When two people are in a committed relationship, they negotiate and offer compromises for the sharing of responsibilities. They become a team with each person utilizing their best skills. Though I dislike ironing, I gladly will do the laundry. Before I learned how to cook, I always insisted that I clean up and wash the dishes after a meal. Once that rhythm has been established, things worked smoothly in the household. Imagine what it must be like when you lose your significant other. And if there is a child, it must be overwhelming to have all the responsibilities on your shoulders. When I first received this DVD I was surprised with the casting of Clive Owen (Children of Men, Shoot ‘Em Up) as the father Joe Warr. I thought of him more as a rogue or sinister type for some reason. He was excellent in this role of dad to Artie and Harry, played by newcomer Nicholas McAnulty and George MacKay (Defiance, Peter Pan), inspired by a true story. Set in Australia with some beautifully filmed scenes, Joe had to figure out how to raise his young son Artie after the death of his wife. Though he earned respect as a sportswriter, when it came to  his home life Joe did not have the skills to make it all work. It seemed easiest to go with the philosophy of saying yes to most things. When Harry who was his son from his first marriage arrived for a visit, Joe would have to face past mistakes to avoid repeating them. This tender movie had some well done parts. The characters were convincing as each actor did an admirable job. There were several themes going through this movie, such as child rearing, abandonment and the effects from having a loss; certainly one could find something to relate to in this narrative.  Parts of the story were stagnant, however; disrupting the otherwise enjoyable viewing experience. Whether one is single, in a relationship, with or without children; there was enough in this film to interest most people. One brief scene with blood.

2 2/3 stars — DVD