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Based on the widely acclaimed novel by Brian Morton, Starting Out in the Evening is the story of Leonard Schiller (Frank Langella), an aging author who’s struggled through years of writer’s block while working on his fifth novel. Even if he does manage to finish the novel, he worries that no one will publish it—because his first four books are out of print and the market for literary fiction isn’t exactly booming.
Leonard’s life is one of structure and routine until Heather Wolfe (Lauren Ambrose) changes everything. A fan of Leonard’s novels, Heather is convinced that she can bring him back into the literary spotlight by writing her master’s thesis about him. Reluctantly, he agrees to a few interviews—but he has no idea that spending time with Heather will make him take a closer look at his life and his work.
Had Starting Out in the Evening’s plot ended there, it would have been a simple yet thoughtful—and entirely satisfying—film. Unfortunately, it doesn’t end there—and that’s where the problems arise.
Running alongside the main story, there’s also a subplot involving Leonard’s daughter, Ariel (played by Lili Taylor), and her desire to find a willing father for the baby that she so desperately wants. Though I’ve never been a fan of Taylor’s acting, she does a decent job—but the story just doesn’t fit with the rest of the movie. And, as a result, it makes the film feel rather disjointed—and it takes some of the strength away from the main story.
The most troubling thing about the film, however, is that the relationship between Leonard and Heather moves to a place it shouldn’t. Perhaps it’s an attractive place for an aging male who wants to think he can still get a young chick—but, for the rest of us, it’s just disturbing (even more disturbing, in fact, than Suburban Girl). And while the film doesn’t get as in-depth as it could have, it’s still much more than I needed—and, at one point, I ended up covering my eyes and saying, “Why? Why did they have to do that?” It’s not a realistic place to take the characters, and it only distracts from the more fascinating—and powerful—aspects of the story.
It’s too bad that there’s so much in Starting Out in the Evening to distract from the story—because, without all the distractions, it would have been a thoughtful film that was built around a fascinating character (who, just for the record, is expertly portrayed). But the disjointed feel and the unnecessary distractions weaken the story—and, unfortunately, most viewers will walk away remembering the uncomfortable, disturbing, and confusing moments much more than they’ll remember the strong and satisfying ones.
