THE STORY – Peter Pearce’s parents divorced after 65 years, his wife left him after 35, and his two sons, Mickey and Nick, are off leading their own lives. When Peter flies to Tulum, crashing Nick’s bachelor party hosted by Mickey, he realizes he’s not the only Pearce man in crisis.
THE CAST – Griffin Dunne, James Norton, Miles Heizer, Rosanna Arquette, Eisa Davis, Richard Benjamin, John Ventimiglia, Pedro Fontaine, Lou Taylor Pucci, Simon Van Buyten, Ian Owens, Echo Kellum, Rachel Zeiger-Haag, Zora Casebere & Nate Mann
THE TEAM – Noah Pritzker (Director/Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 98 Minutes
Ask any person with a few decades of experience behind them, and you’ll hear some variation on the expression that getting old is not for the weak. It’s a cavalcade of ailments and physical degradation that must be weathered, and only the strong-willed are able to truly persevere. However, there is another element at play with advanced age that is also difficult waters to navigate. The evolving nature of the relationships around you begins to take a new shape, many drifting away but some changing in perspective. What’s even more fascinating about this process is how it can hit at several points in life, giving a greater foresight for those older but also connecting them with younger generations who also suffer from turbulent mental states. This dynamic is what “Ex-Husbands” aims to dissect, and it’s a flawed yet intriguing showcase of the search for self-fulfillment at any age.
Peter Pearce (Griffin Dunne) ‘s troubles start once his father (Richard Benjamin) announces that he’s divorcing his wife after six decades of marriage. A bewildered Peter cannot fathom why his parents would choose to end their long-term relationship at this point, but it turns out to be a bellwether for his own misfortune. Six years later, he and his wife (Rosanna Arquette) are going through their own dissolution, a prospect he obviously has less enthusiasm for. In order to clear his head from the stress before this decision is finalized, he decides to take a trip to Mexico and utilize some vacation time. However, he is unaware that this trip happens to coincide with the bachelor party of his son Nick (James Pearce), which is being organized by his younger brother Mickey (Miles Heizer). Peter’s attempts to cancel are in vain, and he and his sons are forced to share what should be isolated time apart. However, upon arrival, it’s clear that Nick is going through his own problems at home, with his fiancée having already called off the wedding. The personal lives of this family are in shambles, but in close proximity, they manage to find a kinship that reveals a deeper bond that connects them.
There is some trepidation as the film begins that you think you know what’s coming, and it doesn’t seem all that appealing. This premise sounds exactly like a broad comedy in which the inept father is crashing the party of his hip children, and the clashing generations mean that whacky and awkward hijinks will ensue. It’s a strange first foot that writer-director Noah Pritzker puts out, and it does create an off-putting atmosphere. The initial misunderstanding, in which Peter doesn’t realize his plans coincide with the party, stretches believability, and the phone call loop he goes on to try to cancel puts him in a customer service loop that relies on tired tropes seen before. Even when all parties arrive at the destination spot, most of the imagery feels like a vacation B-roll, and the pacing is pretty lethargic. It doesn’t help that the overbearing score comes crashing in with a whimsical tone that is constantly distracting.
However, once the narrative starts to settle into its groove, an interesting and, quite frankly, revelatory development occurs. It becomes clear that this is not going to be the broad comedy that this set-up would have you believe. The narrative avoids the low-hanging fruit that many other comedies would indulge in. The dad and his sons may be staying in the same vicinity, but it’s not like they’re staying in the exact same resort and forcibly bumping into each other in ungainly social situations. Their adjacency is actually a catalyst for a rich emotional exploration. Nick goes from being resentful to see his father on this trip to eventually inviting him to join his friends in the celebration, hoping that this outreach will lift both of their spirits. Peter eventually meets up with a woman, Eileen (Eisa Davis), who is there with another wedding party. Their interactions are sweet and endearing, but it always feels like two adults grappling with the complex tribulations of older adulthood. There’s a flirtation that is not too pronounced, subtly delivered through their quiet yet captivating interactions.
This is where Pritzker’s storytelling deserves credit for building out a nuanced set of characters who never go for easy punchlines and pedestrian arcs. These people live in a believable landscape of recognizable hardships, whether that be the strained relationships that naturally fade away in Peter’s advanced age, the arrested development that plagues many millennials reflected in Nick’s depression, or the arduous coming out journey that is served to Mickey. The last storyline is the one with the least amount of depth, as he finds himself in a fling with one of the closeted friends in a tangential storyline that gives broad strokes about commenting on one’s identity. Still, even that plot point avoids devolving into histrionics. There’s a refreshing sense of maturity to this piece as it examines the strain of not fulfilling the potential of the relationships surrounding us. The crushing heartache is devastating but leads to a greater appreciation of the bonds that have already been forged. Pritzker’s gaze captures both the isolation within the framing as well as the comradery that brings these men closer together.
For many, Dunne is forever immortalized as the central figure of “After Hours” and his slowly decaying psyche amidst a night of chaotic terror. This role affords him the ability to play in a much softer register, and it’s a portrayal that is effective. He can be cantankerous but not in a hyperbolic manner that would overplay his age. He mostly embodies a sorrowful figure who can still be witty and charming in social interactions but also reach the tragic depths when called upon. While there may be one too many shots of Nick looking longingly into the distance, it is appreciated that Norton mines a real authenticity within this character, silently suffering as many do in his generation and showcasing the unsettling trauma of failed potential. Heizer is a bit more unremarkable in his performance, primarily serviceable but sometimes a bit wooden in his delivery. However, he doesn’t detract from the ensemble at all. It’s a nicely assembled group, with the likes of Benjamin, Arquette, and Davis filling it out nicely.
The biggest takeaway from watching “Ex-Husbands” is the surprise one gets. It’s a slow start and one that promises a much more mundane exercise but soon reveals a more complicated portrait. Seeing such dynamic relationships flourish in a manner that reveals a more engrossing commentary is invigorating. Still, it must be said that these revelations carry the story only so far. While the film does feature some enthralling elements, the pacing can still be meandering at points, especially in the third act when the drama moves away from Mexico and back home. That’s where the ultimate resolutions are prolonged and not particularly inventive conclusions. Still, while the whole may not be an extraordinary enterprise, surprising insight can be found within these themes. The results are imperfect but are satisfying to a degree that they remain occasionally compelling.
