Inventing the Abbotts

Directed by Pat O’Connor, Inventing the Abbotts follows two brothers (Joaquin Phoenix’s Doug and Billy Crudup’s J.C.) as they come of age during the 1950s. Filmmaker O’Connor, armed with a script by Ken Hixon, delivers an evocative, entertaining drama that benefits from its irresistible ’50s atmosphere and raft of compelling performances, and there’s little doubt, particularly in terms of the latter, that the picture’s far-from-streamlined narrative is often alleviated by the stars’ top-notch efforts – with Phoenix and Crudup’s strong work here certainly mirrored by a first-class supporting cast that includes Jennifer Connelly, Kathy Baker, and Joanna Going. (Will Patton offers up a commanding turn as an imperious local business that remains an ongoing highlight within the proceedings, to be sure.) It’s clear, then, that Inventing the Abbotts‘ inability to become more than a passable endeavor stems from its fairly uneventful storyline and deliberate, sluggish pace (ie it’s ultimately not surprising to learn that the picture was inspired by a short story), as the movie is rarely able to become as engaging or enthralling as O’Connor has surely intended – which does, in the end, cement the film’s place as a decent-enough piece of work that probably should’ve topped out at around 90 minutes.

**1/2 out of ****