Grief and loss
hits all of us in many different ways. It’s the way we deal with that grief that truly defines us. That is the point
made in the drama film “Hesher”. Staring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Natalie Portman, and Rainn Wilson, Hesher is the
story of loss, pain, and the journey one family takes in order to regain a sense of normalcy in a not-so-normal situation.
In the film,
Gordon-Levitt stars as Hesher, a loner who follows a young boy home one day and takes it upon himself to move into the boy’s
garage. The boy, TJ, (Devin Brochu), is living with his father, (Rainn Wilson), and his grandmother, (Piper Laurie). This
family finds itself unable to force the uninvited Hesher from their home due to a lack of willingness or willpower after the
loss of TJ’s mom. With the grandmother in ill health herself and the father spending most of his time sleeping, TJ is
helpless to stop Hesher from invading his life.
The boy’s life is made more complicated after a beautiful
check-out girl, (Natalie Portman), saves him from a bully. Hesher, who spends most of his time starting fires, watching dirty
movies and taking what he wants when he wants finds himself becoming a part of this family's life...... and his crazed antics
will soon bring the family closer together (but not before tearing them apart a few times in the process).
The contrast between the family’s hardships and Hesher’s insane antics that are chaotic and
criminal is quite intense, but definitely worth watching. Gordon-Levitt’s portrayal of Hesher is fantastic, sending
the audience on a roller coaster ride along with his enigmatic character while their heartstrings are pulled by Brochu and
Wilson’s portrayal of a downtrodden family. With vivid cinematography and a mix of dramatic melodies and a heavy metal
soundtrack featuring Metallica and Motorhead, this film showcases the ups-and-downs that accompany the loss of a loved one,
and the many different ways people deal with the grief that accompanies that loss.
Hesher garnered critical acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival, and is soon to be released to DVD on
September 13th. The special features on the disc include deleted scenes, outtakes, behind-the-scenes footage, and our
personal favorite- the Hesher sketch gallery which showcases the creative drawings seen throughout the credits. Overall,
Hesher was a fantastic film, and is deserving of a 5 out of 5 stars. Equal parts mayhem and tearjerker, Hesher is a
dark comedic family drama that will remain permanently affixed to my personal top ten list.
