Measure of a Man - Review

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Read Mind on Movies review of Measure of a Man. During the summer of 1976, fourteen-year-old Bobby Marks (Blake Cooper), insecure and overweight, must endure another tortuous family vacation at Rumson Lake. His summer job, tending to the palatial estate of the reclusive, enigmatic and overly demanding Dr. Kahn (Donald Sutherland) is backbreaking. His parents (Judy Greer & Luke Wilson) appear on the verge of divorce; his sister Michelle (Liana Liberato) is forcing him to help conceal her clandestine rendezvous with the local pretty boy; and his best friend and kindred spirit Joanie (Danielle Rose Russell) is leaving for a month and won’t tell him why. On top of that, a crazy townie has focused his hatred of the rich “summer people” exclusively on Bobby. Over the course of this emotional rollercoaster of a summer, secrets are revealed, lessons are learned and Bobby comes to understand who he is and what makes up the true measure of a man.

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Measure of a Man is in select theaters on May 11th, 2018.

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Based on Robert Lipsyte’s “One Fat Summer”, Jim Loach had all the potential of producing a solid, encouraging young adult flick, but the one-dimensional characters and flat screenplay doesn’t really stick out in the coming-of-age genre.

In the summer of 1976, teenage Bobby Marks (Blake Cooper) is lukewarm as the self-conscious protagonist as we see his journey through a summer of being as uncomfortable around others as he is in his own skin. The small snippet of comfort we see at the beginning of summer is with Joanie, (Danielle Rose Russell), as he hides behind an easygoing friendship to avoid bullies and other peers he feels like he doesn’t measure up to due to his overweight appearance. When Joanie leaves to the city and his totally-just-don’t-get-it parents (Judy Greer, Luke Wilson), Bobby finds summer work with a very stern Dr. Kahn (Donald Sutherland), maintaining the land of his estate. Through this experience, Bobby finds a formidable mentor in Kahn and a worthy man within himself.

The best move made was to set the film in 1976 rather than Lipsyte’s early 40’s vision. Always a cheap nostalgic move, but a well placed soft rock throwback in combination with pubescent character development does the job. This film is absolutely watchable and charming at times, but if it were not for the professional editing, I would assume the film was a rough draft of sorts. The characters and their relationships weren’t developed to the full potential enough to reach past the surface of my brain and into my heart.

I would recommend this movie to those tv surfing on some lazy Sunday down the line on one of those feel good networks. You’ll crack a few smiles along the way.

Rating: 2 out of 5

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Marisa (Contributor) is a Maryland native who currently works in New York City. She is an avid Auburn Tigers fan and enjoys traveling around the world. Her hobbies include movies, going to just about any type of sporting event, live music, and playing with her husky and pug.
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