Well done, well scripted movie that tugs at the heart strings. The IMDB current synopsis (09/09) is totally off. In a cast of heavy hitters, the novice kid playing Ezra steals the show. The script is inspired by a true story, sometimes poignant, sometimes heavy handed, with well timed and well delivered levity. Casting was great with a few surprises, including Whoopi Goldberg, Rainn Wilson and Vera Farmiga, who played smaller but important roles to the story. Tony Goldwyn directed and was in the movie, which was written by his life long friend. It's the story of an autistic child, family struggle, divorced parents, understanding the past, vulnerability and a bit of redemption along the way.
7 Reviews
Heartwarming Film
skaterryan1221 May 2024
I saw this as part of the AMC Unseen screening and to my shock I had never heard of this film before. Typically being the movie fan that I am I tend to hear about a lot of movies, but somehow this one slipped through the cracks. I was very skeptical when the movie had the intro from Tony Goldwyn, but did a super quick IMDb search to see who was in it and figured it would be good. Boy am I glad I decided to see this screening because it was very good. I am not parent, but watching this movie made me think of what would my dad do in this situation. The movie is very heartwarming. Bobby Canavale and the rest of the star studded cast help make this seemingly dramatic plot line into a very enjoyable dramedy. I really enjoyed this movie and hope to everyone will give this movie a chance.
Emotional and confused tears
sadethesage18 September 2023
I think movies about mental afflictions keep getting better and more helpful to people who suffer from them, as we move away from cartoonish stigma of the late 20th century when it comes to mental illness. Ezra is no exception in the way it handles portraying autism. And more poignantly, the way it portrays a cast of characters who all have different takes on this "disability". As someone on the spectrum it felt liberating and a fresh take and it made me cry a LOT but not like in a tragic way. IDK.
Oh! My review needs more characters to post. What else can I say? I saw the premiere at TIFF and the little boy actor was there and omg he's the cutest in real life and reminded me exactly of his character.
Oh! My review needs more characters to post. What else can I say? I saw the premiere at TIFF and the little boy actor was there and omg he's the cutest in real life and reminded me exactly of his character.
A Father's Love
onejbj2 March 2024
I was fortunate to watch a screening of Ezra at the Boulder International Film Festival with both Tony Goldwyn and Tony Spiridakis in attendance. This story is a work of love between these two men who are lifelong friends, and tells a loose version of the story of Tony Spiridakis and his son Demetri.
This movie, although humorous, is not a comedy, but instead the story of how far a father's love for his child will take him. It also opens your eyes to the world of Autism, and some of the struggles and tough decions these families are faced with. Additionally you see the importance of friendship, family and small acts of kindness and the difference all three can make.
Bobby Cannavale and William Fitzgerald are outstanding. It is hard to believe this is William Fitzgerald's first acting role! A truly well written and acted story.
This movie, although humorous, is not a comedy, but instead the story of how far a father's love for his child will take him. It also opens your eyes to the world of Autism, and some of the struggles and tough decions these families are faced with. Additionally you see the importance of friendship, family and small acts of kindness and the difference all three can make.
Bobby Cannavale and William Fitzgerald are outstanding. It is hard to believe this is William Fitzgerald's first acting role! A truly well written and acted story.
Ok movie, had some moments that were pretty bad
grantfrazey-3079521 May 2024
The movie is OK, there's some funny parts, I liked the scenes with Rainn Wilson. Actually I liked most of the movie, but the second half or so really fell off. I'm surprised it's taken this long for the release for the edit to still be here it's at. Some of the later scenes feel rushed, or just forced. Some of the dialogue is just not very organic, like they had some emotional moments they wanted, but they don't feel right, like the scene just didn't merit that kind of response to what was happening on screen, I don't know, it just was too much at times, too sappy. The ending and resolution to the story is pretty terrible, just too much is all I have to say. Really isn't bad, but it wasn't all that interesting of a story to begin with, and it wasn't done very well.
Brilliant movie
chrismfiore21 May 2024
As a surprise movie (no idea the name or story) AMC offered this on a Monday night. I went out of curiosity. The movie gets a hold if you and your drawn in to each of the well developed characters. Movies based on a true story are always my favorite, this one did not disappoint! The father's love is incredible as he sees his autistic as just that, his son. He meets him on every level and the relationship is pure joy! The parents of Ezra are not always in agreement but their mutual love for their son is equal. The actor who plays Ezra does an outstanding job in his role which is a tough role. One of the best movies I've seen in a long time. Not sure why the R rating unless it was for some language.
Good but not great.
ferulebezel22 May 2024
This feels like an autobiography even though it's not stated. It starts as a stock story of the hip underacheiving dad, Max, and his burgher Karen of an ex-wife ,Jenne, fighting over the care of their disabled kid, Ezra. In this case its autism. Naturally the ex-wife sides with officialdom believing the "experts" know what's best. This is the setup, back story, or whatever you want to call it. The editing is strange for this part. It felt like I was watching a trailer.
The movie really starts when the boy hears the ex-wife's burgher boyfriend joking about knowing a guy who will kill the Max. The kid hears this runs into the street and gets hit by a car, which brings in the bureaucrats with credentials. They want to send max to a day-institution and put him on anti-psychotics. Max punches the corrupt doctor who wants to drug Ezra. As a restult of this Max has to let them medicate Ezra and accept a long restraining order preventing him from seeing Ezra or do time to which Max capitulates to his almost immediate regret,
This is where Max takes on a road trip where Ezras symptoms are mitigated through several interactions with normal people, normal meaning not the credentialed know-it-alls who actually only know procedures. The road trip ends with the FBI, of which one of the agents which looks like Suella Braverman, arriving to arrest Max and take Ezra who knows where. This involves more mitigation of Ezra's symptoms but how the confrontation is resolved isn't shown, we only see the results. I don't know what the story teller's analogous term to the physical modeler's term "nernies" is, but but this movie had a few good ones.
I didn't recognize much of the cast. Rainn Wilson is in it and I don't even know why I know who he is. I'd seen the guy who played Max in something. Whoopie Goldberg and Robert De Niro were both in it playing the same types they always play in peripheral roles in this case.
The kid who played Ezra was great. I don't know if he is a real autist who managed to do movie work or if he is a normal kid, or as normal as a child actor can be, who's just really good at acting.
The movie really starts when the boy hears the ex-wife's burgher boyfriend joking about knowing a guy who will kill the Max. The kid hears this runs into the street and gets hit by a car, which brings in the bureaucrats with credentials. They want to send max to a day-institution and put him on anti-psychotics. Max punches the corrupt doctor who wants to drug Ezra. As a restult of this Max has to let them medicate Ezra and accept a long restraining order preventing him from seeing Ezra or do time to which Max capitulates to his almost immediate regret,
This is where Max takes on a road trip where Ezras symptoms are mitigated through several interactions with normal people, normal meaning not the credentialed know-it-alls who actually only know procedures. The road trip ends with the FBI, of which one of the agents which looks like Suella Braverman, arriving to arrest Max and take Ezra who knows where. This involves more mitigation of Ezra's symptoms but how the confrontation is resolved isn't shown, we only see the results. I don't know what the story teller's analogous term to the physical modeler's term "nernies" is, but but this movie had a few good ones.
I didn't recognize much of the cast. Rainn Wilson is in it and I don't even know why I know who he is. I'd seen the guy who played Max in something. Whoopie Goldberg and Robert De Niro were both in it playing the same types they always play in peripheral roles in this case.
The kid who played Ezra was great. I don't know if he is a real autist who managed to do movie work or if he is a normal kid, or as normal as a child actor can be, who's just really good at acting.
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