Hateship Loveship

The country and western soundtrack is perfect for Liza Johnson's Hateship Loveship. It's a small sensitive film about simple folk with deep losses. Broken people fumble their way to fixing each other. A silly prank leads through humiliation and possible heartbreak to a family-wide redemption. In Louisiana two high school girls send fake romantic emails to one, Sabitha's (Hailee Steinfeld) live-in caregiver, Johanna Parry (Kristen Wiig). Since 15 Johanna has been a housebound servant so she's unprepared for the temptations and tricks of the real world. She falls for the false romance and buses to Chicago, where she plans to marry Sabitha's misrepresented father Ken (Guy Pearce), an addicted loser. But first Johanna spends $2,500 to ship to Ken the antique furniture his father-in-law McCauley (Nick Nolte) gave his daughter as a wedding present, then took back after she was killed in an accident, with the drunk high Ken driving. Nick's surprise at her arrival shows Johanna her mistake. She sticks around, cleaning his apartment compulsively, making him meals, which prompts him to dump his druggie girlfriend Chloe (Jennifer Jason Leigh). Eventually they marry and have a baby, which — after the return of the furniture — thaws old McCauley's heart, to the point that he gives them back the antiques. He starts a relationship with the town cashier Eileen (Christine Lahti), whose two football playing sons are Sabitha's classmates. Ken's motel, which Johanna helps resurrect with her money as well as her elbow grease, is called The Oasis. In this arid sterile landscape of selfishness and betrayals the simple Johanna's warmth and openness prove the oasis that will sustain the life around her. She wins over McCauley, Eileen, of course Ken and even his initially antagonistic daughter Sabitha (whose name suggests she's not quite a cat or a witch but close). Her friend Edith (Sami Gayle), who authored the deceptive love letters, is too shallow to learn. "What do you want?" she brazenly confronts Johanna at her graduation. "I have what I want," Johanna replies. Edith wants to become a dermatologist. She still runs skin deep. For more see www.yacowar.blogspot.com.

It is difficult to believe that a character played by Kristen Wiig actually existed. I suppose it could happen. This makes the story worth watching if for no other reason other than to find out how it turns out. The acting is good

This too, for me, was initially so dreadful (and I thought... potentially depressing) a story (initially) that I stopped watching it after about 20 minutes... BUT!!! A couple months later, I watched Kristen Wigg in "Bridesmaids" (a second time, this time to observe Ms. Wigg)... and realized (in addition to her talents shown in "Welcome to Me") that Kristen was actually a POWERFUL actress, with a BROAD range of talent and acting ability... SO... I gave it another chance, last night, realizing that this NON-major NON-Hollywood production was a personal acting choice for Kristen, for the real CHALLENGE it presented...!!! and I'm SO very glad I did. I started over, watching it from the beginning, with a new understanding of the role. Her line "I have what I want." was such a moving moment (and resonated as a point of strength and stability that I happen to really need (a nightmare boss) to realize in MY life) that it became something of a mantra, to put my mind to rest, last night. Now, having watched Kristen Wigg perform in "Girl Most Likely" and "The Skeleton Twins", I'm simply filled with admiration for what I consider her phenomenal talent, as a versatile actress. I want to add that I thought Guy Pierce was FLAWLESS, and (little downer here) Nick Nolte's facial features... were (how to put this...) disturbing and distracting. Otherwise... a TERRIFIC Film!!!

This contains spoilers: This obscure little movie boasts a fine cast, including Christine Lahti, Jennifer Jason Leigh,Nick Nolte, Hallie Steinfeld, Guy Pearce and Kristin Wiig in the lead. I guess they all saw something in the script that they liked. And truth be told, it is a fairly compelling story, although executed very slowly. I kept thinking, what a great yeasty drama this would have been if made in Old Hollywood with say Bette Davis or Greer Garson. The plot is a good one- meek, shy innocent one played by Wiig, is conned by two teen girls into corresponding via email with one of the girl's widowed father who is a drug user and ne'er do well.He is well played by Pearce with a characteristic withered handsomeness- a Lothario gone to seed. Wiig is so taken by the fake emails, she hops on a bus to join him. When she realizes she has been duped, she decides to stay anyway. And here is the meat of the movie. She manages to redeem this lost man by her innocence, selflessness and purity. She even manages to chase out his slutty , druggie girlfriend played very well, as always, by Leigh. See why this would have been perfect for Old Hollywood? Pure innocent goodness redeems lost man with home cooked meals and fresh laundry. Lars Von Trier would hate it! The plot is satisfying and works except for one major flaw near the end. The two teen girls get no comeuppance or punishment for their cruel prank. Wiig doesn't even get an apology. I think the movie suffers a bit for this. They were trying for something subtler , I guess.. Sometimes, though conventional melodrama is the way to go.It was invented for a reason, after all.It I did like the suggestion at the end, that Pearce is not really cured of drug addiction and Wiig may end up running that motel by herself one day. Wiig is good in the role. It's a great part. I think a finer dramatic actress may have shown us more layers. But good to see, she is expanding her repertoire. The movie is worth checking out.

What a wonderful warm on the edge of you pants it may all go wrong movie. I couldn't believe how much I liked the film, the story line and the characters, which were if truth be known a little too good to be true; but I loved it and I don't care . I haven't been engrossed and emotionally rewarded by a story like that for a long. long time. I've always loved Nick Nolte and had time for Guy Pearce, all the other actors were unknown to me , But all turned in great performances . Once again, for me one of those films where you say where have you been all my life. Wonderful, wonderful and wonderful.

"Dying is easy," so they say. "It's comedy that's hard." That's why it's always so thrilling to see comedians stretch their wings a little and try a little bit of dramatic acting for a change - frequently, their performances are all the more affecting because they're acutely aware of the fineness of the line that exists between comedy and tragedy. Kristen Wiig, of Saturday Night Live and Bridesmaids fame, proves this to be true with her first stab at the almost purely dramatic in Hateship Loveship, although she's ultimately let down by an overly wooden script and character. Johanna (Wiig) is a caregiver who leads a nomadic existence, packing up what little there is of her life to move into whichever household requires her services next. When she arrives at the McCauley home, she meets the motherless Sabitha (Hailee Steinfeld) and her alcoholic, undependable father Ken (Guy Pearce). Wilfully bristling at the new addition to the family, Sabitha plots with her best friend Edith (Sami Gayle) to play a practical joke on Johanna: they craft a letter of clear amorous intent from Ken in response to Johanna's simple thank-you note. It's a situation that could easily be played for comedy or for tragedy: the misunderstanding created by the two girls blossoms into a one-sided love affair for Johanna, so good at cleaning up people's lives but so inexperienced at living her own. Hateship Loveship settles for an uncomfortable mix of the two, often trading awkward, neo-farcical humour for genuine insight into Johanna's psyche. When Johanna decides to commit fully to her 'relationship' with Ken, the film stumbles into almost horrifying territory. It's difficult to know just how to respond to Johanna's predicament and Ken's understandably shocked reaction to her arrival in his life, just as it's tough to really buy into the way their relationship develops thereafter. For the most part, the clumsiness of the film has little to do with its cast. Wiig bravely underplays her part, hinting at rather than telegraphing Johanna's soul-deep loneliness and craving for a family of her own. It's unfortunate that her character takes on a near-robotic cast so early on in the film. Pearce manages to be both charming and off-putting as Ken, while Nick Nolte makes his mark on the film as Sabitha's caring but clueless grandfather. Steinfeld, while perfectly fine in her part, is largely upstaged by the chirpy meanness evinced by Gayle - who, unfortunately, is also let down by the fact that Edith is almost purely the villain here, and bears none of the subtle characterisation she enjoys in Alice Munro's original short story. Taking a step back from the film, its themes and intent become more readily apparent: families can be forged, just as relationships and love can, out of hate, resentment and misunderstanding. But, buried beneath a few extraneous subplots and some really patchy writing and character development, it never entirely comes clear when you're actually watching Hateship Loveship. Fittingly for a film that isn't quite sure what it wants to be, it's tough to know whether one should laugh or cry in response.

Kristen Wiig stars as Johanna Parry and she's a very, very, very emotionally stunted woman. In fact, she's so withdrawn and displays so little emotion that you could swear at first that this might be a zombie film. Now I do not blame her entirely for this sort of cold and disconnected performance, as the director obviously must have been looking for this. And, this sort of character might have worked had the film been more coherent and had a discernible message, though I could detect little of either. Johanna is a live-in caretaker. When the film begins, the old woman she's been caring for dies and Johanna now is moving on to another assignment. This time, she's to care for a teenage girl and her grandfather (Nick Nolte). Soon she sees that there is some strange baggage with the family, as the teen's father, Ken (Guy Pearce) is not living with them. Slowly she learns this is because Ken is an addict and was responsible for his wife's death-and went to prison because of this. He's now on probation* and is clearly a very messed up guy and he shows many indications that he's still abusing drugs. For kicks, the daughter and her very nasty friend decide to create a fake boyfriend for Johanna-sending her emails that are supposedly from a love-struck Ken. Very quickly Johanna falls for him and begins writing him regularly. She also appears to be coming out of her emotional shell. Now she begins planning for a life with a man who barely knows her-though she now thinks that he does. So far, all that has happened in the movie is pretty interesting and the picture pulls you into this world-even if Wiig's performance is WAY too understated. However, so much of what follows simply makes little sense. Johanna decides to empty her bank account and ship furniture to Ken-and this second part might get her arrested because the grandfather claims it's his and she takes it from his home. She then shows up unannounced at Ken's and just hangs out there. After a while, she realizes that he has NOT been sending her letters and it's all a sick jokeyet she stays! Soon, he's stealing her money to support his drug habit and she seems content to live with him. By the end of the film, there are both indications that the relationship might be working out (though WHY is beyond me) but there are also indications he's still using drugs. If this ending sounds unsatisfying and vague, you are definitely correct. It's probably good that Influx asked me to review this one-not only because I love reviewing films but because I am a retired psychotherapist and used to work in a drug treatment center. So much of what occurs in HateshipmLoveship seems inappropriate and ridiculous. While there are codependent women who might latch onto an addict with fairytale dreams that it will all work out, not showing a realistic ending seems inexplicable. Instead, there's a strong message that it might just work out fine for this couple-when this is a very dim possibility. Plus, I'd hate to see anyone internalizing this stupid message-sort of like the old song "Stand By Your Man". In other words, if you just love someone enough, everything will somehow work itself out in life! *By the way, if a person has gotten out of jail early, they have a PAROLE officer, not a probation officer. Probation officers are employed when a person has been found guilty of a crime but did not get sent to prison. The drug program where I worked was for folks on parole and probation, so I understand the difference between the two.

There are many aspects to Hateship Loveship lay a groundwork of excellence even before you look at the first frame. Guy Pearce is who drew me to choose it through netflix, as I've never seen a movie of his I didn't like and list him at the top of my charts for fine actors. That said, it was only when I got the disc going that I saw the movie is based on an Alice Munro short story, and she's a fine author with powerful themes. Exceptional supporting cast members Jennifer Jason Leigh and Nick Nolte sealed the deal in knowing there was a better than average chance that this heretofore unheard of cinema would be an enriching experience in watching. It was only after getting to the end of the film that I realize how often dynamic tension that is created in plots leads to some anxiety-producing situation that oftentimes ends in disappointment. To get to the end of Hateship Loveship without that happening was so satisfying! That said, Kristen Wiig had me hooked from the opening scene. She is the central figure upon which the plot revolves and she maintains that centrism throughout. Her awkwardness is almost palpable and elicited a pain in my own heart as I watched her stoically navigate through a world where she is an invisible accessory that makes life easier for those around her. It is only when she becomes visible that she becomes vulnerable. There is the heart of a champion that waits within, and it is when an eye sees her that it begins beating. Guy Pearce plays his character flawlessly. The son in-law on eggshells around his father in-law. The father who wants to be whole with his daughter again. The cokehead who is caught between two worlds. The halfassed boyfriend of another cokehead. The man who is suddenly caught in the spotlight of an affection-starved oddball. What happens from the time the spotlight begins shining cannot be forgotten. Love's heartbeat begins the world anew for all. To watch makes me feel almost like an aesthete voyeur, privileged. This film is a keeper and will be watched many times. Thank you to all involved in the making of it.

Includes ***spoiler***, so marked. This is another one to add to the list of recent superlative female performances in the last few years. They just keep coming. If a lack of action or "character driven" defines a chick-flick, then I guess this one qualifies. But for me, its tone just doesn't put it in that category. And even for those who don't believe in awards, the melding of the truly imaginative screenplay with Kristen Wiig's superb, often wordless performance of it, would probably prompt a lot of them to make an exception for this magnificent film. In the scene with the Chinese food, and taking it in the scene's context, Kristen delivered the most wicked grin ever recorded in film history. It makes an artistic set piece to accompany Mona Lisa's enigmatic smile in oil and canvas, only here you know what prompted it. ***spoiler***In the last scene where Kristen stands in front of her unintended benefactor (Sami Gayle), listening to her explaining her cookie cutter plans for the future to someone, you can feel Kristen weighing her options for a response. When Sami rudely asks "What do you want?", it makes up Kristen's mind for her, and she responds perfectly, "I have what I want" (instead of a possibly helpful suggestion that she consider a career in writing). I thought at first they'd missed the boat there, but then I realized the audience could savor both, while Sami's character could wallow on her shallow journey towards square-filling non-fulfillment. That double spoken/unspoken statement is another milestone for me as well.***spoiler*** 95/100

This film tells the story of a lonely woman who works as a live in carer for elderly people. She falls in love with a man after a cruel trick player on her. "Hateship Loveship" borders on being a romantic comedy, but it's more bitter than sweet. Johanna is a caring and loving woman, and yet she is at the receiving end of a very cruel joke. She gets much of my sympathy, even though she hangs on to the man despite the man's numerous shortcomings. The way she is treated by the man is truly despicable and shocking, yet she hangs on for the wrong reason. It's quite a tragedy that makes me heart heavy. I think Johanna's robotic appearance is due to her working as a carer since teenage, and as she says, it's the only world she knows. She doesn't know what love and affection is, which makes me even more angry at the way she got exploited. It's a sad romantic film, which is not a usual combination. I enjoyed watching it.