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(More customer reviews)At first "The Sum of Us" seems like a familiar variation on the bossy parent-rebellious child theme, albeit a fairly entertaining one. The twist here is that the child (Russell Crowe) is a strapping gay man and the parent (Jack Thompson) is a widowed father entirely sympathetic to his son's lifestyle and need for romance. The early, farcical going has plenty of low-voltage laughs, as the well-meaning Thompson inadvertently breaks up a planned hot evening between Crowe and a new potential lover, and Thompson utilizes a dating service to meet an attractive divorcee. The two principals address the camera in knowing asides a la "Shirley Valentine." Halfway through, though, the story takes unexpected, darker turns and "The Sum of Us" attains a new level of profundity, becoming a moving meditation on the enduring strength of love, both familial and romantic, in the face of adversity. Crowe, caught here before the calcification of Hollywood superstardom, is loose, just buff enough, and charming; Thompson's turn as the father, by turns overbearing, loving and finally dependent on his son, is superb. Their fully-formed, utterly convincing relationship is what carries the picture. Highly recommended.
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The Sum of Us (1995)Jack Thompson (Star Wars, Episode II: Attack of the Clones) and OscarÂ(r) winner* Russell Crowe (A Beautiful Mind) star in this "fresh spin [on an] old heart-tugging plot" (Los Angeles Times)the overprotective parent's well-intended interference with an adult child'slife. "Extraordinarily funny [and] startlingly effective" (The San Francisco Examiner), thisaward-winning** film is mandatory viewing for anyone who's ever been a parent or had one!Harry Mitchell (Thompson) has a problem with his gay son Jeff (Crowe): Harry thinks he needs to finda mate! With a loving push out of the nestand into the gay bars of Sydneyhe becomes his son'sbiggest cheerleader. But it's Harry's secret romance with an attractive but judgmental divorcÃ(c)e that puts father and son at odds and prompts them to discover that acceptance is a two-way street!*2000: Actor, Gladiator**American Film Institute Award: Screenplay; Cleveland International Film Festival: Best Film; Montreal World Film Festival: Screenplay
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