The Greatest (2009)
By: Shana Feste (director, writer)
Starring: Susan Sarandon, Pierce Brosnan, Carey Mulligan, Aaron Johnson, Johnny Simmons, Michael Shannon
A drama that is centered around a troubled teenage girl and a family that is trying to get over the loss of their son.
Every once in awhile, a melodrama manages to incorporate the typical themes of the genre yet elevate itself above the cliches that go along with those themes. Genuinely moving without falling back on the stereotypes that could easily be expected of it, The Greatest is an excellent example of how melodrama can and should be done.
Following the death of their eldest son in a car crash, parents Susan Sarandon and Pierce Brosnan take in the the girl who is carrying said son’s child. The resulting story could have so easily been typical or just plain boring but is instead an honest look at the grief process from several different perspectives. The difficultly of the present is highlighted nicely by glimpses of the past and the unique relationship between the deceased son (Aaron Johnson) and the mother of his child (Carey Mulligan), painting an intimate portrait of a broken but evolving family.
As could be expected from this cast, the acting is superb, with Sarandon in particular giving a knock out performance as a mother having difficulty accepting her son’s death. There is something incredibly earnest about all of the characters in this film, and for that I have to laud Shana Feste both for her script and direction. I was moved to tears by the end, and if you enjoy character-driven drama, I would definitely recommend this one.
I really liked this movie. I read a really bad review of it after I watched it, and it made me sad because I really, really liked it. It was not pretentious, it didn’t mean to change the world; it was sweet, and mostly well-performed.