Sometimes, you find something you weren’t looking for, and this unexpected gem was recommended as part of Amazon Prime Video’s Valentine’s Day collection. Uncle Frank is a well-rounded emotional journey through the pain of one man’s past and his search for catharsis in the present.
Paul Bettany leads a stellar cast in this story of a closeted gay man, Frank, who’s the pariah of his devoutly Christian family during the early 1970s. He moved to New York to escape but, when a death in the family brings them together for the funeral, he’s faced with trying to conceal his secret once again and the many layers of trauma associated with his upbringing.
This was only writer/director Alan Ball’s 2nd feature film, but it’s remarkably well-paced, direct, and heartfelt. The character writing is fantastic and each little piece helps add something to Frank’s personal journey. Whether it be his niece, Beth (Sophia Lillis), who stumbles across her uncle’s secret but gets to see his relationship without the family’s prejudice in the way, or his partner, Wally (Peter Macdissi), who comes from an even more conservative Arabic family and just wants Frank to reconcile the relationship with his own family, all the characters provide something specific. It’s a beautiful portrait of pain, perseverance, love, and acceptance that’s executed wonderfully.
Bettany is incredible in the lead and embodies all the pain, anxiety, and fear Frank is trying desperately to compartmentalize. His body language and mannerisms are dead-on, not necessarily as a gay man, but as someone whose self-confidence evaporates so quickly in the face of the family’s imposing and nasty patriarch (played with venom by the great Stephen Root). Bettany really makes you feel Frank’s nervous apprehension and desperation to reconcile their father-son relationship in a way that’s more universal than just the story of this one gay man. While currently enjoying an extended run as Vision in the MCU thanks to the overwhelming success of WandaVision on Disney+, Bettany has been an exceptional talent for quite some time and this is was a great showcase for him.
Sophia Lillis was quite good in the co-starring role, serving as the story’s narrator. The cast was ridiculously stacked, including Steve Zahn, Margo Martindale, Judy Greer, and Lois Smith. I’m not sure the movie needed that much firepower, given the bulk of it all comes down to the three central roles, but I’m not complaining. Either way, it says quite a bit that Lillis got second billing. The role was the perfect fit as her character Beth didn’t quite fit in with the family either. As she made the transition to young womanhood, she was able to connect with Frank on a different level. As Lillis looks towards the future of her career, this was a role that showed her ability to play both the kid that’s still learning and the young adult who’s beginning to shape their own identity.
I’d be remiss in my duties if I didn’t take the time to mention Peter Macdissi’s fantastic performance as Frank’s partner of 10-years, Wally. Constantly relegated to the sidelines as Frank pretends to be straight for his family, even using a mutual friend to play the “girlfriend” role on occasion, Wally is a constant pillar of support. Macdissi plays the role with an unshakable charisma but he’s adept at navigating all the difficult emotional cues for his on-screen partner as well. He may have been my favorite character in the film and if we could only all have someone who loves us the way that Wally loves Frank, the world would be a better place for it.
This movie gave me much more than expected. I had no idea what it was about and pulled the trigger just based on the cast, but it was a good decision. Even the production design was well-done without feeling like the goal was nostalgia, but the cars were awesome. It’s one of 2020’s better offerings.
Recommendation: Come for the cast, stay for the journey.