The Hero (2017)
I 've always liked Sam Elliott ( really , who doesn't?) but know him more as a character actor in supportive , not starring, roles. And I've had a generally favorable impression of Nick Offerman, though quite frankly, my view came mostly from seeing the beautiful woodwork he showcased on the old Letterman show-but, man, can that guy build an oar.
So when I heard that these two men were in one movie, even though it was based on a not too sanguine theme, I decided to give it a go. Alas this is one movie that seemed to turn out to be less than the sum of its parts.
Briefly, the conceit of the film is that Elliott plays an actor named Lee whose last successful roles are decades behind him. Once a star of Westerns, ( his most iconic role titled The Hero) he's now reduced to using his deeply resonant and pleasing voice to sell barbecue sauce. He's also estranged from a daughter that he apparently paid no attention to for most of her life, and spends his golden years in a wasteful, pointless haze of getting zoned out on drugs. Nick Offerman plays his former costar and current drug dealer, and who also introduces Lee to a beautiful young woman with whom he embarks on a unlikely romance.
The crux of the film is that Lee has received a severe medical diagnosis, which is
the ( depressing) driving wheel of the meager plot. There's not a lot of substance to this story, and the characters are not really fleshed out or dynamic enough to gain much of our empathy. There are also some Western flavored dream sequences, which add little to the story except a benign confusion.
Questions about life are sketchily asked, but do we really want to wait around to find the answers? Will Lee find a way of reconciling with his daughter? Will he get the role in a movie, which he has been lying about already having obtained - supposedly to boost his ego or to keep from facing his fate: the viewer isn't exactly sure why. Actually, there are a number of inconsistencies in this movie, which I will not detail , except to say there are times when the viewer cannot suspend disbelief at the actions of the characters.
The film also moves along at a slow lugubrious pace. It is not as slow as the way time moves, say, when having root canal - but it IS as mercilessly slow as waiting to have root canal, when the dentist is an hour late (or in this case, an hour and a half, which is the length of the film).
There are a few highlights, which flash briefly on the screen, as we trudge through the plot. There are some moments when Lee shows himself as the consummate professional he once was - reading his lines with a passion born from his own self, or treating his starry eyed fans with a gentle kindness that shows us the man could be a class act. Most of the time, however he is a selfish, self indulgent wastrel and we question why he's even on good terms with his ex wife (Katherine Ross) - or, in fact, why we should care about him at all.
This is not to say that an audience cannot be thoroughly engaged by a character that has little moral center or purpose- Five Easy Pieces, one of my favorite movies, asks us to be invested in such a man. And we are- but that is a movie that is both funny and tragic, with unforgettable performances and sly twists of storyline - and as well crafted and finely polished as a rare diamond.
And there are times when this film rises above being a Hallmark movie for potheads - and manages to resonate the universal dilemma of how we view the journey of our lives, how fate can force us to reflect on our mistakes, and how we might seek to correct them in what seems like the final hour.
But unfortunately, the film as a whole doesn't explore these issues in a new or meaningful way, and we are left with the prospect of admiring a man who is not all that admirable. In fact, I found myself more invested in Sam Elliott, who can still command the screen at 70+ years, than the character he portrays.
I don't know if Sam is just meant to be a great supporting actor, but not one to shoulder a movie as the central star - or if this was just a poor choice of movie for him. As earnest as the premise may have been, and especially considering the dour theme; this movie is just a vehicle to pass the time. Slowly and not too gracefully , as does our anti - hero protagonist.
Probably would have given it even less stars, save for the still vital presence of Sam Elliott ( who still has the stuff to take on roles in better movies) and a few nice shots of the ocean.