Not working around the clock

Sometimes bad films are buoyed by the quality of the participating actors. Sometimes the opposite happens. Who thought it was a good idea to cast two aging action heroes in this tear-jerker?

John Crowley (Brenden Fraser) is a father coping with the coming death of his two children, who suffer from a rare genetic disorder. Unable to accept the inevitability of their diagnoses, he seeks out Dr. Robert Stonehill (Harrison Ford) who is pioneering research that could save their lives. 

As I said before, the two leads are drastically miscast here. Frasier’s acting is flat unless he’s delivering some well-needed comic relief, and Ford merely plays the same character he always plays – the surly rogue. The most vibrant personality here is actually Meredith Doeger, who plays Crowley’s oldest daughter Megan. 

It’s sad the acting is so lifeless because this script is touching, thoughtful and low-key – something Hollywood doesn’t give us often.