By Steve Crum
A movie like Palmer could not have been green lighted ten or even five years ago. Maybe not even a couple of years past. But here it is—a difficult and heartwarming story about a young man who is dealing with others accepting his gender non-conforming preferences.
The twist here is the young man is actually a very young boy of seven years. The boy, Sam, is magnificently portrayed by first-time actor Ryder Allen.
Palmer is also a wrenching story about neglect and love.
Director Fisher Stevens is a jack of multiple TV and movie trades (actor, director, producer), including co-producing The Cove (2009), an Oscar winning documentary. Stevens is more familiar to me as attorney Marvin Gerard in TV’s The Blacklist. The original screenplay for Palmer is by Cheryl Guerriero.
Justin Timberlake believably portrays Eddie Palmer, who returns to his small Louisiana hometown after 12 years in prison. (He was imprisoned for nearly killing a guy in an argument.) The ex-convict moves in with his Grandmother Vivian (the always great to see June Squibb), who lives in a modest old house.
In contrast to Eddie’s younger days, he is now settled and even tempered. He is definitely happy to be with his grandmother. Along comes Sam, the young son of Shelly (Juno Temple), who live next door in a trailer. Shelly and her abusive boyfriend are druggies/alcoholics who take trips out of town, leaving Sam with Vivian for sometimes weeks at a time. Vivian clothes and feeds Sam, as well as helping him catch the daily school bus. At school, Sam is lucky to have an understanding teacher, Maggie Hayes (Alisha Wainwright).
The routine drastically changes when Vivian suddenly dies. Eddie’s rehabilitation truly begins when he recognizes the need for Sam to have an adult at home totally in his corner. Eddie is reluctant at first, but cares more and more for Sam as the days go on in the absence of Sam’s mom.
Complicating matters is Sam’s tendency to only play in little girls’ games, including dolls. Bullying abounds. You get the picture.
Enter Child Protective Services, and complications—as they say—ensue.
Palmer is obviously a low budget endeavor, particularly noting that Timberlake is not known as a box office draw for his acting. But the acting and powerful storytelling belie expectations. See it, and you will be impressed. Timberlake underplays terrifically.
Although Palmer is sometimes uneasy to watch, its uplifting pluses make it so worthwhile.
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GRADE on an A-F Scale: A-