The Boys Are Back

Scott Hicks

First there was Korea’s Mother and Hollywood’s Motherhood, now it is time for fathers to have their turn in the spotlight.

After the death of his second wife from cancer, sports writer Joe Warr (Clive Owen) has to learn to build a connection with his five-year-old son Artie (Nicholas McAnulty).

His parenting skills are further stretched when Harry (Rupert Grint-lookalike George MacKay), his 13-year- old son from his previous marriage, comes to visit him in Australia.

Joe has a stubborn, reckless streak and can be as petulant as a child himself, but Owen brings a rough-round-the- edges, roguish charm to the role. Some might consider his child-rearing philosophy rather slack though he himself proudly proclaims: “I run a pretty loose ship.”

There is some late drama when an episode of child-sitting by Harry ends badly and he scuttles home to England but this sweet, low-key film, based on journalist Simon Carr’s memoir, is ultimately an ode to unconventional fatherhood.

(ST)