Ezra

I'm a fan of sweet, simple stories with memorable characters and I found all of that in Ezra. Bobby Cannavale turns in a magnificent performance in the role of Max, a struggling standup comic co-parenting his autistic 11-year-old son Ezra with his ex-wife Jenna played by the always fabulous Rose Byrne. When Ezra's outbursts spin out of control at school, a doctor suggests putting him on a special medication. Jenna is receptive to the idea, but Max is having none of it and flees with Ezra, taking him on a cross-country road trip with hopes of appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live. It's a trip that proves life-changing for both Max and Ezra.

I was pleasantly surprised to find actual comedians here. I actually watch Emma Willmann's stuff, and it seems like she even wrote her own material here. The movie convincingly portrays its themes, highlighting the struggles of parenting, especially in the context of divorce and a child with mental health issues. We also see the valid reasons behind the parents' disagreements. They both wanted what was best.

The film exceeded my expectations. The conflicts felt realistic, and the acting was good, particularly from William A. Fitzgerald in his first movie role. He was so good that I hope he doesn't get typecast like the dude from The Good Doctor. Overall, the cast did well. Robert De Niro's introduction was funny, and he had some great moments. He's excellent at playing father roles, as I noticed in Silver Linings Playbook.

The humor was well-balanced, with the best laughs coming from moments outside the stand-up comedy bits. I'm glad the movie didn't overdo the jokes, even though one of the main characters is a comedian. It balances out with the dramatic moments without overshadowing them.

While the movie didn't leave a lasting impact, I still think it's worth watching. It was a pleasant surprise since I expected it to be overly sentimental, but it turned out much better. One of the cool things about mystery movie screenings is discovering unexpectedly good films, even if they're not ones I was eagerly anticipating. I'm a bit conflicted about giving it 3 or 3½ stars.

He's read the New York Times since he was 5 and can eat only with plastic silverware. That's Ezra, the film is Ezra, and Ezra is autistic. This new melodrama from Hollywood, directed by Tony Goldwyn, is a tearjerker in its best form: so likeable is dad, Max (Bobby Cannavale in his career high), so fetchingly gruff his grandpa (Robert De Niro), so loveable Ezra (William A. Fitzgerald) that you root for them from the first frame to the last.

Max doesn't want Ezra to be put in a special school, so in his usually off-kilter way, he kidnaps Ezra to take him to California away from the cold-hearted child services and to appear as a comedian on the Jimmy Kimmel show. Despite the challenge of an Amber Alert, the fugitives manage to make the odyssey with grandpa's help and that of the endearing mother (Rose Byrne), divorced from Max but loving both Ezra and him. That she accepts the authorities' decision to drug Ezra and place him in a special school stretches credibility given the questionable authorities.

Although some of these situations seem like setups for pulling at the heart, the film peppers each with a reality that proclaims how we could easily be in the same situation. Max often acts like a child, while the child acts like an adult. When Max attacks the principal, the script seems unreal.

However, the film successfully shows not only the rough side, but also the charming side of autism, much as Rainman did. In other words, humanity outweighs film formula.

Life constantly gives Max chances while he tends to blow the opportunities. While being a stand-up comedian who earns a gig on Kimmel, he has some of the worst jokes ever, such as finding his inner child who happens to have a gun.

One of the memorable segments is De Niro showing his considerable chops when he apologizes to Max for being an emotionally distant father. It's the old Travis first-rate acting even when it feels like writer Tony Spiridakis is forcing the moment and its emotion.

The movie Ezra is a stellar summer outing with excellent acting and caution about being a parent and bringing up an autistic child. The imperfections are negligible when you consider its strengths.

I don't understand the ones that hated this to me it's one of the most heartwarming, quite relatable, and wonderful tearjerker; I'm probably one of few that cried a couple times during this. I have had stomach pain most the day but I love crying to movies I sympathize with and felt sad I don't have a great dad like Bobby Cannavale's character even Robert De Niro was magnificent in this!

I'm fine with being in the minority that loved this a lot to me anything about someone on the spectrum hits the spot and this is one of the best ones I've seen. I quote movies often, I've had meltdowns, I have sensory to certain foods, and I was forced into special needs classes at a young age. I genuinely hope Ezra gets appreciated truly deserves it.

Well done, well scripted movie that tugs at the heart strings. The IMDB current synopsis (09/09) is totally off. In a cast of heavy hitters, the novice kid playing Ezra steals the show. The script is inspired by a true story, sometimes poignant, sometimes heavy handed, with well timed and well delivered levity. Casting was great with a few surprises, including Whoopi Goldberg, Rainn Wilson and Vera Farmiga, who played smaller but important roles to the story. Tony Goldwyn directed and was in the movie, which was written by his life long friend. It's the story of an autistic child, family struggle, divorced parents, understanding the past, vulnerability and a bit of redemption along the way.