Hearts Beat Loud

I really enjoy movies about music. Specifically, stories that detail the creative process involved in the composition of great songs. I adored last year’s Patti Cake$. The indie drama was merely the most recent example in a long illustrious tradition. I’m talking about pictures like The Commitments (1991), That Thing You Do! (1996), 8 Mile (2002), School of Rock (2003), Music and Lyrics (2007), and Crazy Heart (2009). Special commendation goes to director John Carney. He’s a master. Once (2006), Begin Again (2013) and Sing Street (2016) were all shining examples of the genre. Each one ranked among my favorites in their respective year. I could go on and on. I was primed to love Hearts Beat Loud. While it may not rank up there with the very best, it’s certainly a delightful little film.

Frank is the owner of Red Hook Records in Brooklyn, New York. The store is on the verge of closing up shop for good. He’s a widower whose daughter Sam (Kiersey Clemons) is getting ready to attend school as a pre-med student at UCLA.  They’re both musicians. He’s a guitarist. She’s a keyboardist with a mellifluous voice.  Mom was a singer too actually.  Frank was in a band with his wife but she died in a bike accident when Sam was much younger. Sam actually appears to be the more responsible of the two. She is focused on her studies while her father wants to have fun creating tunes. That he is going to miss his daughter when she goes away to school is emphasized to the nth degree. “We’re not a band!” she exclaims.  Frank winkingly uses that declaration as their band’s moniker. Unbeknownst to her, he uploads their musical collaboration to Spotify, the music streaming service.   The humor remains light and modest.   There’s a really poignant quality in their bond that never resorts to schmaltz.  At times the script emphasizes a mildly acerbic quality to their exchanges.  In fact, Frank comes across as pretty stoic. Maybe it’s because his facial expressions are hidden behind that massive salt and pepper beard of his. There are also some really nice tunes that are beautifully highlighted throughout. It culminates with an impromptu concert at Frank’s record boutique.

Hearts Beat Loud is appropriately named. This is about love whether it be among family, friends or that special someone. There’s a little bit of all three. The drama is dressed up with interesting personalities. Director Brett Haley’s recent prolific output has made him a darling of the Sundance Film Festival. The director has premiered three features there in the past four years.  Haley reunites with Nick Offerman and Blythe Danner who have each acted separately in different movies of his. I’ll See You in My Dreams (2015) featured Blythe Danner as the star. She makes a quirky appearance as Sam’s grandmother here. Offerman played a supporting role in Haley’s The Hero (2017). Other key portrayals include Toni Collette as the really cool landlord of Frank’s music store. It’s always a pleasure to see the actress but I wish she had been given more to do here.  Actress Sasha Lane (American Honey) is Rose, Sam’s love interest and Ted Danson appears as — what else? — a bartender.

Hearts Beat Loud is a heartwarming story about a family’s ties to music. What really elevates the dialogue is the chemistry between Nick Offerman as the father and Kiersey Clemmons as his daughter. Frank and Sam write songs together and that development is a delight to watch. As the artistic process comes together we hear the end product. There’s a nice collection of little ditties by composer Keegan DeWitt that captivate the ear.  The fast version of the title track is probably my favorite. There’s also a ballad version. “Everything Must Go” and “Blink (One Million Miles)” are memorable as well. While agreeable, this crowd-pleasing account is not going to have any lasting impact on your life.  The screenplay by Brett Haley and Marc Basch almost redefines how slight a drama can actually be. All excitement is essentially derived from the sincerity of the performances. Frank seems genuinely impressed by his daughter’s talents. He positively beams with pride. I got a little emotionally choked up with their relationship. Any film that can do that in an efficient 97 minutes gets a stamp of approval from me.

06-24-18