The Hollars - A Movie Review

You won’t know until you get there that you’re okay.

The Hollars is a 2016 film. John Hollar returns home after learning that his mother has fallen ill and is about to undergo surgery. As they all catch up on life, revelations peak about family secrets.

Hospital stories are so relatable that watching them feels like a home movie with how on point they are. The Hollars is a darkly comical film about a family reconnecting during hard times. With all the stress, arguments, and broken dreams, in the end, we’ll all be fine.

As is reminiscent of their name, the Hollars heavily bicker about the situation. ‘Indoor voices’ is not in their vocabulary. The family has grown apart, but shares conversations in this unprecedented reunion.

John Krasinski, Margo Martindale, Richard Jenkins, and Sharlto Copley have a solid dynamic that feels so real. Each actor is splendid in their performance, creating quirks and humorous personalities. The cast bonded together during the film.

You have seen more movies with Margo Martindale than you think. She is the prime example of how you make small roles memorable. I love how she plays this character. Sally keeps everyone together, continues to share advice, and has a different outlook of the situation. Yet, beneath her strengths lies a quiet vulnerability.

When casting for the film, Richard Jenkins specifically asked for Martindale. I haven’t seen Jenkins’s comical side enough. He plays an aloof personality, who is also very emotional. He very easily breaks down about the situation. Jenkins and Martindale create a solid relationship that felt real, especially with all disagreeing. It felt real.

John and Ron (Copley) are both undergoing relationship or career dramas. In the midst of complaining how little they call each other, they learn how everybody is improvising through life.

Pitch Perfect star Anna Kendrick plays another Becca, who travels nine hours to see her fiancé while nine months pregnant. She delivers a good monologue. Supporting roles include recognizable faces of Randall Park, Charlie Day, Ashley Dyke, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Mary Kay Place, and the talented Broadway singer, Josh Groban.

Krasinski also takes directing reins. Before his Quiet Place films, he was already showing his filmmaking expertise, only this time in comedy. This is a heartwarming film about family. Krasinski just became a father when he signed on to this movie, and it gave him a whole new perspective and respect for his parents.

It’s also really funny. Writer Jim Strouse incorporated funny and personal. The opening scene sets the tone with Ron having to find an alternative bathroom in the kitchen. His father’s reaction makes the scene funnier. I randomly think about it and it still makes me laugh.

It’s never good when family is sick and in the hospital, but on the upside, it is a reunion. One of the sweetest moments is the family singing a song to quell the mom’s worries. As Krasinski said, this film makes you appreciate family more. No matter what happens or all the fights you get into, family is family.

This film has strong themes about living your best life. Of course, you could have taken a different road from where you are now, but would it have been the right path? As Sally said, “Don’t waste your time with the bad, live with the good.”

Give The Hollars a chance. The film resonated with me more than I thought it would. It makes you laugh, smile, and cry. You never know, this may be the film someone needs to remind them that they’re not alone.