Thanks to Influenster, I was given the opportunity to host a viewing party to see the new digital release of the movie Labor Day by Paramount. My husband Matt and I love romance movies, so we were especially excited to watch Labor Day after seeing the chemistry between Kate Winslet (Adele) and Josh Brolin (Frank) in the trailer:
Because it was Easter weekend, we combined our family's Easter gathering with our Labor Day Pizza and Romance Viewing Party. Matt's son Josh and his wife Courtney came over with our granddaughter Savannah who was clearly the center of attention until the movie started playing. We all found ourselves enthralled with Labor Day from the start. Even Savannah was glued to the TV as you can see in the bottom, middle photo in the collage below:
Winslet and Brolin are such superb actors, they reel you in with more than words. Much of Labor Day is filled with scenes that are suspenseful and silent, yet Winslet and Brolin are able to convey a vast array of emotions with just their body language. You can feel their connection through the screen.
The same holds true for Gattlin Griffith who plays Adele's son Henry. All you have to do is look into Griffith's eyes during any scene to feel the emotions the character is feeling. If I were a child actor, I'd be intimidated to play against talent such as Winslet and Brolin, but Griffith held his own and then some. He was a perfect fit for the role and I have a feeling we'll be seeing more of him in future films.
Labor Day starts out very tense, and led to a bit of brief commentary amongst us viewers:
"No way would I have done what Adele did! I would have screamed in the store before we got to the car!" -Me (Josh and Courtney agree with me)
"Yeah, but he had her son."- Matt (Josh and Courtney agree with Matt)
There were more brief bits of opinion and commentary thrown in here and there by all of us, but the main opinion? That this was a splendid love story played out by three (and yes, I say three, because the familial love for Henry was a significant part of the story) extremely talented actors. In fact, every character in the movie was well-played and they enhanced the plot and tension to the very end.
Labor Day is all about family, overcoming obstacles, challenges, heartbreak, forgiveness and hardships, but most of all...it's about the power of love and hope.
My husband and I are eager to see it again on our next at-home date night. When our guests left, we were feeling extra romantic because of the movie and took a moment to cherish the love we share outside under the sunset. "I'd wait forever for you," I told him, and I meant it.
Check out Labor Day's official website here for more information on the movie and/or to purchase your own digital copy. And check out this delicious Peach Pie recipe that you can make just like Adele and Frank did in the movie.
Thanks again to Influenster for allowing my family and I to enjoy such a beautiful movie together!
