the audience applauded

Good concept, poorly executed.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

The words 'music' and 'quiet' don't normally go together in a sentence, but they are apt adjectives to describe the nice little independent movie, 'Hearts Beat Loud' starring Nick Offerman (of Parks and Recreation fame) and directed by Brett Haley. Offerman portrays widower Frank Fisher, the owner of Red Hook Records, who has reached a point of change in his life. He's tired of owning a lightly visited vintage vinyl record store, conflicted in his feelings as his only child, daughter Sam (an excellent Kiersey Clemons), is preparing to leave Brooklyn for UCLA Med School, and searching for a dream of making it big as a two-man band with his daughter. There are several original songs in the movie (all beautiful with Kiersey showing quite exceptional vocals), and all tell the story of how both Frank and Sam feel about each other, their position in their respective lives, and where the lives are headed. If you have a child, or had a child, or were a child, that is about to embark on their own, independent life, this movie continually gives you undertones of poignancy, longing for times past, and hopefulness for the future. There are no explosions, no superhero's, no villains...just a beautiful, 'quiet' movie that invites you in to this father/daughter life and their struggle(s) just to move on in life.

This is a fluffy, feel-good movie about a midlife-crisis dad and his college-bound daughter who bond while recording three songs together over the summer after her high school graduation. The movie unfortunately wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be in the beginning. About 30 minutes of the running time is taken up with the two of them recording and performing their music, which leaves only about an hour of skimpy drama. The movie's biggest asset is character development, which kept me interested up to a point. But it drags in the middle due to a weak storyline and ends with a thud. None of the various subplots are adequately resolved, and some are completely abandoned.The filmmakers seem to be trying to recreate the charm of independent musical movies like Once. But it doesn't quite work. The acting is good but not great. As dad and daughter, Nick Offerman and Kiersey Clemons are appealing but not charismatic. The songs are catchy but forgettable. Not a bad way to spend an hour and a half though...as long as your expectations aren't too high.

At least, that's what it felt like the movie was about, that we were learning about how songs are written and fleshed out. Seriously, it was a pleasant film, with great MUSICAL performances from Kiersey Clemons and Nick Offerman. They had good acting too, but I feel the story and the directing was not very focused. The whole grandma-has-dementia angle could have been dropped completely. There were missed opportunities for drama, or that 'Oscar moment', like when Sam tells her father Frank that she had just learned to ride a bike and that's why she was late coming home. You'd think there would be a huge emotional outburst based on how biking had changed the family, but nope, it just kind of came and went. The movie has a great musical scene in the shop towards the end, but then kind of fizzles and it tried to find a good way to end. It should have ended sooner. I think in better hands, this movie would have been even better. It just felt like it didn't know what it wanted to be, trying to introduce too many ideas that weren't needed, and the pacing was not consistent. Still worth a watch if you like watching nice musical performances.

If you like music. And, if you like three dimensional characters, well acted by a great cast, go see this movie. It doesn't matter if you think a vinyl store could have survived for 17 years, or not. Incidentally, so far this year vinyl albums have outsold CDs. But Nick Offerman, and Kiersey Clemons and Toni Colette and Ted Danson all did a great job bringing a nice story to life. Relax and enjoy it. Don't overthink it. It's not a documentary!