The Glass Castle

Tropic Sprockets by Ian Brockway

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Destin Daniel Cretton (Short Term 12) has directed the adaptation of “The Glass Castle,” a bestselling memoir by Jeannette Walls. The film has an excellent cast and is affecting. It is however, uneven in tone and despite some good performances feels dramatically stuck in second gear.
The ubiquitous Woody Harrelson stars as Rex, a nomadic father who is also an alcoholic. Rex loves his family deeply, particularly Jeannette (played for most of the story by Ella Anderson), who is spirited, sensitive and enjoys writing. 

Like the character of Ben in “Captain Fantastic,” Rex is in a self-created war against American capitalism, middle class values and all that they entail. The Walls live in abandoned buildings and dad doesn’t believe in conventional education. 

The family moves from place to place whenever things get tough. All the while Rex asserts that he knows better, the family after all, is special and not governed by standard behavior. Most of the kids grow weary of the constant relocation, except for the plucky and altruistic Jeannette, who sees the spontaniety in her father. Soon the the seemingly daring and festive ways of Rex are a cover for his own addiction to alcohol and become excuses to mask his disfunction. 

The exchanges between Rex and young Jeannette are some of the most vivid moments on the film. The connection between father and daughter contain real sparks and authenticity, particularly when Rex throws the toddler in a deep pool without any warning: sink or swim, adapt or perish. These scenes are very close to portraying a father as freak or a Jekyll and Hyde. Such moments work because they are visceral and highlight the dark possibilities of childhood.

It is only when Rex is the Angry Drinker, with a capital A, where the story slips into melodrama with Harrelson the actor showing his theatrics instead of Rex: All face and bug eyes.

Naomi Watts stars as the mom who attempts to go with the flow and Brie Larson is an adult Jeannette, a yuppie who strives to remove herself from Dad and Mom, yet is still held by guilt.

The film has great pull and compelling motion in the beginning and first half. Harrelson is solid, genuine and entertaining: part mad, part caring and compassionate. His role is imbued with the fickle spirit of childhood in a believable way and his attitude has verve precisely because Rex is himself a sort of kid in a very impactful and positive sense.

But by midway, when the story handles alcoholism, the surprise wanes with Rex becoming noise and bluster. The momentum of the story shifts into the flickers of TV drama.

The magic is in its showing of how Rex reacts to his children with a feeling of a circus adventure, but instead we get a tent of formula as Rex storms about. 

Though one wishes for a bit more bohemianism and less bourbon, “The Glass Castle” is a lively, if stumbling recollection of childhood, bolstered by fine performances, chiefly by Ella Anderson and Harrelson, but also by Brie Larson and Max Greenfield, playing Jeannette’s fiance who is quite overwhelmed by Rex’s boozy aggression. 

Write Ian at ianfree1@yahoo.com