(Photo Credit: Vertical)
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(“The Weight” trailer courtesy of Vertical)
Fathers, what would you do if someone or something separated you from your young daughter?
Additionally, what would you do if you were a single father and someone or something separated you from your child?
For Samuel Murphy (Ethan Hawke, “Black Phone 2”), not even the weight of the world would stop you from getting to your daughter, even if that means moving “weight.”
In the process, Hawke almost single-handedly pulls his weight and the weight of others in “The Weight,” which is saying something considering the star-power in the film.
The only thing probably worse than becoming separated from your child when they need you the most is to not be able to provide for them even before the separation.
But that is the predicament that Murphy finds himself in raising his daughter by himself in Eugene, Ore. in 1933, during the Great Depression.
Despite the hard times, as the people would say back in those days, Murphy still manages to provide some fun for his young daughter Penny.
A simple ride home in their car becomes a make-believe car chase with the Murphy duo evading the pursuit of law enforcement.
Unfortunately, there is very little that Murphy can do to evade reality.
He figures out a way to tinker with his car so it will not use as much gas as a normal car would.
In “The Weight,” Murphy even makes some many here and there working on the cars of his neighbors.
However, the hard times never turn to unfaithful times, as father and daughter still find their way to the church house on Sunday.
Although Jesus Christ represents mercy, bill collectors during the Great Depression must not have the mercy or compassion of the Messiah, because they evict Murphy and Penny on the Lord’s Day.
After service, the two find their belongings outside of their apartment, and the doors locked.
They still put on a brave face as they sell some of their tossed belongings to soon-to-be former neighbors who still have a roof over their heads.
Penny even sells her beloved teddy bear, while Murphy sells Penny’s mother’s radio.
Tears and pouting do not pay the bills.
Therefore, the Murphy family must pick up the pieces quickly to avoid sleeping on the streets for the foreseeable future.
In “The Weight,” Murphy finds an apartment to rent that will allow tenants to pay what they can, while perusing the newspaper with his daughter.
Unfortunately, when they arrive at the address no one will answer their knocks on the door.
Murphy and Penny go to every door and window in the joint, but to no avail.
The two only raise the suspicions of some passersby, who confront the duo about what they are doing at someone else’s window.
When Murphy tries to explain to the men that they are looking to rent a place, one of the men confronts Penny (Ava Berry), which upsets her doting dad.
A physical altercation ensues, which would be normal in many cases.
But when one of the men produces a police badge, a simple fight becomes anything but simple.
In “The Weight,” Murphy is sentenced to time in a convict labor camp.
Although a comedy, “Life” starring Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence has some similarities with “The Weight.”
The labor camp contains a group of male convicts, some not guilty of anything, probably, some convicted on trumped up charges and some just at the wrong place at the wrong time.
But all of them share a story of how a bad break or bad decision got them locked up.
And like in many prisons, all the inmates are not hardened criminals.
In fact, some of the jailers are more criminal than the actual convicts.
Claude (Lawrence) from the movie “Life” wanted to get out to start his new bank teller job.
However, in “The Weight” Murphy must get out of prison in a certain amount of time because the system will not wait to separate Penny from him permanently via adoption.
While in the labor camp, Murphy does not initially do much to separate himself from the other inmates in a work sense.
But when jailer J.J. Clancy (Russell Crowe, “The Greatest Beer Run Ever”) gives the men a task of moving a huge rock, that should take dynamite to move, Murphy uses his ingenuity to get the rock moved, much to the surprise of the jailer.
Impressed by his intellect and work ethic, Clancy gives Murphy the assignment of choosing a few more men to help a colleague of his move pounds of gold through backwoods America.
If Murphy can complete the assignment in five days, he will release Murphy from jail so that he can be reunited with his daughter permanently.
The only problem is that moving pounds of gold makes one a sitting target for thieves.
Furthermore, the thievery does not need to come from the outside when the entire team of movers is made up of convicted criminals.
Despite the predictable ending, “The Weight” is definitely worth the price of admission, especially because of Hawke’s performance.
All the other cast members do an exceptional job as well.
But there is something about a father’s love and dedication to his children that will resonate with many.
The movie has a dark visual, which is appropriate for the subject matter and the times.
But it also has a quiet confidence because of the quiet faith of a determined father who refuses to let a crooked system separate him from the love of his life.
REGAL RATINGS
FOUR CROWNS=EXCELLENT
THREE CROWNS=GOOD
TWO CROWNS=AVERAGE
ONE CROWN=POOR
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