Common Sense Media Review
By S. Jhoanna Robledo
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Touching drama about father remembering lost son with music.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Rudderless
What's the Story?
Once a successful executive, Sam's (Billy Crudup) life fell apart when his son Josh died in a tragic college shooting. Two years later, Sam has detached himself completely from his former reality; now he lives on a sailboat, painting houses and drinking heavily. When his ex-wife uncovers a cache of music written and recorded by their son, Sam starts performing the tunes at a local bar. The haunting lyrics attract the attention of Quentin (Anton Yelchin), a talented but equally adrift young man who persuades Sam to help form a band to play more of Josh's compositions. Only thing is, he doesn't know that Sam didn't write them. And he has bigger secrets of his own.
Is It Any Good?
This poignant film plucks from the headlines a tragic and all-too-painful story and explores what happens when parents experience the worst and have their hearts torn to bits. The actors are what make the film so watchable -- especially Crudup; Sam's grief is physically manifested in gestures as economical as a shrug. He's fantastic with Yelchin, who plays the boy who rescues Sam from his dense fog with empathy and companionship, especially in their musical interludes (both actors seem so comfortable with their guitars that they might as well be musicians). Crudup is also great with Felicity Huffman, who plays Sam's equally mournful ew-wife.
William H. Macy, who makes his directorial debut with Rudderless and has a cameo as a bar owner, keeps an easy but still fairly tight hold on the reins. But he doesn't paint a three-dimensional picture of Josh, whose death somewhat anchors the story. For that matter, Sam still feels amorphous: What kind of dad was he before that fateful day? What kind of mom was his wife? How can the audience care about who they've become after such profound loss if they don't know who they are as parents in the first place? But the story is still moving -- and sobering, too. And not so easy to forget.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Rudderless portrays drinking and alcoholism. Does it seem realistic? Are there believable consequences?
A school shooting figures into the storyline; talk to your kids about how the film handles the topic and about how people react to them.
What do you think about the relationship between Quentin and Sam? What do each of them need, and how is each fulfilling the other's needs?
Why does Sam start playing Josh's songs in public? Was it right for him to perform them without explaining their origin?
Movie Details
- In theaters : October 17, 2014
- On DVD or streaming : January 20, 2015
- Cast : Billy Crudup , Anton Yelchin , Felicity Huffman
- Director : William H. Macy
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Samuel Goldwyn Company
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Arts ( Music and Sing-Along )
- Run time : 105 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : language
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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