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Home Groan

Love is a battlefield, all you need, and apparently something best shared between a housewife and a criminal. Movies love to spotlight the hooker or drug dealer with a heart of gold, and in "Labor Day" it's murderer Frank Chambers (Josh Brolin), a man serving 18 years for killing his wife. Yes, he really did it, but there is so much more to a person than just one flaw, right? He broke free and then broke his way into a sad home on Labor Day weekend.

The residence belongs to Adele (Kate Winslet), a reclusive mother, and her 13-year-old son Henry (Gattlin Griffith). They don't get out much, and have the pleasure of meeting Frank on a rare shopping trip, as he threatens his way into their car and home. They are petrified, naturally, but then they grow to kind of like the guy. He is handy with fixing things, teaches Henry how to throw a baseball, and bakes a mean peach pie. He also looks beefy in a white T-shirt, and Adele can't resist.

"Labor Day" seems to think Stockholm syndrome is pretty sexy, and it hopes you will too. It's a rare misstep to come from Jason Reitman ("Thank You For Smoking", "Up In The Air") who directed the film and adapted the screenplay from Joyce Maynard's novel. If it worked on the page, it doesn't work here, as the message is absurd. (Love conquers all! Better to be with a felon than be alone!)

It's a pity too, as the film itself is filmed beautifully and the acting is solid, which is always the case when Winslet is involved. There are nice shots of New Hampshire circa 1987 and it is never boring. It's just really messy. "The Shawshank Redemption" took criminals and showed they could be redeemed, but "Labor Day" doesn't make a compelling case for Frank, who shows little personality and never (gasp!) smiles. If he looked like Carrot Top, it would have been game over for him. No coming home and falling in love while baking the perfect crust.