The Bachelors

So far I haven't seen every J.K. Simmons movie, but I am getting there and this is one of the good ones.

This is two love stories, a coming of age story and a story of grief all rolled into one. IMHO very well done, which makes this a really good movie to watch. It goes on the top of my re-watch list.

Julie Delpy is supurb as J.K. Simmons love interest, Odeya Rush is outstanding as Josh Wiggins love interest and I just loved the 1973 Ford Mustang used for transport with the backward facing seat.

I found this a very sad, but uplifting movie that really hooked me in. The characters felt very real. Anyone who has lost a partner or parent will know how the characters felt here.

If you don't shed I tear you were probably watching the wrong movie.

Worth watching and highly recommended.

8/10

In a nutshell, the film tells the story about a teacher, after the death of his wife, and his son that move to a new city, where emotional connections with two women help them begin to heal. During 2020 pandemic and less than two years after I watched "The Bachelors" for the 1st time, I realized (after my wife commented it) that I (we) already watched it, but I completely forget it, meaning, it's not that memorable (at least for me) regardless it is a solid dramedy with maybe shallow attempt at exploring themes of depression and mental illness. To be honest, I almost wish the movie was a mini-series just so all the film characters and their backgrounds could have been developed more. Basically, a poor script did not allow story-line to develop enough or for anything else than mostly surface characters and a mediocre drama with some good moments in the relationship of father and son. Acting wise, despite the fact that J.K. Simmons is the biggest name among the cast, each of the four top-billed actors deserve credit for film deft emotional balance. To conclude, while film can feel slow at times, I can recommended it just, please, not watch it if you are feeling down.

Rating: 7+

Now this film I liked, has the human emotion that we all feel at times. The actors we right on point and we'll balanced, story was nice. This is a good watch, not great! but a good piece of work.

Bill Palet (J.K. Simmons) is still depressed by the death of his wife a year earlier. He and his teen son Wes (Josh Wiggins) move out of their home and into a new life at a private school. Wes is partnered with troubled Lacy Westman (Odeya Rush) who has dysfunctional parents getting divorced but stubbornly still live together. The kids' french teacher Carine (Julie Delpy) try to heal their wounds.

The kids are great. This could be a great high school drama if the movie could skew more towards them. I don't have anything against Delpy and Simmons. On the contrary, they do great work with their roles. Nevertheless, it does pull focus away from the kids. It leaves the story telling scattered. I don't know much about filmmaker Kurt Voelker. He seems to get some good work from his actors.

Not sure why this is listed as a romantic comedy. Truth be told, it is neither. But it is a study in the effects of grief. A gut-wrenching story of emotional survival; tentative and tenuous relationships; self truths; and the desperate need to come out on the other side as unscathed as one can, in the face of bitter loss.