Displaying items by tag: Laura Miller

LIKE FATHER 

US, 2018, 96 minutes, Colour.

Kristin Bell, Kelsey Grammer, Seth Rogen, Jon Foster.

Directed by Laura Miller Rogen.

The continuation would be, like father… like daughter rather than son! And this time the father is Frazier, Kelsey Grammer, and daughter is Veronica Mars, Kristin Bell. And, in the supporting cast, Seth Rogen whose wife, Laura Miller, is the director.

This is a comedy with serious intent. It is about workaholics, the daughter almost symbiotically attached to her phone, even during her wedding ceremony. Then she discovers her estranged father at the wedding, their drinking together, discussing together, decision to go on a Caribbean cruise together – where they meet some couples.

There are all kinds of misunderstandings, a continued dependence on the phone, clashes between father and daughter, the discovery that he was a workaholic but is now bankrupt, her suspicions about him.

But, many workaholic audiences will be able to follow the details of the interaction with some empathy – and discover that some kind of understanding and reconciliation is possible.

1. Usually, like father, like son? Now like father, like daughter?
2. The television popularity of the stars, Veronica Mars? Frazier?
3. The touch of romantic comedy, the passengers thinking Rachel and Harry were married, rather a living reconciliation between father and daughter?
4. Rachel, her world, business, ambitions, the cheesemakers and the interview, her boss? Always on the phone, the deals? The engagement, to Owen, the buildup to the ceremony, bass officiating, everyone at the altar, Rachel and her phone, putting it in the bouquet, its falling out? Her hesitation, confronting Owen, leaving? Upset, the honeymoon cruise booked? Her drinking?
5. Harry, his presence at the wedding, Rachel seeing him, the clash, his absence from her life, the marriage, her birth, the early years, his being busy, absent, not returning? Disappearance? Her resentment? They drinking together?
6. On the ship, waking up, her planning to leave, the air ticket? Being persuaded to take part in the ship entertainment? Yet her continually being on the phone?
7. The friends of the table, the gay couple, their plans for adoption, friendly? The newly married divorcees, African-American, cheerful? The elderly couple and their golden anniversary, cheerful? At the table together, the conversations, at the entertainments, the games, the eventual karaoke?
8. Harry, genial, gradually revealing his story, Gabe as his friend, working together, the house, Gabe and his illness, his death? The ashes? Wanting to reconcile with Rachel?
9. Rachel, some happiness with Harry, the compere and the games, listening to the story, her changes of moods, realising the pressures on her life, the continued phone calls? Rehearsing the karaoke, the elaborate performance, crowned?
10. Jamaica, the tour, the scenery, happiness?
11. Her finally accepting the truth, Gabe’s ashes? The gay couple calling their adopted child Gabe?
12. Back at New York, her going to the office, going home, taking time off? Harry and his return to California, the couple helping him move? Rachel turning up, and happy reconciliation?