Sometimes all it takes is one common interest to bring people together, whether it's a shared love of food, nature, or an extra-terrestrial who suddenly lands in a small Pennsylvania town. Jules focuses on the latter, and although there are some heartfelt moments in this sci-fi comedy, the film fails to do anything truly memorable. Director Marc Turtletaub sets out to make a generational opposite of 'E.T.' Instead of featuring a group of children trying to hide their alien friend, a group of lonely senior citizens take the reins. Aside from some decent performances and a few laughs here and there, this Turtletaub entry will only be remembered as a story about loneliness that never took any risks.
Milton (Ben Kingsley) is an aging, 78-year-old man who has recently shown signs of dementia. For the most part, his life is uneventful; he attends the weekly town hall meeting to offer his opinions and occasionally visits with his busy daughter, Denise (Zoe Winters), who also lives nearby. The entire town writes him off as an "old man who is losing his mind," and no one really gives any weight to what he says. His reputation ruins the image of other seniors in town, like the outspoken Joyce (Jane Curtin) and the energetic Sandy (Harriet Sansom Harris). One night, Milton is woken up by a loud crash, and comes to find an alien UFO has landed in his backyard. Much to his dismay, no one believes him; that is, until Sandy and Joyce stumble upon his discovery. Now, their lives will never be the same.
At its highest level, Jules is a heartwarming story about three lonely seniors finally finding their purpose again. Milton, Sandy, and Joyce all have walked different paths, but all find themselves alone in their final years. The discovery of Jules brings them all together, giving them each close-knit friendships that they can cherish for the rest of their lives. As the core that brings them all together, Jules is almost an imaginary hand that guides the trio into this final phase of their lives, encouraging them to be happy rather than alone. Screenwriter Gavin Steckler does well to keep the story simple and meaningful.
Where the film fails is in its mediocre direction. As Turtletaub transitions from scene to scene, there is no excitement or anticipation. It seems as though he tries to toe the line of keeping the alien as mysterious as possible (Is he real? Is Milton just losing his mind?) without offering the audience any reason to stay engaged. The entire premise of Jules seems to look great at a high level, but it becomes clear that the film requires a delicate touch to really shine as an hour and a half-long feature.
There will be many people that walk out of Jules feeling happy and refreshed. It is not a bad movie by any means but is just sort of bland. Although nothing truly stands out as exceptional, the story will definitely hit home with much of its target audience.