[yasr_overall_rating]
Laura and her son Henry are forced to drive her estranged, pot-dealing, carefree father Jack across the country after being kicked out of a nursing home.
From the first scene in “Boundaries,” it is clear that this is the story of an insecure Laura Jaconi, played by the estimable Vera Farmiga. As Jaconi speaks to her therapist, we very quickly realize that unresolved issues will take center stage in this sort of “road trip” movie along the scenic west coast.
Most of Laura’s angst is rooted in her relationship with her father, Jack Jaconi, played in an unusually gleeful manner by Christopher Plummer. Jack is 85, carefree, yet nonetheless about to lose his residence in a nursing home because he continues to sell marijuana – despite previous warnings. Laura is particularly unhappy with Jack because he has a long history of vanishing from her life when needed the most.
Laura’s son, Henry (Lewis MacDougall), appears awkward and troubled. He serves detention regularly and has previously been suspended from school. At the same time, he has some nascent talents, not least of which is the ability to draw revealing caricatures – both figuratively and literally.
Laura also has a habit of collecting stray animals from anywhere and everywhere, which only adds to the chaos already present in her life. This distresses her infrequent lovers and makes those tenuous associations all the more temporary.
Laura’s work situation is perilous. She arrives late and imposes on co-workers to help look after her orphaned pets. One of those fellow workers is Serge, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who is probably Laura’s only realistic shot at a reliable partner. If, in fact, others cross Laura’s boundaries, she traverses more than a few herself.
Laura’s ex-husband, Leonard (Bobby Cannavale), is a flaky, self-absorbed, short-haired hippie who seems very much at home living along the California seaside. Early on, he abandoned wife and son ostensibly because of chronic fatigue syndrome – no doubt exacerbated by his tendency to wake up and light a joint.
As much as Laura has trouble with her boundaries, Jack and Leonard have done the opposite by walling themselves off from enduring familial connection. Although there is no hope of redemption for ex-hubby Leonard, there is at least a glimmer for Jack. Laura’s sister, JoJo (Kristen Schaal), is a soothing and comforting presence to her sister. JoJo is nearly the diametric opposite of Laura, which likely explains their strong bond.
Christopher Lloyd and Peter Fonda are Jack’s friends and clients that we meet briefly along the ride. Given the stellar cast, it’s not altogether apparent why “Boundaries” fails to fully coalesce. It may simply be that too much screen time is chewed up by worrying about where and how to hide Jack’s illicit drugs.
Written and directed by Shana Feste, the production contains many welcome, funny moments. To Feste’s credit, these gems arrive unexpectedly from the plethora of free-wheeling characters. After the road trip, however, while Laura may or may not ultimately find reconciliation with her father, her real journey to lasting self-assurance is most certainly just beginning.
In theaters Friday, July 20th
