Page 20 THE VILLADOM TIMES I & III • February 12, 2014 ‘Labor Day’ covers a life-changing sultry weekend by Dennis Seuling Adele (Kate Winslet) and son Henry (Gattlin Griffith) are threatened by an escaped convict (Josh Brolin) in ‘Labor Day.’ Though its setting is New England, “Labor Day,” the new film from director Jason Reitman, has the look and feel of a Tennessee Williams play. Fans attempt to circu- late moisture-heavy air in a house that looks like it could use major renovations. The woman in that house can hardly face the world, and is about to meet a stranger who will have a profound effect on her life. While Adele (Kate Winslet) and her 13-year-old son Henry (Gattlin Griffith) are out for their once-a-month shopping chores, Henry is approached by a bleeding man (Josh Brolin), an escaped convict on the lam. He insists they drive him to their home, where he can rest a hurt leg until it gets dark and he can leave. Frightened, Adele reluctantly obeys. With police swarming the area, the man, Frank, decides to extend his stay indefinitely. As day turns into night, viewers see he is a gentle giant sensitive to Adele’s loneli- ness. He also harbors an inner Rachael Ray and can whip up a pretty good chili. His specialty, however, is peach pie, and he enlists the efforts of Adele and Henry to make it. Director Reitman spends a good deal of screen time on this activity, as it shows how the three are becoming a sort of family. It is impossible to watch this scene with- out thinking of its probable inspiration, the clay wheel sequence in “Ghost.” The adult Henry (Tobey Maguire), narrating off- screen, observes that when Adele’s husband left her for his secretary, Adele missed being loved. She became nearly agorophobic, leaving Henry to do basic chores. Winslet is extremely expressive and does much with little dialogue. Her quivering body, downcast eyes, palpable vulnerabil- ity, and gradual easing of tension show her to be suspi- cious, yet open to Frank’s chivalrous manner, despite his having forced his way into her life. Brolin is often underrated as an actor, and this is unfor- tunate, since he has turned in consistently fine work on screen. He makes Frank real despite some incongruities written into the character, and the Brolin/Winslet chemis- try is strong. His eyes suggest a dark side to Frank that his actions in the house do not. Griffith has a large role and does what he can with wide-eyed stares and deer-in-the-headlights reactions. He is less effective in conveying the nuances of Henry’s feel- ings at having an adult male enter the little world he has shared only with his mom. The main problem with “Labor Day” is the script, which is based on a Joyce Maynard novel. Everything seems to happen too quickly. Adele’s fear gives way almost imme- diately to guarded wariness, even though she worries about her son. Her wariness then evolves into attraction, and that is when the movie begins to get shaky. Frank is a criminal wanted for murder, but Adele seems to brush this information to the side as she embraces his warmth and affection. Though fear would seem to be built into the premise of the movie, there is little suspense. Even the scene in which Adele and Henry are forced to drive Frank lacks tension. Viewers should wonder what his motive is, what he will do, and whether mother and boy will survive. Instead, the audience has such a polite and gentle scene that it looks like Adele is being invited to a church picnic. The final minutes of the movie cover a lot of territory and tell viewers what finally happens to Frank and Adele. Either more was filmed and cut, or the script simply glossed over these events. The result is a distinctly curious movie -- a variation on the traditional romantic drama, but one that never rises above its own self-consciousness. Rated PG-13, “Labor Day” is the story of two damaged people finding each other under unlikely circumstances. Though the characters are interesting, the script incorpo- rates too many unnecessary flashbacks, fails to provide badly needed tension, and ties things up far too quickly and neatly.