“It must be hard fighting for the right to marry then ending up in divorce court like everybody else,” one character muses in Our Son. The sobering comment lingers throughout the rest of director Bill Oliver’s moving film about the sudden breakup of a 13-year-long gay marriage and the custody battle over the couple’s eight-year-old son. Oliver co-wrote the drama, which stars Luke Evans (Echo 3) and Billy Porter (Pose), with Peter Nickowitz, with whom he previously collaborated in Jonathan, an intense drama starring Ansel Elgort (West Side Story, Divergent).
The deep subject matter here, while intriguing, occasionally weighs down an otherwise compelling story. But with a memorable, emotionally raw turn from star Luke Evans, in particular, Our Son slowly wins you over. If you appreciate films featuring varying dynamics between couples, friends, family, and parents, and those filled with LGBTQ+ characters, Our Son fits the bill and may even melt your heart.
One of Luke Evans’ Best Performances
Our Son
Release Date November 8, 2023
Director Bill Oliver
Rating R
Audiences are gently eased into the world of one family in Our Son. There are morning routines, afternoon school pick-ups, and gatherings with friends. Nicky (Luke Evans), a book publisher fully devoted to his work and family, occasionally spars with his husband Gabriel (Billy Porter), a former actor and stay-at-home dad for their eight-year-old son, Owen (Christopher Woodley). They both love Owen deeply, but they’re at a crossroads with each other.
Something is off with Gabriel, who can’t shake his dissatisfaction with the marriage. After a brief affair and some rumination, Gabriel tells Nicky he wants a divorce. The news doesn’t sit well, and it’s here that the film begins to lean more into being a centerpiece opportunity for Luke Evans. The actor delivers one of the rawest performances of his career in Our Son. This should not come as a surprise, yet it does. Evans is no stranger to gripping dramas. Between his work in Apple TV+’s Echo 3, Hulu’s hit limited series Nine Perfect Strangers, and playing iconic dragon slayer/archery expert Bard the Bowman in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, we know Evans can act. In Our Son, he turns in a soul-stirring performance as a man confronted with loss and desperately trying to control his destiny. A sparkling performance all around.
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Billy Porter, who seems to enjoy over-the-top characters in the vein of Pose, delivers a surprisingly grounded performance in Our Son. You don’t expect the emotional gut punch that Evans and Porter eventually deliver. It arrives beyond the midway point of the film when the couple attempts to transition into new areas of their lives. You realize the screenwriters have kept everything simmering at a slow boil, thereby giving audiences time to understand both Nicky and Gabriel’s perspectives and their own unique journeys.
Crafting a Relatable Story
Director Bill Oliver noted that as a gay man with two sons of his own — with whom he co-parents with a lesbian couple — he wanted to make a film that reflected some of his own experience, and also one that illuminated the experience of other queer parents. He succeeds. But ultimately, Our Son becomes a love story about a family in transition. More so, this is a movie about two people confronting the changing reality of their love for each other and for their son.
Robin Weigert (Deadwood), Andrew Rannells (Welcome to Chippendales, Girls), Kate Burton (of Grey’s Anatomy fame), and Phylicia Rashad (Creed) are among some of the fine actors who round out the cast. Their presence helps open up the story beyond the initial trio and family dynamic. Nicky’s mother (Burton) has a delayed reaction to news of the divorce, but when it hits, it hits hard. Gabriel’s mother (Rashad) is compassionate. So are the couple’s friends. Their responses to the couple’s breakup intentionally showcase how divorce affects more than just the central couple.
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That said, the film could use a bit more humor. The subject matter may be serious, but like life itself, levity is often nearby during challenging times, and this film could use a little more bounce. You’re bound to become acutely aware during moments when things actually are lighter — gatherings with friends when candid discussions float between meaningful observations and friendly pokes in the ribs. There’s a scene late in the film where Nicky walks into a bar and meets a young gay man. The diversion is refreshing and, at that point, perhaps earned. However, you tend to wish you had more of these moments sprinkled throughout the tale.
Either way, Our Son is worth the viewing investment. Fans of Luke Evans and Billy Porter will no doubt relish their performances, but Bill Oliver and co-writer Peter Nickowitz manage to deliver a moving, heartwarming tale filled with characters that audiences don’t often experience on the big screen. The film is sharply shot, making this tender tale feel all the more well-rounded and embraceable.
Catch Our Son in theaters on December 8th, and VOD on December 15.
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