangling, neither apparently are very important in the overall scheme of things.
As Rose's pregnancy progresses, her relationship with Allen deepens. The same can't be said about her relationship with Grace. Grace resents the fact Rose lived and her son didn't, and isn't shying about sharing her feelings. With the strain of coping with Bennett's death a constant presence in their lives, the ultimate crash and breakdown is just one wrongly worded sentence away.
The Bottom Line
Pierce Brosnan and Carey Mulligan in 'The Greatest.'
© PaladinFeste's directorial debut shows promise, though it has a heavy-handed feel to it that never quite lets the audience forget we're watching a movie. And there's the problem of too many characters and scenes that go nowhere, add no meat to the story, and ultimately appear to be storylines cut short without being allowed to play out. A lot is left unexplained, and I'm not talking about the unnecessary side plots and filler material. Much of the motivations of the central characters are baffling, dots aren't connected, and there's an overall incomplete vibe that comes with watching The Greatest. I would hope there's a director's cut that will be released on DVD which will explain and flesh out what's been left dangling in the theatrical release. That's the film this cut makes me interested in seeing. As it stands now, The Greatest doesn't have quite the emotional pull it needs to merit its title.
GRADE: B-
The Greatest was directed by Shana Feste and is rated R for language, some sexual content and drug use.
Theatrical Release: April 9, 2010
