Gillian Welch’s Wrecking Ball plays over the opening titles of Bob Nelson’s THE CONFIRMATION.
In tone and timbre, it’s the perfect song to accompany the shots of a small American town where Jaeden Lieberher plays eight year old Anthony whose mother has remarried and returned to the Catholic Church. Wanting her son to follow in her devotional footsteps, Anthony is preparing to make his first Communion followed by his Confirmation into the faith.
Part of the preparation of receiving the Sacrament is making a confession to the priest, making an act of contrition, and being absolved of his sins.
Trouble is, Anthony is a good kid and has nothing to confess. He’s also incredibly bright and his inherent logic is at odds with the dogma the dog-collar clerics catechise.
Also at odds with the faith is Clive Owen as Anthony’s dad, down-on-his-luck carpenter Walt. He is an inherently good man brought down by his demon, drink. A tradesman of the old school, a craftsman in carpentry, the economic downturn combined with his battle with the bottle has made his services less saleable.
In what looks like a run of the mill child custody time looking after his eight year old son Anthony for the weekend, the pair end up tracking down missing tools that unemployed Walt desperately needs for an upcoming job. Father and son connect and bond as they encounter a bunch of odd characters on their quest to retrieve Walt’s tools of trade.
THE CONFIRMATION confirms writer/director, Bob Nelson, best known for his Oscar nominated screenplay for the critically acclaimed 2013 film Nebraska, as a marvellous voice in maverick movie making.
THE CONFIRMATION also confirms Jaeden Lieberher as the cutest male juvenile working in American film after last year’s turn alongside Bill Murray in St. Vincent. He is the go to kid to bring salvation to older guys who have hit the skids.
Maria Bello and Matthew Modine are awkwardly agreeable as Walt’s ex wife and her new husband, Tim Blake Nelson plays a latently violent contractor, Robert Forster is Walt’s staunch AA sponsor, Stephen Tobolowsky is the pathetic priest, and Patton Oswalt plays a person with a compulsion to please even when the results are less than pleasing.
THE CONFIRMATION is a carefully crafted architrave with finely created characters pursuing a finely chiselled narrative that conquers confrontation with quirky and heart felt compassion, in a construction of high drama and sublime comedy.