Like Father
Before I get into my criticism I would like to highlight the fact that this film was written and directed by a woman. The director in question is Lauren Miller Rogen, and don’t be fooled by that last name, this woman has earned her way through Hollywood all on her own. From working on short indie projects through the early 2000s, to having a hand in her husband, Seth Rogen’s films, to co-writing the undervalued yet super funny comedy For a Good Time, Call… Lauren Miller Rogen has been working her tail off for a good fifteen years. Like Father is her directorial debut, though I hope she continues directing in the future.
Now, I’m not going to say that I absolutely adored this film. A lot of people recommended it to me based solely on the father-daughter relationship between Rachel (Bell) and Harry (Grammar), and I would say that that is the strongest aspect of the script. Bell and Grammar are each uber talented people who have starred in classic television comedies and are beloved by almost everyone. While there are no huge comedic moments or funny zings (besides the Newlywed Game scene) they inhabit real and complicated characters who have major flaws, and that in of itself is very entertaining to see. They’re mending their estranged relationship aboard what was supposed to be Rachel’s honeymoon cruise, and in the process understand each other for the first time in their lives. It was especially interesting to see Rachel fail when confronted with reality after being aboard the cruise, wavering on the emotional journey we expect her to take to heart. Seth Rogen also plays a love interest named Jeff, and an ensemble supporting cast play the other passengers, including the always funny Paul W. Downs (Broad City).
My main issue with the film is that it’s a giant ad for Royal Caribbean cruises. I understand that product placement is a huge part of filmmaking (Jack and Jill, The Internship, Sex Tape) and probably made this film possible, but it felt really gross. There are so many common problems with cruises that aren’t addressed, including food poisoning, the quick spread of norovirus, and the lack of safety measures for passengers who go overboard. While many people take cruises without incident every year, and these issues don’t need to be front and center, it did need to be acknowledged that certain scenes were written just for Royal Caribbean Cruises to directly advertise to Netflix viewers. I doubt anyone wants to see a future where services and products advertise directly into our homes through Netflix, as they already advertise to us through any means necessary.
The only other criticism I have is that we have seen the overworked female character before. We have seen her struggle and fail, and her achievements perceived to be less important compared to love and friendship and family. Even though I thought a lot of Rachel’s self-reflection was truly inspiring in a lot of ways, it felt weird that it had to start with her as a harried professional tied to her cell phone. Maybe it’s just time for us all to admit that women who want to succeed aren’t broken and work our ways backwards. Until that day I guess I can at least enjoy the shots of the ocean whizzing by and scenes of Seth Rogen awkwardly flirting.
