HEARTS BEAT LOUD: A Heartwarming Story of Family, Love & Music

There are plenty of films about growing up and there are plenty of films about growing old. Then, there are films that put the two into conversation, most often through a parent-child relationship. Hearts Beat Loud follows Sam Fisher (Kiersey Clemons) during the summer before she heads off to UCLA and Frank Fisher (Nick Offerman) during the summer before his record shop is set to shut down. Sam has to become an adult and Frank has to deal with being an old one.

But co-writer and director Brett Haley crafts a story that suggests that what they’re going through is, really, a very similar struggle of moving on. And it would be fitting that they find their connection, their release, through the same thing, music, as Frank overbearingly tries to convince Sam to form a band with him before she goes.

The Father-Daughter Relationship Works

The backbone of the film lies not just in Sam or just in Frank, but in their relationship. And the relationship works. Writers Haley and Marc Basch establish a silly back-and-forth that is only then perfectly executed by both actors. Offerman nails his typical dry, deadpan humor, but in a new framework. And Clemons offers small physical quirks that genuinely build her character.

But Haley and Basch also inform this rapport through a rich family history, of music, tragedy and immense love, without ever relying on flashback or plodding exposition to explain it. We understand how worried Frank is about his life, one of rock’n’roll, adventure, and family, potentially slipping away from him. We understand that Sam is in a very explorative — professionally, creatively, and romantically – part of her life, but also an emotionally unstable one.

That’s what’s so beautiful about the film — that it’s not only so empathetic to both of those situations, but that it reaches deep into those mental states as well. And what it pulls out, the music that they share,  is often mesmerizing.

The Music Is Not Just Window Dressing

The film’s score and soundtrack, both composed by Keegan DeWitt, are immediately catchy and offer the film an excited, hip atmosphere. But both move beyond simple surface-level aesthetics, as they’re integrated into the story’s emotions seamlessly. This is best exemplified by Frank’s line of dialogue: “When life hands you conundrums, you turn them into art.”

The lyrics play into, primarily, Sam’s exploration and vulnerability, touching on her grief for her mother and her love for her girlfriend Rose (Sasha Lane), who she’ll have to leave when she moves to college. Thus, as she struggles with her approaching move and the family-related pain that the formation of the band calls on, we see Sam’s release through her music, as the character is rather reserved and emotionally defensive otherwise.

The role that Frank plays in regard to the music is the perfect role for him as a father. He’s mostly in a supportive mode because he wants everyone to hear not his music, but his daughter’s. Frank gets a tender, raw song about his wife’s passing and taking care of Sam after that, titled “Shut Your Eyes,” and it’s rather profound. But the moments when Frank outwardly supports Sam’s talents, even if in a flawed way, are just as profound — a testament to Haley and Basch’s excellent characterization.

And these moments are only elevated by Haley’s direction of them. The composition and editing of the music sequences inject them with infectious energy, and key juxtaposition of Frank’s music next to Sam’s exploration brings great depth to their connection.

A Thin Supporting Character

While Sam and Frank are thoroughly fleshed out, and easy to love because of that, the supporting characters are hit or miss.

Ted Danson, as ex-music star, bartender and “tree” connoisseur Dave, is absolutely hysterical. He may play a type of role, the bartender/pseudo-therapist, that is generally a bit tired now. But the comedic angle of the character, free-floating and weed-loving, works wonders.

Unfortunately, Toni Collette’s Leslie, the landlord of Frank’s record shop, is frustratingly flat. Collette injects a smidge of charm into the character, but too often does Leslie seem to simply exist to offer Frank someone to talk to and have a complicated semi-romantic relationship with, without there being a clear emotional reason why Leslie is here for any of this. And, despite the character clearly being a device for Frank, Leslie’s two-dimensionality ends up rendering Frank’s emotional journey less engaging.

Empathy Abound

For a moment, it seems as though Sasha Lane’s Rose is similarly two-dimensional. But the beauty of her character lies in the subtle and the unspoken, similarly to Sam. In one simple interaction with Sam, where Sam explains that she’s going to UCLA because she needs to get away from New York and Rose relates as New York was her getaway, we not only understand Rose, but we also understand how she and Sam connect.

Sam and Rose’s romance is not as fully realized as the father-daughter relationship, but that seems mostly due to screen time, not faulty execution. Still, Haley and Basch offer the same empathy to their romance as they do elsewhere, portraying some integral moments of growth for Sam through the support that Rose offers.

Hearts Beat Loud: Conclusion

Hearts Beat Loud may seem like a simple story, and in ways, it is, but that’s never a knock against it because it is deeply felt throughout. While the film may stumble with a supporting character, it otherwise rings emotionally true and heartwarming — in its queer romance, in its story of family, in its look at youth, in its look at old age, and in its music.

What did you think of Hearts Beat Loud? What did you think of its music? Did the film ring emotionally true for you or was it too two-dimensional? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Hearts Beat Loud was released in the U.S. on June 8, 2018, and will release in the U.K. on August 3, 2018. For all international release dates, see here.