Max Bernal is a stand-up comedian living with his father while struggling to co-parent his autistic son Ezra with his ex-wife. When forced to confront difficult decisions about their son's future, Max and Ezra embark on a cross-country road trip that has a transcendent impact on both their lives.
- Released:
- Runtime: 101 minutes
- Genre: Comedy, Drama
- Stars: Vera Farmiga, Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale, Robert De Niro, Whoopi Goldberg, Rainn Wilson, Jackson Frazer, Brian Donahue, Greer Barnes, Ella Ayberk, Lois Robbins, Alex Plank, Jimmy Kimmel, Guillermo Rodriguez, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Matilda Lawler, Joe Pacheco, Jennifer Plotzke, Barzin Akhavan, Donna Vivino
- Director: Tony Goldwyn
Comments
- isaacmizrahii - 16 June 2024
it
Will never cease to amaze me, how different opinions can be.
Like people saying, 'not worth/don't waste your time' ??????? REALly? I sat and, not only enjoyed the movie today but ALSO enjoyed listening to the people aROUND me laughing at a lot of parts...when i got up and looked around people nodded and smiled at me...i'm thinking they had a good time... the featured review, in my opinion, could not be more off in their perspective...it read like it wasn't what THEY wanted from the movie but i don't think the filmmakers were trying to cover TOO many aspects of the autistic spectrum...btw...for what it's worth, i've worked with quite a number of autistic children and adults...i think they did a fairly good job representing what THIS autistic child would be like, not straying from many of the common traits of autism... and the kid portraying Ezra, in my opinion, was reMARkably good... i'm hoping he's nominated for an oscar...THAT good...cannavale's ALways good...and this role was no exception...the supporting cast did a great job, as well... definitely a 'feel good' movie, if you're in the mood for that...just buy some popcorn and enjoy an hour and forty minutes of good storytelling... - movieman6-413-929510 - 1 June 2024
Film that tries to bring autism into the spotlight, but does not succeed due to messy aspects.
Ezra is a new comedy drama directed by Tony Goldwyn. This is his return as a film director since the 2010 film Conviction, because since 2010 he has directed more TV episodes and has also been more active as an actor. He also plays a role in this film. Furthermore, this film is based on a true story.
Max (Bobby Cannavale) tries to make ends meet as a stand-up comedian, but only performs in the local bar. This is why he still lives with his father Stan (Robert De Niro). He is also in contact with his ex-wife Jenna (Rose Byrne), with whom he has an autistic son Ezra (William A. Fitzgerald). Max incorporates all these things from his life into his comedy act.
When doctors prescribe special medication to help Ezra with his autism, Max thinks this is nonsense, which causes him to end up in a disagreement with the doctor. For example, Max is not allowed to see Ezra for a while, but when he hears that he can perform on TV, he needs his son as a support and a symbol of good luck. So he takes Ezra with him, but without further consultation with Jenna. In this way he actually only gets himself into more trouble.
The film crew seems to be trying to make autism more important with this film. In this way they try to show how a child with autism can go through life. They also show how people, such as family and friends, try to deal with someone with autism. In this film they also explore the different forms of autism and other similar disorders such as OCD, anger problems and control freak symptoms. By treating all these different disorders in about 100 minutes, focus is somewhat lost. It can therefore remain somewhat unclear about which symptoms and disorders the film is really trying to focus on.
These unclear aspects might have been more prevalent if they had looked back at the final story more precisely. Furthermore, the balance between the comedy and drama sides is also somewhat chaotic, so it is not always clear whether this film is trying to be more of a comedy or drama. Ultimately, no one is perfect and everyone has their own burdens and worries, which means mistakes can be made.
Despite these unclear, chaotic aspects, the actors manage to perform well in the film. For William A. Fitzgerald, this is only his first acting work in a film and yet he manages to perform well as a child with autism. Bobby Cannavale also gives a good performance as a caring father, but who sometimes seems more concerned with his own budding comedy career and therefore forgets his autistic son. Furthermore, his character also seems to have some autistic traits and also has a short fuse. Rose Byrne also plays a caring mother well, who can be a bit too protective around her autistic son. Other cast members such as Robert De Niro, Vera Farmiga and Whoopi Goldberg also play well-supported supporting roles. - sadethesage - 18 September 2023
Emotional and confused tears
I think movies about mental afflictions keep getting better and more helpful to people who suffer from them, as we move away from cartoonish stigma of the late 20th century when it comes to mental illness. Ezra is no exception in the way it handles portraying autism. And more poignantly, the way it portrays a cast of characters who all have different takes on this "disability". As someone on the spectrum it felt liberating and a fresh take and it made me cry a LOT but not like in a tragic way. IDK.
Oh! My review needs more characters to post. What else can I say? I saw the premiere at TIFF and the little boy actor was there and omg he's the cutest in real life and reminded me exactly of his character.
