"Hearts Beat Loud" refuses to get overly sentimental and that's the main reason (along with the music) to enjoy this movie about a father (Nick Offerman) and his soon-to-be-off-to-college daughter (a wonderful Kersey Clemons). Frank (Offerman) runs a failing vinyl record store in Red Hook, NY and dwells on the music career he almost had. And although his daughter, Sam (Clemons) is a top-notch singer, she wants to be a doctor so she's heading to UCLA. In the few weeks before she leaves, Frank convinces her to collaborate on a few songs, with Frank on guitar and Sam on keyboard and vocals. Having lost Sam's mother 11 years ago in a bike accident, Frank finds himself at loose ends, but they grow closer as they share a genuine love of music.
Director Brett Haley doesn't do enough to service every character, however. We only see a bit of Blythe Danner as Frank's growing forgetful, shoplifting mother and Ted Danson's character is one-note as Frank's pot smoking friend. But Sam's first love, with Rose (Sasha Lane), is tender and bittersweet. The songs by Keegan DeWitt are catchy enough that you could easily understand why the father-daughter combo could catch music fame. "Hearts Beat Loud" is not particularly challenging, but it has a definite comfort quality to it with an ending that seems totally realistic.
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