ReelBob: ‘Give or Take’ ★★★

By Bob Bloom

“Give or Take” is a warm and gentle movie about loss, grief and, ultimately, understanding.

Martin (Jamie Effros) comes from New York to the small town of Orleans on Cape Cod for the funeral of his father, Kenneth.

Their communication has been scant for several years, basically since the widowed Ken shocked Martin by having his boyfriend, Ted (Norbert Leo Butz), move into the family’s house.

Martin arrives in Orleans with a chip on his shoulder. He is angry about his father’s emotional distance as well as his relationship with Ted.

From the outset, Martin uses Ted as the punching bag for his frustration and anger.

“Give or Take,” directed by Paul Riccio and written by Riccio and Effros, takes its time heading where you sort of know where it’s going to end up.

Martin and Ted begin by arguing about Ken’s funeral arrangements. Then they quarrel about their perceptions Ken. Martin feels that his father kept him at arm’s length, while Ted says that Ken loved his son and always was proud of him.

As he travels around Orleans, meeting, among others, Emma (Joanne Tucker), an old friend, he learns more and more about his father. Slowly, he begins to realize that he never really knew the man. (Martin is shocked that his father, born in the Bronx, had become a Boston Red Sox fan.)

Martin is not bad or unkind, but he has trouble reconciling the man he knew with the person the residents of Orleans remember.

Martin and Ted are sympathetic characters. Their conflict is over how they remember Ken and the difference the impact of his absence has on them.

That the two will come to a positive resolution is not surprising. It’s how they finally reach common ground that is the gist of “Give or Take.”

The emotional baggage Martin is carrying, weighs him down and stokes his anger. But as he learns more and more about his dad’s life with Ted, his load begins to lighten.

He finally comes to appreciate and again embrace his dad’s memory, while also accepting Ted’s part in Ken’s life.

“Give or Take” has a few flaws, the major one being Cheri Oteri’s Patty King, Orleans’ real-estate queen. Her performance is too broad and seems out of place in such a contemplative feature.

Butz and Effros bring complexity and context to their characters. Both offer various shades of regret, loss, understanding and reconciliation to their parts.

“Give or Take” is a story about acceptance, empathy and forgiveness that will touch your heart.

I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow me on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook. My movie reviews also can be found at Rotten Tomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.

GIVE OR TAKE
3 stars out of 4
Not rated, language