By: Tabitha Lawson, Contributor
“Beginners” follows the perspective of Oliver, played by Ewan McGregor, as he learns that his father is gay. For Oliver, this is a shocking revelation because his father, Hal, played by Christopher Plumber, was married to Oliver’s mother for 44 years before she passed away. Hal meets Andy (Goran Visnjic), a much younger man and lives without hesitation, drinking in all the joys and pains of his new life.
Around the same time, Oliver meets Anna (Mélanie Laurent), and struggles to find the right balance between the person he thought he and Hal were and who they really are. The resulting love story is prismatic as it explores the love between father and son and the relationships that intersect along the way.
“Beginners” is a movie “drunk with life.” As Writer/Director, Mike Mills, described his inspiration for the film as his real life father. Mills frames “Beginners” in an imaginative yet genuine view of Los Angeles. The cinematography is beautiful and real. Matched with a sound track as unique and inviting as the story, “Beginners” is a movie worth seeing.