Read Time:2 Minute, 11 Second
Most of us are so busy on a daily basis that we long to take a step back from our lives—to walk away from the responsibilities and the busyness of it all. But in Wakefield, one man takes that step back from his life, only to find it impossible to step back in.
Wakefield stars Bryan Cranston as Howard Wakefield, a successful New York City litigator whose life takes a strange and sudden turn when he arrives home late one night and finds himself watching his wife and daughters from outside their home. Remembering an argument he had with his wife, Diana (Jennifer Garner), he decides to wait to go in—to watch them from a room above the garage. But he never seems to be able to find the right time to return home—so he stays in the garage. And as the days turn into months, he reflects on his life, his marriage, and his priorities.
Based on the story by E. L. Doctorow, Wakefield has a lot to say about love and marriage—and how the hectic pace of our lives today causes us to miss out on so much. After Howard steps away from the day-to-day chaos, he gets a chance to take a real look at his life as he watches his family from his hiding place in the garage.
The biggest problem, however, is that Howard simply isn’t a likable character. He’s selfish and cynical and even cruel, often reveling in his wife’s pain. He walks away out of his own pettiness, and he stays away because of his pride. And as he watches his family, he enjoys Diana’s confusion. He takes pleasure in the fact that she’s forced to take care of everything by herself. He accuses her of playing the victim. He’s offended when she continues to go on with her life without him. And though he does make some keen observations, most of his thoughts seem remarkably self-centered.
The story, too, seems to drag after a while—which is often the case when a short story is adapted into a feature-length film. The idea is an interesting one—after all, most of us have wished for a break from our lives at one point or another—but it all feels a little too stretched out.
Wakefield certainly poses some interesting questions—and it will leave viewers with plenty to think about once it’s over. But the self-absorbed character and the stretched out story sometimes make it challenging to watch.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.
Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.
As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).
Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.
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Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.
Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.
As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).
Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.
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