Parents' Guide to Fatherhood

Hart and Paul Weitz prove to be the power couple no one saw coming, delivering a film about what it means to be a father that's heartbreaking, heartwarming, and genuinely funny. For writer-director Weitz, this is a return to his About a Boy roots, exploring the terrain of immature men who achieve emotional growth through building a relationship with a child. For Hart, he shows he has the potential to carry a drama as well as a comedy, here playing the straight man surrounded by friends and a fatherly boss (Paul Reiser) who are wackier than he is. While Fatherhood has emotional moments throughout, Weitz pulls back on destroying you emotionally: Unless you relate directly to the material through personal experience, you're more likely to be on the verge of tears than sobbing.

While the story is about Matt raising Maddy alone, it's never just the two of them. It's always the three of them: Liz is ever present. Matt keeps her in Maddy's life by always giving her two kisses -- one for him, and one for Mommy -- and making sure to talk about her often. That does mean that grief lingers, but Weitz also keeps the humor popping so that viewers are amused by the trials and tribulations that resulted from tragedy. The excellent dialogue by screenwriter Dana Stevens is brought to life by a sizzling supporting cast. Alfre Woodard is formidable as Matt's strong-willed mother-in-law, Anthony Carrigan demonstrates his astonishing versatility as Matt's co-worker buddy, and Lil Rey Howser is absolutely hilarious as Matt's bonehead best friend. But the one everyone will be talking about is DeWanda Wise, a love interest who bubbles over with such a sharp, dazzling wit that she could heal anyone's broken heart. All of the pieces come together in this film, making it a fantastic option to watch with fathers or, really, families of all sorts.