Review of Better Nate Than Ever

This is a sweet movie carried beautifully on the shoulders of newcomer Rueby Wood. This young actor is a force of nature to such a degree that no one really seems to exist on screen when he's working. This may sound like it could be problematic, but the fact is that the writers do very little to develop any of the other characters. The strangest aspect of this surrounds the character of the older brother. It's clear that the working class parents want the brother to get an athletic scholarship to college and when he suffers an injury it never really seems to have a point or to threaten his scholarship chances. It's just a random occurrence that does nothing to develop the character or further the plot. The parents exist, because there are kids and they need to have parents. They just don't have any other purpose. Lisa Kudrow adds heart and charm as the supportive aunt, but her only real purpose seems to be to give the kid a place to stay, as the kid doesn't seem to be in need of motivation or support. In the end these shortcomings don't distract from a great performance and a film with lots of heart.