Parents' Guide to The Death and Life of John F. Donovan

This is one of those times when you find yourself wondering aloud how so many award-winning actors could be in a movie so bad -- and the answer may be the greatest reason to watch it. The film has a strong message: Be true to yourself. In this story's case, that message applies to an actor who denies his homosexuality, resulting in self-destruction. In the case of French-Canadian director Xavier Dolan, he too deviated from the path that brought him early notice, with The Death and Life of John F. Donovan. And he has, remarkably, admitted that, in doing so, he bit off more than he could chew in making his first English language, big-budget, big-cast film. Those high stakes led to lots of oversight by disapproving financiers and producers, and Dolan ended up spending two years editing his four-hour film down to two and cutting out the antagonist entirely. Whatever happened to get it to this place, the movie -- just like its title character -- is a mess.

The Death and Life of John F. Donovan will surely be a lesson for rookie filmmakers, but it also presents a lesson for us all. It harkens back to a time (the mid-2000s) when gossip reporting was particularly deplorable and irresponsible, pursuing celebrities like game hunters -- tracking their every move and dalliance, publishing stolen nude photos from hackers, and pushing them out of the closet in the most sordid ways. Dolan spotlights the stress that kind of scrutiny puts on celebrities. It's also a good examination of how we seek acceptance, how we may try to be someone we're not to fit in, and the toll that kind of dishonesty takes. All of the cast's A-list actors deliver -- no one gives a bad performance -- but the film's disjointed editing and the distracting, moody cinematography may make you wonder why you're even watching.