The Hero - 2 smiles

Co-writer (with Marc Basch)/director Brett Haley (I'll See You In My Dreams) looks at aging from the  male perspective in his second film, which, unfortunately, is far more formulaic than the first. Not content with having their aging star, Lee Hayden (Sam Elliott), contemplate his mortality, the screenplay also throws in an estranged daughter (Krysten Ritter), a friendly ex-wife (Katharine Ross) and a romance with a much younger woman, Charlotte (Laura Prepon). Haley's recurring motif of death, where Lee wanders through scenes from his past movies is awkward and clumsy, seemly thrown in without much thought. And then there's Charlotte's uncharacteristically cruel stand-up routine that feels wholly at odds with everything established about her character up to that point.

The highlights include a pot-smoking buddy (a funny Nick Offerman) and a different kind of awards ceremony hosted by the Western Historical and Preservation Society, where Lee and Charlotte are so high that their giddiness spreads to the rest of the audience. Haley has demonstrated a willingness to grant older characters center stage. This time around, it's unfortunate that the story isn't as strong as Elliott's striking lead performance.