A Single Dad and His Daughter Create Music, Magic in Hearts Beat Loud

It’s a sweet little musical indie starring everyone’s favorite teddy bear, Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation). Frank (Offerman) has run a funky record store in Brooklyn’s Red Hook section for a dozen or more years, but business is bad and he reluctantly must tell his compassionate landlord (Toni Colette) that he can’t renew his lease. The studious daughter he raises alone, Sam (Kiersey Clemons – Dope, Transparent), is about to head west for college, leaving him with an added financial burden. But when an impromptu jam session between father and daughter yields a catchy tune, Frank takes a shot and puts in on Spotify. Meanwhile Sam meets a girl (American Honey’s Sasha Lane), and it turns out to be a relationship that she wasn’t expecting but can’t seem to ignore. As they deal with old loss and new change, Frank and Sam are faced with decisions about what comes next. Look for some nice cameos, including Blythe Danner as grandma (though her role seems somewhat extraneous to the plot), and Ted Danson as Frank’s bartender friend, doing his now familiar ‘relaxed older man making stoned-but-charming observations about life’ (a delight on its own merits). Naturally a big part of the movie is the music itself, and director Brett Haley makes some nice choices for the soundtrack, too; while the songs Sam and Frank create are decent, they’re perhaps not as good as they are meant to be within the world of the film. Evenly paced and character-driven, this film is easy to watch and enjoy — even if what it has to say is not neither ground-breaking nor riveting. THE WORD: The actors make it worthwhile, especially Offerman, who makes an unusually appealing dad. COMING TO: Theaters

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