This is the Hollywood version of the story. I don’t mean it as some sort of backhanded compliment, I think sticking as closely to the emotional beats as Kevin and the family experienced them, gives it a bit more license to embellish or in this case obviously eliminate.
More to the point I was surprised at how little I was taken out of this despite what I know, more because of what I didn’t know that would of course be revealed as throughout as private family moments. And just as someone who watches movies about families, the great ones always speak to some truth you only alone thought possible.
This is a very good movie. Nolan’s gonna clean house awards season so I don’t think this has much chance except to give Efron a shot at more mature material in the future. I’d really like to see Tierney and McCallany (anyone remember the FX show he did as a boxer, Lights Out?) get some heat from this.