He holds out his hand, she gives her own, and meets his parting kiss in the matterofcourse way of a ten years matrimony. Bryan cranston is a dad in suburban exile in wakefield. His wakefield is a creature of words, less a man than a conceit. Apr 11, 2018 its incredibly cliched at this point, but beirut really is the kind of movie they dont make anymore. The movie spoiler your guide to the latest plot twists. Bryan cranston stars as successful lawyer and family man howard wakefield, whose nervous breakdown causes him to. Discussion of themes and motifs in nathaniel hawthornes wakefield.
Like wakefield, he may become, as it were, the outcast of the universe. Can anyone explained the cliffhanger for wakefield. Wakefield is a fascinating and frustrating thought exercise. Apr 07, 2017 confusing scifi movie endings explained. Wakefield, almost resolved to perplex his good lady by a whole weeks absence.
Films of international diplomacy and political gamesmanship in the middle east arent exactly profitable, and television has become the new home for such storytelling. Howard has a loving wife garner, two daughters, a prestigious job as a manhattan lawyer, and a comfortable home in the suburbs. May 19, 2017 the screenwriter and director robin swicord, sticking pretty closely to the specifics of the storys events, has made a smart, intriguing, sometimes provocative and often oddly moving picture of wakefield. Could a family really never have thought to look in the attic of the garage right across the street. Theres nothing more frustrating than an ambiguous ending after a great movie.
Wakefield is a bizarre showcase for bryan cranston the. The straightforward plot is also supplemented by flashbacks showing. May 17, 2017 the movie, written and directed by robin swicord and starring bryan cranston and jennifer garner, isnt based on that tale. His beautiful wife diane jennifer garner, with whom married life has soured. Thats especially true for scifi movies, most of which are brain. The movie is dedicated to doctorow, who died in 2015. Sure, the let the viewer thinkimagine what might happen ending can work.
Wakefield kisses his wife, and while he is leaving, he smiles to his wife. The breaking bad star gives a showy performance as a businessman who leaves his. What is so sacrosanct about a marriage and a family that you should have to live in it day after day. And here, while true to doctorow, the movie disappoints. Link to the short story im a fairly patient movie goer but i still think the movie could have cut out a lot of scenes and still have kept a strong narrative. Wakefield himself, be it considered, has no suspicion of what is before him. But, it needs to be done differently, especially with a movie asis. May 19, 2017 wakefield is a bizarre showcase for bryan cranston. Wakefield tells his wife that he will go out for a journey for three or four day. Although wakefields ending leaves open the possibility for multiple interpretations, the filmmaker removes the sting from her storys tale, which keeps its insights from cutting as deep. The 2008 short story wakefield, by american literary giant e.
After dodging the big confrontation that might have ended his. The real meaning behind these confusing movie endings by looper staff dec. Yep, almost the entire movie finds the lead character explaining to the audience what is going on. Dec 01, 2016 the real meaning behind these confusing movie endings. Wakefield is a 2016 american comedydrama film directed and written by robin swicord and starring bryan cranston and jennifer garner. Get the latest movie times, trailers and celebrity interviews.
The hardest part of a script to nail is the ending. Wakefield crests with an ending thats disappointingly openended. One of the real treats of life is that even though you can reduce the movie to its influences, it still manages to be mostly unpredictable. From the garages windows he can see inside his own house.
Based on the 1960 novel of the same name by david storey, which won the 1960 macmillan fiction award, it recounts the story of a rugby league footballer, frank machin, in wakefield, a mining town in yorkshire, whose romantic life is not as successful as his sporting life. Whats the story what would your life look like without you in it. And though howards voiceover does reveal his own blind spots, the movie s final moments end wakefield on a maddeningly vague note. If we had more deep explorations, sure, this could work. Your guide to the latest plot twists and surprise endings, now playing at a theater near you. Everything has been building up to this one moment, and if the writer doesnt deliver, the movie could be doomed. Wakefield is a fascinating and frustrating thought.
Doctorow, put a particularly funny and dark spin on the theme. The real meaning behind these confusing movie endings. Instead of coming back, he disappears for twentyyear, without seeing from his wife and friends. Bryan cranston shines as man who blows up his life. We laugh at a few of the scenarios wakefield imagines for himself, but the movie ends before we see how his actual plan plays out. The ending of wakefield is either infuriating or poetic. Howard wakefield, a successful attorney in new york city, is unhappy in his marriage of fifteen years to diana, a beautiful art curator. His withdrawal leads him to examine his life, and he rationalizes that he has not abandoned his family because he is still in the house. Complete summary of nathaniel hawthornes wakefield. Wakefield is an introspective and interesting examination into a man who. Wakefield, on an impulse, decides to stay in the garage overnight. Wakefield is a terrific movie, with a devastatingly bravura performance by bryan cranston that seizes and grips from first scene to last. Top movies streaming and dvd warning the ending to these films will be revealed.
Doctorow, the writerdirector robin swicord, who adapted. Mar 27, 2017 still, nobody saw that ending coming, right. Wakefield becomes a fraught meditation on marriage and identity, as howard slowly. We laugh at a few of the scenarios wakefield imagines for himself, but the movie ends before.
On one hand it is apropos to the films philosophical outlook, but it is also. Wakefield synopsis howard wakefield, a new york city lawyer, hides out in the attic of his home for weeks. Outwardly, howard wakefield bryan cranston is the picture of success. Once secure that the pest is gone, wakefield pauses. The midlife crisis film, based on a short story by e. The plot of it largely revolves seven middle school early highschool aged children that are considered outcasts by their peers and family. Sep 04, 2016 if only the ending werent such a copout.
The movie database tmdb is a popular, user editable database for movies and tv shows. May 25, 2017 wakefield is a fascinating and frustrating thought exercise. What is the meaning behind nathaniel hawthornes wakefield or, as the author stated what sort of man was wakefield. Wakefield, starring bryan cranston, is an unforgettable experience.
The pictures other major miscalculation is having wakefield narrate at least 80% of a 2hour long film. Of course as the movie progresses howard realises that the problems with his life are mostly of his own doing. What is the meaning behind nathaniel hawthornes wakefield. A few critics have complained that the ending right out of doctorow and hawthorne is a copout. Uneventful and dull to look at, the film adapts a short story by e. Wakefield, starring bryan cranston, is an unforgettable. Erin has taught college level english courses and has a masters degree in english. Feb 23, 2016 the hardest part of a script to nail is the ending.
But, asis, movie is too shallow for such an ending. Bryan cranston cant stop watching jennifer garner in tedious. On a mere whim, a middleaged man leaves his wife and lives by himself for. The literary ghost, if not the macabre spirit, of edgar allan poe haunts wakefield, a movie notable for its use of a selfjustifying, firstperson narratornut job of the sort poe famously. Its an interesting premise on its own, but the movie never really does anything about that and the plot barely goes anywhere through the entire movie. Howard wakefield, a new york city lawyer, hides out in the attic of his home for weeks, coming out in the daytime when his family is gone to. This lesson will examine the short story wakefield by nathaniel hawthorne. The ending to his story is not in his own hands, as he believes. He has a loving wife jennifer garner and two daughters, a prestigious job as a manhattan lawyer, and a comfortable home in the suburbs. Howard wakefield, a new york city lawyer, hides out in the attic of his home for weeks, coming out in the daytime when his family is gone to shower and eat. Bryan cranston makes wakefield a tough watch telluride. Rhys wakefield makes for a capable male lead whose behavior throughout the movie reveals some interesting layers to his characters personality, but ashley hinshaw doesnt get much to. A man plays voyeur to his own failures film inquiry. But inwardly hes suffocating, and eventually he snaps and goes into hiding in his garage attic leaving his family to wonder what happened to him.
Although the ending is tricky, its in keeping with the rest of the movie, which is unexpected to say the least. We laugh at a few of the scenarios wakefield imagines for himself, but the movie ends before we see how. Wakefield is a terrific movie, with a devastatingly. Wakefield film end title wakefield aaron zigman youtube. May 17, 2017 howard wakefield, a new york city lawyer, hides out in the attic of his home for weeks, coming out in the daytime when his family is gone to shower and eat. Nov 18, 2014 a married couple, wakefield and his wife, lives in london. This sporting life is a 1963 british drama film directed by lindsay anderson. Everything you need to know about wakefield movie 2017. A mans nervous breakdown causes him to leave his wife and live in his attic for several months. Wakefield is a bizarre showcase for bryan cranston. Brayn cranston as howard wakefield and jennifer garner as diana wakefield. Doctorow, which was in turn inspired by the 1835 story of the same title by nathaniel hawthorne. Doctorow, 2 which was in turn inspired by the 1835 story of the same title by nathaniel hawthorne.
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