First Hit: This is a pleasantly nice film with a relatively interesting story about someone who is relatively well known but that most people know little about; George Hamilton.
Logan Lerman plays a young George Hamilton in his high school years recalling an important time when his mother Anne Deveraux (played by Renee Zellweger) decided to leave his philandering father Dan Deveraux (played by Kevin Bacon) an orchestra leader of the 40’s and 50’s.
The film begins when Anne returns from a brief trip to find Dan having another affair. She has had it, gathers the boys, buys a Cadillac Eldorado and heads to Boston looking for another husband to pay her way and give her the life she is looking for.
Anne is quite charming and has a way with her charm but her quest connects her with men who are not quite up to snuff. Her oldest son Robbie (played by Mark Rendall), who is gay, and George follow along with their mom hoping she finds what she is looking for and they finally get a home. With each failed attempt at meeting a new “step dad” they become poorer and their circumstances more desperate.
Out of money and hope, they land at her sister’s house where there is no love lost but there is stability for the boys. A couple of miss adventures and they end up with enough money to head to California, where both George and Robbie find their calling.
Zellweger is outstanding as a confused, headstrong, loving mother who does her best to do what is right. Her charm in this film is her perky and optimistic outlook regardless of the pickle they find themselves in ('never look in the rear view mirror, that’s what's behind us, always look forward and into the future'). Lerman is strong in his role as a very young man thrust into the role of head of household and responsible enough to drive (although not legally old enough) the three of them to each new city and adventure. Bacon’s plays a minor but significant character and is a driving force in the film. He is good in this role and plays the philandering father as; this is what band leaders do sort of way. Bacon’s voice is quick witted, gravely and husky and it worked. Richard Loncraine directed this film in a way that let the characters play out who they were and created something that was fun, interesting and well acted.
Overall: This isn’t one of the best films of the year, but there is some outstanding acting which made this film well worth watching.