Griffin Dunne finds truth in low-key father-sons dramedy Ex-Husbands
A fantastic cast and grounded aspirations make Noah Pritzker's bittersweet sophomore film connect.
Photo: Greenwich Entertainment
No small amount of words have been written recently unpacking the suboptimal state of the world, and its connection to the modern crisis of male identity. Over the last several decades, many men have had to reexamine things they once felt were settled truths. But there aren’t a lot of American films that, in a substantive and positive-minded way, try to examine masculine ennui and emotional drift in the modern world, especially in intergenerational fashion. Enter writer-director Noah Pritzker’s Ex-Husbands, a bittersweet father-and-sons dramedy which feels oddly relevant while also giving off a dated throwback vibe. What may strike some as lightweight will connect with more attuned viewers as a compassionately observed collection of just-so moments—a worthwhile cinematic novella.
Ex-Husbands centers on New York dentist Peter Pearce (Griffin Dunne), who’s putting off finalizing divorce paperwork from his wife of 35 years, Maria (Rosanna Arquette), not so much out of a misguided notion they might reconcile but more to maintain a nostalgic grip on the life they shared. With his own father Simon (Richard Benjamin), himself a late-in-life divorcee, gripped by dementia, Peter decides it’s time to indulge a bit of escapism, in the form of a getaway trip to Tulum, Mexico.
The rub is that, unremembered by Peter (probably), his sons Nick (James Norton) and Mickey (Miles Heizer) are also headed to Tulum the same weekend, for the former’s bachelor party. Unable to cancel, Peter forges ahead, promising he won’t bother the boys. Once there, the brothers take pity and invite him over for dinner, while Peter tries to still keep a respectful distance. Eventually, Nick lets slip that his relationship is on the rocks, leaving Mickey in the awkward position of trying to manage the implosion of both his father and brother’s romances.
What might sound, on the surface, like the premise for a wacky comedy instead grounds itself in real life; no hijinks ensue in Ex-Husbands. In fact, the few scenes that share DNA with a bawdier version of the same set-up (like a sex-themed gag gift from a groomsman-to-be) play out to muted reactions, as if the movie is judging its lower-common-denominator iterations.
Gratifyingly, Ex-Husbands instead digs down into its genuine relationship dynamics, and its appeal is its lived-in performances. Dunne has always had a gifted touch with conveying the inner angst of urban, well-heeled, usually Northeastern-bred men in crisis, with many of his roles either leaning heartily into this persona or playing off of it. Here it’s the former; he imbues Peter with a winsome weariness.
As Nick, Norton delivers just the right blend of unmoored detachment without ever tipping over into moroseness. As gay younger brother Mickey, meanwhile, Heizer captures a low-key but ever-present instinct to please. Together, the trio’s dynamic—loving, but also emotionally fenced off—exudes a palpable believability. The rest of the cast is equally fantastic, obviously well-dialed into the movie’s tone and vision.