As a parent, heck even as a human being, there is something about A Kid Like Jake that truly strikes a chord on a myriad of levels.
You aspire to raise your child in a manner that simultaneously allows them to spread their wings and fly any way they choose to flap those suckers, while still keeping them safe from all those who will not see the beauty in their self-expression. It is a fine line. In an era where acceptance is improving in our society, we still have light years to travel before we as the parental units can let loose of those worries and fears that the apple of our eyes will be embraced by all and appreciated for those very choices.
Claire Danes and Jim Parsons star as Alex and Greg Wheeler. Their son Jake (Leo James Davis) is like any “normal” four-year-old on the cusp of turning five. His imagination soars. When it comes to pre-school, he is equally as loquacious as he is bright. As his parents gear up to traverse the minefield that is selecting his elementary school experience, an element of his personality routinely gets pointed out by others—to the bafflement of his mother and father. Jake likes to wear what are “traditionally” deemed girl’s clothing items.
The Wheelers have long noticed that he would much rather play with Disney princesses than dive into trucks with bodacious bravado. Their utter amazement at how this is even an issue as he looks at various public, magnet and private schools begins to shed a light on an issue that as a society is nice that it can be brought up in a freedom of expression manner—but is still a topic that the Wheelers initially cannot grasp why it is even an issue at this point in their young son’s life journey.
It does become an issue because they become aware that the teasing is starting to take shape and his physically aggressive and verbally obtuse responses to being picked on has this otherwise high-test scorer and vast creative power-possessing young child seeming a little less appealing to potential schools.
A Kid Like Jake is based on a stunning play by Daniel Pearle, and it feels like a stage effort in the best of ways. The writer adapted his work for the screen and that intimacy with the subject matter is the first behind-the-scenes stroke of brilliance. Director Silas Howard (This Is Us) weaves this deeply emotional web with a pitch perfect sense that is firmly grounded in the landscape of today’s ever evolving societal mores, while still being firmly entertaining, electrically enlightening and extremely effervescent. It is a must see for parents of children of all ages, and frankly anyone who was a child, knows one or aspires to serve as a role model to someone who requires maternal or paternal influence.
What is so fascinating about the film as well as it does not provide any easy answers, nor should it. For Pearle, it must have been an enormous temptation to try to wrap his story in a bow. The “real world” usually doesn’t provide us that type of clean conclusion. Since A Kid Like Jake is such a treasured slice of life—circa 2018 tale—it is a tremendous treat to witness a story that resists that urge and triumphs because of it.
Stars Danes and Parsons put on a clinic. There is one scene towards the end of the film, that is a study in thespian emotive brilliance. Backing up… each is gifted an arc by Pearle that is rich in complexity and possesses a tenacious tone that is simultaneously timeless and timely. Both stars play off each other in a way that is just so impressive.
Danes’ Alex is a woman who has long dreamed of motherhood. She left her vocation, as a lawyer, and became blissfully committed to being there for her son in every sense possible. In fact, Alex has never looked back and is as in tune with her child as any mom can be. That is why these sudden realizations about her son are so tough for her to hear. Sure, he has long adored Cinderella and her ilk and has continually chosen tutus—one occasion even asking why no boys wear skirts, but girls can wear pants. It is just that this realization is one that, she feels, is something she should have been met by a response such as, “Yeah, so what?” Instead, she is almost defensive, and it isn’t since her son treasures traditionally female elements of life. It is firmly because this “big deal” is not one that ever entered her conscious or subconscious.
Parsons nails the role of a doting dad who himself is taken aback as the sudden spotlight on his son’s choices. Yet, Greg handles it much differently than Alex. His vocation as a therapist—perhaps—allows him to be more astute in the rationalizing of the existence of this “problem,” where truthfully it is anything but. As a longtime fan of The Big Bang Theory, it is terrific to witness the Emmy winner moving beyond a Sheldon-like character to portray an individual who really seems to exist in an entirely different universe.
The supporting cast shines. Oscar winner Octavia Spencer is sublime as the director of Jake’s pre-school and also a close family friend. Her character adds layers to the film and ground it in a reality that is both easily relatable and one that serves the overall tone and themes of the film. Priyanka Chopra is a delight as a friend whose own issues with marriage and parenthood too enriches the entire A Kid Like Jake experience.
This subject matter truly embodies what many parents go through with their children as they navigate a world that is unforgiving, yes, but also filled with support from others who are not necessarily our primary affection providers and pillars of strength. Whether it is a child dressing in a manner that traditionally conjures up images of the opposite sex or having a kid who goes against the proverbial grain in any arena of childhood or society, A Kid Like Jake will resonate.
It is an important movie and a cinematic experience that conjures the intense intimacy of what we adore so much about the stage. But with its use of cinematography, establishing shots and score, witnessing A Kid Like Jake on the big screen adds layers of power to Pearle’s prose that only enhance its awesomeness.
Grade: A