Fatherhood is the latest Netflix original film and is a rare step into dramatic territory for Kevin Hart, similar to the surprisingly moving but funny The Upside. Netflix bought it from Sony, and I feel it was a great move because Hart has an extensive fan base regardless of what others might think of him, so I fully expect this to land on the Netflix top 10 this weekend.
The film is based on the memoir “Two Kisses for Maddy: A Memoir of Loss & Love.” It centers on a man who loses his wife soon after childbirth and who must now raise his newborn child on his own.
The biggest thing working for this film is it’s a career-best performance from Kevin Hart. Similar to The Upside, it shows him going against type and doing a great job with the dramatic moments. I was very impressed by the surprising range he showed. Now, this isn’t saying he will be winning an Oscar anytime soon, but it shows he is capable of more than his regular schtick. While the film does have heavier and more emotional material than his work usually does, this is a dramedy, so there is humor. To the surprise of no one, he excels in this area with ease, bringing his signature wit to it. One of the film’s funniest bits was seeing him describe two different ways that a baby poops. For some, it might come off corny, but I like his style of comedy, and it worked well for me.
Hart has excellent chemistry with Melody Hurd, who plays his daughter. I loved their chemistry, which is truly the heart of the film, and they are very believable as a father and daughter duo. Hurd is simply a star in the making. She had a rebellious side to her and impressed upon the audience with some of the heavier material. She impressed me a lot in this and the Amazon original series Them. The projects are VERY different, so it shows the range she possesses at such a young age.
The film has a great supporting cast with Alfre Woodard, Lil Rel Howery, DeWanda Wise, and Anthony Carrigan, all providing some good work for Hart to bounce off. They each get their moment to shine and leave a mark. Woodard plays Hart’s mother-in-law, and she is tough on him at times because she feels he isn’t ready to be a single dad. Being the thespian that she is, she gave Hart a lot of great material to work with opposite her, and he stepped it up. Howery and Carrigan provide great humor to the film. Since Hart did more dramatic work than usual on this, their scene-stealing work was very welcomed. Wise as the new woman in Hart and his daughter’s life played the role well. Her character was very understanding of the situation and didn’t overstep her boundaries too much.
These films can have tonal issues, but thankfully Paul Weitz, who directed the film, knows a thing or two about blending drama with some comedy, as evident by his work on About A Boy and Grandma. With the film deals with some heavy material, he knew the right moment to inject the humor, so the film didn’t get too depressing. I also loved how Weitz showed the struggles of being a single father. The situation of losing your wife and being left with a newborn isn’t easy, and he does a great job at showing that.
Sadly, for all the good it did, this is a story that has been done to death. There wasn’t anything surprising or shocking that made this film stand out from the pack. The film runs about 10 minutes longer than it needed to. It didn’t have pacing issues, but it could have been 90 minutes and still have its message get across.
Fatherhood won’t be breaking any ground, but it’s a solid and serviceable film perfect for Father’s Day weekend.
