American Bistro

--Heartfelt indeed. I feel American Bistro does a great job of throwing some relatable and arduous life experiences your way, only to quickly spice them up with wry humour. And to top it off, there are decent emotional payoffs to the hooks which are laid, as well as solid messages about life that tie up the movie's points.

--The musical score does nothing extraordinary, but it is tasteful and does its job of guiding you through the movie's emotions quite well. I don't remember seeing any of these actors before, which probably tells more about my lack of engagement than their talent, because they deliver great performances. Particularly the two male leads. The movie largely approaches the problems it ponders through a father/son dynamic and the female characters, while they have fun personalities and moments of expression, are mostly there for the ride and do not greatly influence the plot. This isn't criticism, but a notification for any girls or women reading this. You might be amused, but may find fewer points to relate.

--There are only two points where I felt the movie's quality weaken. There is one argument between Medor and Gwen which felt somewhat theatrical, but both actors display good performances outside of this scene. At the very end of the movie, it decides to really drive certain ideas and messages, and somewhat forces them upon the plot. Perhaps some screenwriting or editing magic could have made it more seamless. I felt a jog in the pacing, but even with that in mind the resolution unfolded quite well.

--If you're looking for a well-made, wholesome experience, I'd argue this movie is a fine choice.