THE CONFIRMATION
Canada, 2015, 101 minutes, Colour.
Clive Owen, Jaeden Lieberher, Maria Bello, Patton Oswalt, Spencer Drever, Stephen Tobolowsky, Robert Forster, Tim Blake Nelson, Matthew Modine.
Directed by Bob Nelson.
The Confirmation sounds like a religious title and, in some ways, it is – but more in the background than in the foreground.
This is an audience-friendly Canadian film with mainly an American cast, filmed in British Columbia standing in for Washington State, a small town, the background of the mountains. The audience is taken into the town, living there for a weekend, getting to know so many of the characters and the rather ordinary, sometimes low-key, way of life.
It is also a father-son bonding film with Clive Owen as Walt, the father, and Jaden Lieberher as Anthony, the young son. (Audiences may remember well another fine father-sons film, Scott Hicks’ The Boys are Back with Clive Owen.)
Walt finds it hard on a Saturday morning to get his truck going but arrives at the church to meet his ex-wife, Bonnie (Maria Bello) who is waiting for Anthony (Jaeden Lieberher) to finish his confession before she entrusts him to Walt and she and her new husband, Kyle (Matthew Modine) go to a marriage encounter retreat weekend. She has become fervent in her Catholicism – even urging Anthony in church to kneel and pray properly!
Anthony is to make his first communion and be confirmed the following weekend so he is in the church to make his confession, eight weeks since the last one. Stephen Tobolowski is Father Lyons, not the most patient of men, especially in the confessional when the penitent, taking a while to think things through, comes up with the statement that he has no sins – with Father Lyons going through a list, a bit pompously, trying to get an acknowledgement of some sinfulness but Anthony asking why would he lie, why he tried to hurt anyone… and he doesn’t know what sex thoughts means. He gets a rather large penance, begins it in the church but he hurries out to meet his parents.
The bulk of the film is something of an episodic shaggy-dog story, Walt finding that his special tools have been stolen and he needs them for a new job and sets out to search for them with Anthony as company. A number of commentators have remarked on the similarity of this plot with that of the Italian classic by Vittorio de Sica, Bicycle Thieves. The have noted some plot similarities of father and son, with Will Smith and his son, Jaden, in The Pursuit of Happyness.
As the day goes on, father and son become closer, Walt acknowledging his alcoholism and his attempts to withdraw, Anthony as a very plainspoken and direct young boy. They meet with his father’s friend, the genial Otto, Robert Forster, who gives them leads around the bars of the town for people who might know thieves and their exploits, following through on some of the leads, especially with the eccentric Drake, Patton Oswalt, who has a list but is really ineffectual. and there is Vaughan, Tim Blake Nelson, and his son Allen who becomes friends with Anthony – and does provide a lead for who stole the tools, especially an unemployed man with wife and two children who is desperate. There is also a nasty pawnbroker.
In the meantime, there are some home scenes, Walt and Anthony sharing television, computer games, meals, and Anthony having to cope with some withdrawal DTs and calling on Otto for help. Then there is the problem as to whether Anthony is going to go to mass on Sunday morning…
When Bonnie and Kyle returned from the weekend, Kyle seems to be a friendly man but a bit oblivious but Bonnie notices that the house has been lived in, that they have borrowed her car and fixed the brakes, with Anthony asking for some payment to cover the retrieval of the tools.
And, there is a final confession scene, with Anthony going through all the sins and misdemeanours of the previous 24 hours much to the astonishment and bemusement of Father Lyons. and Anthony makes a decision about his Confirmation.
A modest film but with plenty to like.
1. The title? The background of the Catholic sacraments as explained? For Anthony? his attitudes, change of heart? His acceptance of the end and his motivation?
2. Canada locations for a Washington State setting? The town, the background of the mountains, the detail of life in the town, the streets, homes, bars, pawn shops, church? The score?
3. An episodic story – and the influence of Bicycle Thieves?
4. A father and son story, the situation, the background of divorce, remarriage? Custody? The father alcoholic, unemployed, drifting, issues of custody? The wife, remarriage, the stepfather? The wife, going back to the church, her fervour, the spiritual retreat and marriage encounter?
5. Walt, Clive Owen, in himself, his past, his relationship with Bonnie, relationship with Anthony? The truck and the difficult start, arriving at the church, discussion with Bonnie, the audience understanding the situation? His agreeing to take Anthony? How strong was the bond between father and son? The father not communicating so strongly? The straight up-and-down son? The lead for the job, going to the Tavern, Anthony getting out, meeting with Allen – and Vaughan hitting Allen? The tools being robbed, the effect on Walt? Going to Otto, the strong friendship for so many years, getting leads? Following the leads? The various connections? Supplying information, the old veterans and their knowing all the thieves in the town? Going to Drake, Drake and his manner, the list of leads, the first confrontation, the man coming back with his family from camping, a Boeing worker? Walt having to apologise? Going to the two brothers, their pulling the gun? Drake and his ineptitude? Taking him back home, his being agreeable, Walt giving him some money? Going to see Vaughan, the two sons, Michael and the gun, stepping on the crickets, Anthony doing it, the invitation to shoot the rabbit, his pointing the gun at Michael? Walt’s reaction? Inviting them back? Walt going home, the house locked, Anthony getting in the window, pretending there was no alcohol? Going to the home, borrowing the car, Anthony forgetting the brakes were not working? Going to the garage, Walt fixing the brakes, the help of the garage owner and his son? At home, the meal, watching television, the computer games, Walt fixing the door? Kyle removing his shelves? The night, the withdrawal symptoms, Anthony and his concern, ringing Otto, Otto coming to help and explaining? The next morning, whether Anthony would go to church or not, avoiding Fr Lyons? Spending the day together, more information about the tools, going to Vaughan, Walt attacking him, Allen telling the truth? The confrontation with Roger, his poverty, his wife, moving, the children, Walt sympathetic? The wife promising to send the money? Going to the pawn shop, the owner, his defiance, the fight, Anthony intervening? Going home?
6. Anthony, his age, the confession, his having no sins, exasperated priest and his making all kinds of suggestions, disobedience, lying, sex thoughts…? His penance – but not saying it, the beginning of telling lies? His hiding and not wanting to go to church on Sunday? The end, decision to go to confession, recapping the day and the whole range of sins, the priest and his disbelief? His decision for communion and confirmation the next weekend? For his mother’s sake? The raising of the themes of religion, faith and reason, Anthony and his book and reading, clever and straight As? This straight up-and-down character, telling of facts?
7. The range of people in the town, ordinary, jobs, unemployment? Otto a good friend and support? The various men in the bars who knew what was happening in town? Vaughan, his sons? Drake and his ineptitude, the drugs? The man who worked for Boeing? The two brothers, slow, pulling the gun? Roger and his poverty? The pawn shop owner?
8. Bonnie, the return home, Kyle being genial, the contrast with Walt? Bonnie noticing what had happened, confronting Walt, Anthony taking the money, explaining it to his mother, her agreement about the brakes and the time to fix them? Anthony and his solution, going to see Allen, Allen going to the shop, taking the tools, not paying the money, the owner and his assistant pursuing them? Going to eat together? Walt the prospect of the job, getting his tools back, getting his house back? His decision to go to church the following week with Anthony?
9. A portrait of family, ordinary situations, crises, audience response to the characters?
