muffiemae With Russel Crow I expected more. I agree that the plot is shallow and repetitive. Amanda Seyfried is a terrible actress. As grown-up Katie, she has one-night stands, one after the other, but when she meets a certain guy, she acts like the Virgin Mary with him. Why didn't she jump his bones like she did all the others? Implausible. But after the two are "in love," he comes home to find a messed-up bed with a used packet of rubbers on the floor beside it. He storms out. At the end he forgives her...implausible regarding what went between the "storming out" and forgiveness at the end.And although "Katie" is a psychologist, she doesn't adhere to her own training. And nothing is ever even alluded to about the "reason" (childhood trauma?) that resulted in her self-destructive behavior.A total waste of time.

jmournog-36499 Life can be very bitter and sweet and fathers and daughters portrayed this sentiment whole heartedly. Great examples of a fathers love for his daughter; the daughters struggles from a challenging childhood and the loving devotion and forgiveness from her jilted boyfriend. This type of film is valuable to everyone, because it helps us think, feel, and understand how to cope, learn and heal from life's tragedies! Touching and hopeful ending! Russell Crowe was fantastic!! Good acting all around!!

zkonedog Based strictly on content, "Fathers & Daughters" is not the type of movie I would usually see. However, after watching the trailer and seeing the star power of Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfried, and Aaron Paul, I decided to give it a try. While the plot of this film can be a bit shaky at times, one almost doesn't realize it because the quality of the acting invokes such strong emotions all the way through.For a basic plot summary, "Fathers & Daughters" opens with writer Jake Davis (Crowe) struggling to cope with his life after the loss of his wife in a car accident. Fortunately, he still has his lovely daughter Katie (Kylie Rogers), but even that is threatened when his seizures and medical problems begin. Flash-forward 20-some years later, and Katie (Seyfried) has grown up to become a successful social worker...who is also as promiscuous as they come in terms of love life. However, when a new little girl named Lucy (Quvenzhane Wallis) is put in her care, and then Katie meets Cameron (Paul), she begins to be confronted by the demons in her life that have caused her so much pain.I wish I could say that "Fathers & Daughters" is a "best of all-time" type of movie, but the fact is that it isn't. The writers/producers/director make some head-scratching choices about how they play the narrative out, and there are a few key plot points missing that probably needed to be included to make this a "tighter" film. So, this is really more of a "niche" film built on emotion.But boy oh boy, though, does that niche ever get filled perfectly here! I'm not usually one to get overly emotional during a film-watching experience (at least visually), but "Fathers & Daughters" moved me to tears on a few occasions. It truly is that powerful of a film, as it deals primarily with the relationship between a father and daughter (something that isn't always seen in these types of films). It would have been very, very easy for this film to turn into a typical tearjerker, as all the elements for it are indeed present. Fortunately, although not without a few hiccups along the way, it ends up producing natural instead of contrived emotions, which I have a great deal of respect for. All the emotional moments in the movie feel earned.In large part, I believe that is due to the incredible acting performances in the flick. It has been awhile since I've seen a movie where every performance was this spot-on. Crowe really commits (and when that happens, he's always golden), Seyfried is (as usual) perfect for her role, and Paul is absolutely killing every role he takes these days. Even the youngsters, Wallis and especially Rogers, bring the emotion perfectly.So, while "Fathers & Daughters" may not rise to elite heights due to a few storytelling difficulties, it has more than enough acting and emotion to be a solid film. It uncommonly moved me during my viewing of it, and I will always remember the experience because of it. Even if this doesn't look like your "cup of tea", you may want to give it a chance, as more than likely you'll be moved as well.

eddie_baggins While it sometimes falls into the mawkish and twee (largely thanks to Brad Desch sometimes to sappy script), The Pursuit of Happiness and Seven Pounds director Gabriele Muccino's Russell Crowe led box office misfire Fathers and Daughters is an unfortunately critically derided drama that packs a powerful and thoughtful emotional wallop and features noteworthy performances from all its main cast members whose commitment to their respective roles makes this poignant story all the more effective.Fathers and Daughters has been called out by critics who've labelled the film "manipulative" and "extremely saccharine" but for those that found Muccino's work on his quietly effective and well regarded aforementioned Will Smith star vehicles will once more find the filmmaker on fine form with this drama as Fathers and Daughters creates an intriguing and never uninvolving tale of love, loss and ones battle with mental demons and how Muccino structures his film to keep a majority of the films major reveals till the end of the story will have many viewers waiting on baited breath as Muccino cast each make their marks in various timelines and plot lines.Showing a different side to himself than what is the usual, Russell Crowe acquits himself well as tortured writer Jake Davis whose battling physical problems as well as mental while he tries to be the father he needs to be to his daughter Katie played impressively by relative newcomer Kylie Rogers. Scenes between Jake and Katie play out well thanks to these two actors and a believable bond between a father and his daughter emerges, setting up a fine groundwork for Muccino's other timeline.Jumping forward to our present day, a grown up Katie now played by the perhaps career best Amanda Seyfried starts a budding relationship with Aaron Paul's (continuing on his rich vein of post Breaking Bad form) wannabe writer Cameron. This story line of Fathers and Daughters creates a strong link to what has come before as past merges with the present and emotionally resonate issues dealt with here, while not always easy to handle, are handled with care and compassion and there's little doubt as to why this films script was once listed on the famed Black List as one of the best unmade stories written for the screen.If one were to take a microscope to Fathers and Daughters there's a number of obvious faults along the way and a tendency to misfire from time to time but when this film clicks, and it clicks far more often than many critics would've had you believe, Fathers and Daughters becomes a truly powerful study of life and love and offers up its well renowned cast members a chance to show their considerable acting chops with portrayals of characters that while floored, remain true, engaging and sometimes beautifully real.4 potato chips out of 5