Conflicting Sensibilities Leave 'Rudderless' At Sea
By Joel Wicklund in Arts & Entertainment on Oct 17, 2014 9:05PM
Billy Crudup in "Rudderless." (Photo: J.R. Cooke / Samuel Goldwyn Films)
Give veteran character actor William H. Macy points for bravery with Rudderless, his feature film directorial debut. It's a risky endeavor to try and give an upbeat, music-driven center to your film when it's bookended with reactions to the worst kind of tragedy. Macy and company do their best, and there's a lot to enjoy in the movie. In the end though, there may be one plot point no musical frivolity can survive: a fatal school shooting.
That's the torn-from-the-headlines horror that kicks off the story. Then we flash forward a couple of years to see the father of a boy killed in the shooting—once a high-flying advertising executive—living as an outcast on his boat, working as a day laborer, and mainly living to give the middle finger to any expectations people have of him. The father, Sam (Billy Crudup), is given a box of recording demos made by his late son, an aspiring musician. Listening to the personal songs reignites his own interest in music, and he decides to perform one at an open mic night at a local bar.
The song catches the attention of Quentin (Anton Yelchin), an ambitious young musician who wears the reclusive Sam down with his enthusiasm. Eventually they start a band and gain a following at the bar, but with Sam hiding the origins of the songs, trouble is just around the corner.
The script (by Macy, Casey Twenter and Jeff Robison) withholds a key bit of essential information regarding Sam's son. I won't give it away here, but hiding this aspect of the backstory proves to be a really bad decision. It feels wrong and sours much of the goodwill the film earns through the lively bar performances and the enjoyable give-and-take between Crudup and Yelchin.
Crudup seemed on the verge of superstardom when he appeared in Almost Famous back in 2000. He took a different path, appearing mainly in smaller films and winning much acclaim for his stage work, while making up what he lost in big Hollywood paychecks as a high-paid voiceover talent (he was the voice of MasterCard's "priceless" campaign for years). He's a charismatic presence here and gives a good performance. But his work is ultimately undone by a screenplay unable to find the perhaps impossible balance between joy and ultimate heartbreak.
Yelchin is fortunately less stranded in a better-defined role. He's appealing as the talented but needy kid looking for a mentor, and he shows off a really good singing voice as well. Felicity Huffman (Macy's wife), who we haven't seen enough of at the movies lately, and Laurence Fishburne add a bit of color to supporting characters who function more as narrative crutches. Former Disney starlet and pop singer Selena Gomez emotes heavily in a small but pivotal role that cheats the audience with a deceptive early appearance that doesn't fit at all with her emotional state later in the film.
Gomez's character is emblematic of what's wrong with Rudderless. The movie holds back on the really heavy stuff until the end. But by then, a curiously lighthearted tone has taken hold. As a director, Macy (who also appears as the owner of the bar) does much better conveying "let's put on a show" excitement than digging into the depths of the worst thing a parent could ever face. Rudderless isn't a bad movie, just an irreparably confused one.
Rudderless. Directed by William H. Macy. Written by Macy, Casey Twenter and Jeff Robison. 105 mins. Rated R. Starring Billy Crudup, Anton Yelchin and Felicity Huffman. Now playing in theaters nationwide, including AMC's 600 North Michigan theater.