Fatherhood review: Kevin Hart’s takes on a serious role, with mixed results

Comedians, more often than not, are pretty good with their range. From Whoopi Goldberg to Bill Murray, Aubrey Plaza to Adam Sandler, many over the years have delivered some incredibly memorable dramatic performances on screen. Almost a rite of passage, — similar to what making a war film is for some directors of certain stature — you know it’s coming after a certain point in their careers.

2021. Enter Kevin Hart.

With Fatherhood (released a couple of days before Father’s Day on Netflix), the superstar comedian takes on the lead role of a grieving father who, having just lost his wife, needs to raise his newborn daughter by himself. The film aims to pull at your heartstrings (and tear ducts) with the story of its central character learning to navigate a life touched by sudden loss, morphing into an undertaking of immense responsibility. But, is Hart up for the part? Well, he is certainly better than what you would imagine if you are familiar with his other (mostly comedic/supporting/stand-up) works, and makes the film far more watchable than it deserves to be, but still not quite there. A statement that incidentally also describes the film itself – more than what one might expect, but never enough.

Directed by Paul Weitz (About a Boy, Grandma, American Pie), the 109-minute-long feature is based on the memoir by Matthew Logelin, Two Kisses for Maddy: A Memoir of Loss and Love (2011); which makes it all the more baffling in its utter disregard for reality (more on that in a bit). While lacking to a varying degree in almost all departments, writing is the one that takes the cake. Not only the film meanders, aimlessly stretching out in all directions with its paper-thin plot and predictable arcs, almost every scene and exchange lingers on for far too long. And the performances are worse for it.

While Hart, as previously mentioned, does put on a show and comes on with a few surprises playing a father grappling in uncharted territory; there are times when his performance feels false and forced. Anthony Carrigan and Lil Rel Howery, who play the obligatory funny pals to our protagonist, perhaps suffer the most. Both capable actors, they are made to work with some incredibly bland and lazy material, bordering on cringe. While other actors, including Alfre Woodard, DeWanda Wise, Paul Reiser and Frankie Faison, fair far better overall, none of them manage to really stand out.

The story (which unfolds through a series of curious and distracting editing decisions), although mostly side-stepping (or at least not dig into) the clichés of a clueless and mindbogglingly inadequate parent, somehow does manage to turn (at times, harrowing) realities of being a single-parent into shockingly unrealistic “comic” sequencers or breezy everyday chores. A lot of the film also feels calculated and formulaic, almost like a checklist. The above-mentioned comic relief buddies, the (non)conflict with a love interest, the quirky boss, a threatening (but really not) in-law, the father struggling not to be the best-dad-in-the-world, trouble at school and work, you get the idea. Meanwhile, the sub-plot of Hart’s character nonchalantly dealing with his daughter’s gender non-conformity, while plausible, gives one flashback of the actor’s Oscar fiasco.

At almost two-hours long, the film certainly fells self-indulgent. Add to that a generous amount of forced sentimentality and good ‘ol cheese, by the time the second-half starts rolling, one begins to wonder what exactly was the purpose of this exercise. If the film wants to be a portrayal of what it’s like to be a single parent, it is far from convincing. A vanity project by producer Hart to move away from being type-cast, and past deeds? Why not?

In the end, while the film makes for an easy-to-digest watch if you’re starved for fresh-looking but more or less a cookie-cutter comedy-drama from the comfort of your home, it certainly lacks any kind of bite.

Fatherhood is currently streaming on Netflix