Peter Simonite
The film’s promise might amount to something even greater if there were more of this sort of thing, more pushing past surface characterization. The slender story line features Medford-bred writer-director Tom O’Brien as Jon, a faded jock and aspiring writer still somehow kicking around town in a deckhand gig, trying to sort out his self-actualization issues through everything from therapy to group meditation. (No wonder he’s got the Brady hangup — with his hunky gaze and chiseled, stubbled jaw, he even looks vaguely like Brady.) On the settled-life scale, Jon falls somewhere between his friend Sam (Rich Sommer, “Mad Men”), a schlubby, divorced dad, and their old buddy Dave (Chris Messina, “Argo”), back in town for his estranged father’s funeral and partying harder than ever. Jon, it’s clear, isn’t the only one struggling to figure things out.
Comments
I enjoyed this film, albeit part of the appeal for me was seeing familiar footage. (I don't live in SE Mass., but often visit a friend in Fairhaven.) I am not a film critic, nor do I watch a lot of movies - especially big studio crapola coming out of Hollywood. Aside from the usual overuse of the F word, and "awesome" for the mundane, the script was intelligent and nuanced. If you like violence, noise, and/or sophomoric humor, you won't like 'Fairhaven'.