Nailed

This movie is terrible. It's purpose is to let us know that if you didn't receive the Beaver Cleaver upbringing, then you don't deserve a baby, love, or even acceptance. The family are in fact such closed-minded bigots, I had trouble even finishing this film. I say stay away.

I have no idea whatsoever why but I actually liked the film- not at all how it's described on the box. Brad Rowe plays the son of Harvey Keitel, an Italian-American success story and mom Mary Kay Place, a typical Jewish mother. The lead girl in the film I had seen on recent episodes of "Seventh Heaven". But this movie explores areas of life that just aren't explored in too many films, if any. That is the need for a man to become a father. All the time in films it is explored the need for women to become mothers, but the men are treated as if fatherhood is not for them. Myself, I personally have no wish to ever become a dad, but that's not to say there aren't women who have no desire to ever become a mother. But this was certainly an interesting film with an interesting concept. Well done.

This movie starts slowly but becomes quite engaging. It tackles the difficult question facing many expecting, but unwed couples -- abortion or not. Brad Rowe is excellent as the somewhat free-spirited son of a "traditional" family. Rachel Blanchard is outstanding as the "new age hippie chick" from a very broken home. Harvey Keitel is good as the frustrated father who sees his son in trouble, but can't do anything to help him -- because the son doesn't want his help. As the movie goes on the character development is quite good and I found myself genuinely interested in all of them. The movie is well-written and well-acted. I recommend it.

Ultimately this movie is about parenting...the entire spectrum of parenting. From horrific parents and how they destroy that child's ability to have reasonable relationships and a reasonable life; to well meaning parents who still make every mistake possible...and the new parent fear of knowing they are probably not completely equipped (who is?)and the choices ahead of them.

The actress who plays Kelly (Rachel Blanchard) gave us a person whose parents "didn't do their job". This is the way Harvey Keitel's character assesses his son's pregnant fiancé. We have written her off as a total California, flakey, crunchy granola, weirdo who has unprovoked flare-ups until we discover her completely botched upbringing late in the film. Rachel Blanchard portrays this character in a way for us to understand that Kelly isn't just "a psycho" but someone whose parents should never have been allowed to breed…the same struggle she is having with Jeff: Should they terminate this pregnancy or have the baby? Do they love each other? Are they equipped to be parents? This movie isn't a statement on single parenting but on how equipped we are to be parents and how little attention and contemplation this gets prior to giving birth.

There isn't too much in this film that rings true, although first-time director/writer Joel Silverman seems intent on selling this as some sort of reality drama. A young, good-looking kid from the right side of the tracks moves to LA to become a screenwriter and has a quickie affair with a dysfunctional bimbo from the wrong side of the tracks (apparently, he has some sort of weakness for fallen angels...oh yeah!). She ends up pregnant and he ends up with a sad case of paternal instinct (to the utter dismay of his Pop, Mom and the rest of the siblings). It all leads to inane revelations by everyone involved and becomes some sort of modern treatise on the joys of child rearin'. This is a movie that Rosie O'Donnell would surely love! Given the money and the cast, just about any literate, wannabe filmmaker could write and direct a better family drama than this one. Dubiously dumb!