"Like Father" Movie Review

Like Father is an emotional film that tackles several issues ranging from abandonment to reconnection to overcoming loss. It had strong moments, but there were times when it got lost in itself, focusing too much on one thing and not enough on other aspects.

The film follows Rachel, a workaholic who is so obsessed with work that she can't even stay off the phone long enough to have her wedding. Her would-be husband leaves her at the altar. In that moment, Rachel sees someone she never thought she'd see again: her dad. After her devastating day, Rachel decides to have drinks with her estranged father, leading to the drunken decision to take the cruise together that was originally meant to be for her honeymoon. Will they reconnect before the trip is over?

Kristen Bell and Kelsey Grammar both gave splendid performances. There was a lot of heart poured into their roles, making the film impactful in many ways. Seth Rogen even makes a brief appearance to bring comedic relief to the film.

The film had a ton of impactful and emotional moments. The problem lies with the focus points and the pacing. I could see what they were trying to do, but the film spent far too much time on Rachel's workaholism when that was clearly established during the first 30 minutes. I felt that there could have been far more focus on Rachel and Harry's relationship, considering by the time Harry gets fed up with her and throws her phone into the water, there's just 40 minutes left in the film. There's so much that could have been touched on that was either cut short or ignored entirely.

In conclusion, I do recommend this film. It's new on Netflix and is definitely worth the watch. The message the story is sending is so important, if only it didn't get bogged down by its own madness. I give the film a 2.8 out of 4.