The Quitter

I saw The Quitter last night on PBS. Matthew & Julianna Bonifacio wore almost all the hats in realizing this 2014 indie (including playing the lead characters, Jonathan and Georgie). Jonathan was a major league baseball player who walked away from his career and from Georgie and their baby girl. When Jonathan and Georgie meet again back in New York 7 years later they try to stitch together some kind of relationship mainly for the sake and the love of their now 8-year old Luka. Like many an actor with Mediterranean in his marrow (Pacino is an obvious example) Matthew acts with his fried-egg eyes and nails you every time with those big, unblinking gapers.

I wish that Matthew, who also wrote the movie, had helped us better understand Jonathan's costly self-doubt. We know it has a lot to with an unforgivably insensitive,angry father but...we need to see more. Nevertheless, Matthew's essential insight about Jonathan and Georgie is bang on: for them what matters is that the modus vivendi they've put together holds: painfully,imperfectly but holding.

I tuned in when The Quitter was half over, but no matter... I got the picture soon enough, and was instantly captivated by the sincerity of its characters and of the whole production.

The simple story line does not take away from portraying the complexity of making one's life choices, day by day.

Destiny was such a natural actress, and her 8 yr old Luka totally charmed me. Absent was any woodenness, or glancing (inappropriately) in odd directions. And there were strong performances by the minor characters as well as the leads.

I loved the ending, too. This film needs to be seen and enjoyed for what it is: a bittersweet slice of life that combines hope with a realistic possible outcome that doesn't necessarily wrap it up with a bow.

The Quitter is a story about a man who ran from both his baseball career and his pregnant wife. When he one day by chance bumps into his ex-girlfriend and their daughter he tries to make amends for running out on them.

What I like about this movie is the genuine feel it has, the actor's are not hollywood stars with perfect looks and the characters have their flaws, but they do their best to make life work, one step at a time. Great acting by Matthew and Juliana Bonefacio and a brilliant performance by Dierdre O'Connel (Jonathan's mother) make this film well worth watching.

Very good movie well that all I can say. They kept saying the review is too short I will just do this to fill in the gap don't read this part. OooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO





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