Reconnecting in the Midst of Loss

From left: Bryan Cranston, Steve Carell, and Laurence Fishburne
in "Last Flag Flying"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

Richard Linklater is a filmmaker who excels in coming-of-age stories, as he’s displayed with movies such as “Dazed and Confused,” “Boyhood,” “Everybody Wants Some!!” and his “Before” trilogy.  Because these films focus on people growing up at different stages in their lives, Linklater shows that you can come of age at any age.

He sticks with the same concept for his latest film, “Last Flag Flying,” which finds Linklater shifting into a different kind of dramatic territory.  As with a lot of his work, this movie soars on the talents of its cast and timeless themes, providing a rich opportunity for moviegoers to connect with the story at hand.

In December 2003, Larry “Doc” Shepherd (Steve Carell), receives word that his son has been killed in Iraq.  He then sets out to reunite with his friends and fellow Vietnam veterans, Sal Nealon (Bryan Cranston) and Richard Mueller (Laurence Fishburne), to accompany him to Arlington Cemetery for the funeral.  In a quick change of plans, Larry decides to bring his son back to his hometown to be buried, and as the three friends travel back to Larry’s home for the service, they take the time to reconnect and come to terms with their past.

Linklater is a master at assembling casts that have a natural chemistry, almost to the point where he doesn’t even have to do any directing and can just let the cast do what they have to do.  Carell, who impressed us with his fiercely dramatic turn in 2014’s “Foxcatcher,” delivers another performance that shows the acting depth of which he’s capable outside of comedies.  It’s an introverted performance that captures the deep level of loss he feels and the sadness that’s running through him, but also lets us see the happiness he feels when in the company of his close friends.  Cranston, who’s meant to be the funny man of the trio, delivers the right amount of comedy to help us see the lighthearted moments between him and his friends.  His humor may be a tad jarring at first because of the story’s emotional scenario, but he never lets it undermine the seriousness of Larry’s loss.  And Fishburne is wonderful as a man who has left his past behind him, but does what’s right and stands by Larry as he goes through a tragic time, making this performance his finest of the past few years.

Cicily Tyson, who plays the mother of a deceased Marine who served with the main trio, delivers an understated, yet impactful performance in a five-minute sequence during the film’s last half hour.  I won’t give anymore details, but I will say it’s one of the film’s best scenes.  

The screenplay by Linklater and Darryl Ponicsan, which is based on the latter’s 2005 novel, takes a bit of time to smooth out the transitions between the dramatic and humorous moments, but it doesn’t take long for it to find its footing.  

The plot of the film mostly revolves around the main characters reuniting and catching up, so the overall story isn’t so much a traditional plot structure as it is like time you’re spending with old friends, reminiscing about the moments that were shared years ago and what has happened during your time apart.  That’s why the audiences can become attached to them, because at certain points in the film, you can look at this trio and picture similar times you’ve had with your friends.  This is Linklater's filmmaking power, to make his viewers recall their own experiences, a skill that makes him one of the best American directors working today.    

What could have been an overly sentimental military-drama is instead a movie that skillfully deals with themes such as reconnection, regrets, and loss, all of which are handled with the high level of care and detail that we have come to expect from a director who excels in such relatable topics.  Just as with many of Linklater’s other films, he allows scenes to unfold at a deliberate pace without making the film feel slow, which lets us sit back and be absorbed in the opportunity to get to know his characters. 

You can always rely on Linklater to tackle the challenges of life and remain grounded in his approach, rather than making it schmaltzy for the sake of eliciting a cheap emotional response.  The feelings you go through while watching one of his movies are earned because, whether Linklater’s characters are older, younger, or the same age as you, you’ve probably had experiences that are similar to the ones that are lived by those characters.  In the end, Linklater doesn’t just want to make a good movie; he wants to put a bit of your life on screen.

Final grade: A-