Parents' Guide to Lost & Found in Cleveland

Full of love for the titular town, this chaotic dramedy isn't so much a Cleveland travelogue as it is a tutorial. There's a lot going on, and the script is trying to make social commentary as well as educate viewers on everything—EVERYTHING—that Cleveland contains and all of its relevant history. Instead of romanticizing the city, Lost & Found in Cleveland shoves facts and locations at viewers like they're going to be tested on them later. Yes, you'll leave more informed about President McKinley and author L. Frank Baum, but instead of weaving in information about Cleveland and its residents organically, trivia is dumped more like an encyclopedic regurgitation. You'll likely only remember that those famous figures were from the Forest City, not much more about them. But you'll definitely realize that Sherwin-Williams is headquartered in Cleveland: The paint company's product placement is egregious, with the movie featuring a glowing review of a sealing product and a recitation of all the shades in a color deck.

First-time feature writer-director-producers Keith Gerchak and Marisa Guterman haven't crafted a Christmas heart warmer as much as a Christmas exploiter, using the season as a marketing hook rather than embracing its spirit. Given the movie's heavy Catholic framing—characters include a former altar boy, a Catholic school student and his teacher, and a pregnant widow/selfless mother named Maria—it's somewhat surprising that the story sidesteps any genuine reflection on faith or redemption, instead leaning into caricature. The point of these stereotypes? Well, as Santino's professor character asks, "Are stereotypes pushed by society, or is society pushed by stereotypes?" Whether or not this film helps to answer that question is something families can discuss. Predictably, the characters who are examples of negative stereotypes get their comeuppance, and those who represent the oppressed get their day. While Gerchak clearly hopes that viewers will come to appreciate his native city, the result is so heavy-handed and overstuffed that most will forget about it faster than a single mitten in a lost-and-found bin.