Being the lead actor in a drama is no easy feat. Without a doubt, playing a widowed father who suffers the crippling loss of his wife and mother of his newborn child is, a challenge. After all, conveying the depth of such an emotionally tumultuous tragedy requires subtlety and vulnerability.
Kevin Hart shoulders the heavy burden of portraying such a man in Fatherhood. Director Paul Weitz tries to orchestrate this dramedy, balancing the act of tugging at viewers' heartstrings and tickling their funny bones. The film is based on a memoir written by Matthew Logelin, which was adapted for the screen by Weitz and co-writer Dana Stevens.
The movie starts off with the birth of Matt's daughter Maddy and the subsequent death of his wife and mother of his child. Viewers watch as he tries to navigate the aftermath the women in his family. After adapting to the life of being a primary caregiver to a newborn infant, the story skips ahead to Maddy as a kindergartener. From there, the story is propelled by Maddy's (modest) challenges fitting in at the Catholic school that she attends. Along the way, Matt meets a romantic interest (played by DeWanda Wise) who shares the same name as his late wife.
Does the movie succeed as a tearjerker? Perhaps. The concept of a mother who dies shortly after childbirth is tragic in and of itself, yes. However, Hart's performance doesn't do it justice. Unlike Robin Williams-who also took a turn from comedies to dramas as Hart does here-Hart doesn't quite hit the emotional notes that's needed to move an audience during dramatic moments. There are moments in which he fails to convince viewers of the emotions that were meant to be conveyed: resoluteness and doubt in the face of fear, loss, and frustration. He lacks the voice and posture of the kind of man who has suffered a tremendous loss. As a result, audiences need to do the emotional work themselves.
Hart's performance does pick up in the latter half of the movie though. Once the movie flashes forward past Maddy's infancy and into her kindergarten years, Hart is given the opportunity to perform alongside the jaunty Melody Hurd (who plays the 5-year-old Maddy). It's at this point that he slowly begins to take command of the screen. In a scene where he finally confronts his anger and frustration with the fate of his wife, viewers at last get to see a bit of range in Hart's performance.
Fatherhood raises-ever so faintly-the question of how to make good decisions, and the fact that sometimes there aren't any right answers. But it doesn't manage to make much of a statement about its titular topic. Due to its lack of narrative focus, the movie has little to offer. The dramatic performances have a fair bit of room for improvement. And the comedic moments, while chuckle-worthy, aren't particularly hilarious or insightful. On the whole, it makes for an amicable movie, but is otherwise unremarkable. Viewers who like Hart's comedic presence and are interested in seeing his attempt at drama may enjoy the movie, but others who are in the mood for a story about fatherhood may find the film to be a touch shallow.