Hearts Beat Loud is a pleasant and undeniably likable film, a celebration of music and family that basks in its sense of cheerfulness and genuine warmth. In its best moments, director Brett Haley's third feature channels the hangout spirit of Richard Linklater's work, thriving on low stakes and minor conflicts among its impressive ensemble. But despite the best efforts of stars Nick Offerman and Kiersey Clemons, the film can only coast on its agreeable quietness for so long, offering just the simplest of pleasures and the slightest of dramatic payoffs. It's an emotional and gentle effort from Haley, but ultimately far too haphazard for my tastes, a balance that doesn't amount to much by the time all is said and done.
The film follows Frank Fisher (Offerman), the owner of an old-school record store in Brooklyn that is struggling to stay afloat in the world of Amazon and digital music. His daughter, Sam (Clemons), is heading to UCLA in the fall, and Frank needs a steady stream of income to help pay for school. After nearly two decades in business, Frank finally informs Leslie (Toni Collette), his landlady, that Red Hook Records will close at the end of the summer. Despite Sam's summer classes and homework, her father wants to make the most of their time together. One night during an average jam session, Sam and Frank put together a surprisingly great song, turning an assortment of lyrics into "Hearts Beat Loud."
Without letting Sam know, Frank puts the song on Spotify and forms the father-daughter duo of We're Not a Band. Their single becomes something of an indie sensation, which will make it even harder for Frank to say goodbye to his daughter when the time comes. Beyond the core relationship, several other characters populate this sweet little story. Sam begins dating Rose (American Honey's Sasha Lane), a charismatic artist who inspires many of her songs. Frank's relationship with Leslie grows more and more complicated, but he's also dealing with his elderly mother (Blythe Danner). And just there for the ride is Dave (Ted Danson), a pot-smoking barkeeper who serves as Frank's confidante.
Haley has a great cast at his disposal, and it's clear that he has gained a lot of cachet as an indie director just in his first few years on the scene. But even with the presence of Danner and Danson and Lane and so many others, their characters serve no real purpose and these detours feel immensely unfulfilling. Sure, it's fun to watch Danson and Offerman banter back and forth, often with the goal of providing insight into Frank's psyche, but Dave feels like a total narrative afterthought. Danner gets nothing to do, Lane has one or two good scenes in a somewhat generic love interest role, and even Toni Collette is left with a dead end of a subplot. The story of Hearts Beat Loud exists at the intersection of the lives of many characters, but good luck finding any solution to their vast problems.
In theory, Haley's film should play out much like the fun-filled musical comedies of the last few years. The shaky utilization of such a stunning ensemble is the first wrong move, compounded only by the lack of genuine depth to the characters at the center of the entire endeavor. Sam is a Serious Student still reeling from the psychological effects of the death of her mom. Frank is a Cool Dad with a gruff, old-school personality that makes him a man out of his time. Both characters are likable thanks to the performances of Clemons and Offerman, two actors who instantly click as a father-daughter duo. But Sam and Frank still feel like cliches, rarely afforded the opportunity to break out of their pre-ordained characterizations.
Haley has a habit of editing a scene down to its most fundamental essence, which doesn't sound like a bad thing on paper. But on a functional level, this style deprives the film of some really memorable moments. There's a sweet scene where Frank visits the location of his wife's unfortunate death, but it ends so quickly that there's barely an emotional impact. Sam briefly learns to ride a bike with Rose, and yet we're left with that minute moment as a signifier of her mental maturation and emotional state. While the film's inability to stick with one character for too long occasionally leads to nice contrasts, it often restricts what Haley can do with this story.
So in the end, you have a film that feels both needlessly choppy and surprisingly straight-forward, resulting in something of a sweet, frenzied narrative jumble. The film is at its best when it focuses on the joy of music, a feeling that only comes when you create a powerful song that means something special to you. Frank and Sam's creative process is rendered with grace and honesty, and it results in some enjoyable and touching earworms. Highlighted by a feeling of summertime optimism that you couldn't shake from this film no matter how hard you tried, Hearts Beat Loud's kind spirit and tangible sense of place make its lack of narrative discipline all the more frustrating. It just can't quite deliver on the promise of crowd-pleasing, tear-jerking wholesomeness, struggling to keep its narrative together in a powerful way.
THE FINAL GRADE: C+ (5.9/10)
Images: Gunpowder and Sky
The film follows Frank Fisher (Offerman), the owner of an old-school record store in Brooklyn that is struggling to stay afloat in the world of Amazon and digital music. His daughter, Sam (Clemons), is heading to UCLA in the fall, and Frank needs a steady stream of income to help pay for school. After nearly two decades in business, Frank finally informs Leslie (Toni Collette), his landlady, that Red Hook Records will close at the end of the summer. Despite Sam's summer classes and homework, her father wants to make the most of their time together. One night during an average jam session, Sam and Frank put together a surprisingly great song, turning an assortment of lyrics into "Hearts Beat Loud."
Without letting Sam know, Frank puts the song on Spotify and forms the father-daughter duo of We're Not a Band. Their single becomes something of an indie sensation, which will make it even harder for Frank to say goodbye to his daughter when the time comes. Beyond the core relationship, several other characters populate this sweet little story. Sam begins dating Rose (American Honey's Sasha Lane), a charismatic artist who inspires many of her songs. Frank's relationship with Leslie grows more and more complicated, but he's also dealing with his elderly mother (Blythe Danner). And just there for the ride is Dave (Ted Danson), a pot-smoking barkeeper who serves as Frank's confidante.
Haley has a great cast at his disposal, and it's clear that he has gained a lot of cachet as an indie director just in his first few years on the scene. But even with the presence of Danner and Danson and Lane and so many others, their characters serve no real purpose and these detours feel immensely unfulfilling. Sure, it's fun to watch Danson and Offerman banter back and forth, often with the goal of providing insight into Frank's psyche, but Dave feels like a total narrative afterthought. Danner gets nothing to do, Lane has one or two good scenes in a somewhat generic love interest role, and even Toni Collette is left with a dead end of a subplot. The story of Hearts Beat Loud exists at the intersection of the lives of many characters, but good luck finding any solution to their vast problems.
In theory, Haley's film should play out much like the fun-filled musical comedies of the last few years. The shaky utilization of such a stunning ensemble is the first wrong move, compounded only by the lack of genuine depth to the characters at the center of the entire endeavor. Sam is a Serious Student still reeling from the psychological effects of the death of her mom. Frank is a Cool Dad with a gruff, old-school personality that makes him a man out of his time. Both characters are likable thanks to the performances of Clemons and Offerman, two actors who instantly click as a father-daughter duo. But Sam and Frank still feel like cliches, rarely afforded the opportunity to break out of their pre-ordained characterizations.
Haley has a habit of editing a scene down to its most fundamental essence, which doesn't sound like a bad thing on paper. But on a functional level, this style deprives the film of some really memorable moments. There's a sweet scene where Frank visits the location of his wife's unfortunate death, but it ends so quickly that there's barely an emotional impact. Sam briefly learns to ride a bike with Rose, and yet we're left with that minute moment as a signifier of her mental maturation and emotional state. While the film's inability to stick with one character for too long occasionally leads to nice contrasts, it often restricts what Haley can do with this story.
So in the end, you have a film that feels both needlessly choppy and surprisingly straight-forward, resulting in something of a sweet, frenzied narrative jumble. The film is at its best when it focuses on the joy of music, a feeling that only comes when you create a powerful song that means something special to you. Frank and Sam's creative process is rendered with grace and honesty, and it results in some enjoyable and touching earworms. Highlighted by a feeling of summertime optimism that you couldn't shake from this film no matter how hard you tried, Hearts Beat Loud's kind spirit and tangible sense of place make its lack of narrative discipline all the more frustrating. It just can't quite deliver on the promise of crowd-pleasing, tear-jerking wholesomeness, struggling to keep its narrative together in a powerful way.
THE FINAL GRADE: C+ (5.9/10)
Images: Gunpowder and Sky
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