Sam & Kate

source: Sam & Kate

Fun little film, with hoffman and son. And the mother daughter team of sissie spacek and schuyler fisk. Sam and kate are each trying to look after a parent, and having mixed results. And everyone here has flaws or weaknesses. Like we all do. Parents and kids know how to push each other's buttons, so it results in poor communication. People don't say what's really bothering them. It's pretty well written. There are some threads left hanging, but mostly on minor points in the grand scheme of the story. We never do find out why sam can't call his father "dad". We never found out if sam got the box back for tina. Did he ever apologize to her for goofing up in the first place. It's already one hour fifty minutes, so i'm guessing a few things were left on the editing floor. Very cute! It does end on an upbeat note. Written and directed by darren le gallo... his second, so far.

I give this film a: 10 out of 10. I highly recommend that you guys check this film out for yourself because it's actually really good. The film is about: Sam, a regular worker at a chocolate factory meets Kate, who owns a library, who widely smiling rejects his advance by saying she is not dating. Sam is a gifted artist and lives with Bill, who we will later know is his father, and Kate regularly visits her mother Tina who lives on her own and suffers from Diogenes' syndrome (in Kate's words, "she is a hoarder"). Kate can't stand looking at pictures her mother has just found and leaves sobbing. Bill has some health problems and smokes, drinks and eats red meat against the advice of his doctor. Kate accepts a coffee with Sam, which they both enjoy, and after a few get togethers which involve family and friends, they kiss, and spend the night together after skating on New Year's Eve. Bill goes on a date with Tina and at the end of a nice dinner, at the sight of Tina's house unlivable condition due to the accumulation of all sorts of objects, he leaves abruptly. Kate decides it is time for emptying again her mother's house. Sam and others help and Sam finds pictures of Kate with a baby boy and another man. After mistakingly throwing in a donation container a box with Tina's items that Kate marked as to keep, she confesses to Sam that her family died in a car accident. One day, Sam comes back home to find his father dead in front of the TV. After a few days, he goes to Kate's house to tell her that he has learned so much from his father going through his things, which he should've known from him when he was alive. He confesses he would hate for her not to know how much she means to him and they fall into a warm embrace and kiss. Cast: Dustin Hoffman as Bill Sissy Spacek as Tina Jake Hoffman as Sam Schuyler Fisk as Kate.

Excellent romantic / family drama "Sam & Kate" features four superb central performances (with Henry Thomas & Elizabeth Ludlow also good in support) and Darren Le Gallo's fine direction & even better writing. Talented (but rather lost) artist Jake Hoffman's back in his small hometown to care for curmudgeonly elderly widow dad Dustin Hoffman (Jake's actual dad btw). The two meet and strike up relationships of sorts with mum & daughter Sissy Spacek & Schuyler Fisk (also actual parent & child), but things aren't as simple as they may seem, and events take deeper, darker, but authentic turns. It's a surprising gem, and an absolutely outstanding debut from Le Gallo.

Just watched it and it's lovely. Nothing groundbreaking, but on the other hand, one could say they don't make films like this any longer, unfortunately. It's a simple story and yes, there are a couple of clichés, but it's still refreshing. Do you know why? There is a man and a woman, and they fall in love. No propaganda whatsoever. How sad is it that this kind of story is such a rarity these days? One annoying downside is that it is marketed as a romantic comedy, which it is not. There is one character who is there for comic relief, I guess, but he is not funny. Dustin Hoffman is fantastic. He is one of my favourite actors ever. It hurts to see him getting so old...

As a married senior, this was our weekly date movie and a very appropriate one. Instead of romcom, I'd call this one a "rom-dramedy" Sam & Kate had the novelty of starring the great Oscar-winning Dustin Hoffman (Bill) and Sissy Spacek with their children. Both "courtships" and their preludes were interesting. Nicely intersecting slices of life. Although an ensemble piece, Sam (Jake Hoffman) is probably the main character in the film and has the most screen time. Perhaps ever-so-slightly over-theatrical at times, Jake has otherwise nailed the character and holds our attention. Kate also is interesting and is very mysterious about revealing her back story. Her relationship with her girlfriend and partner Mary at the bookstore is also pleasant. Mary helps facilitate the relationship at every opportunity. The central relationship between Sam & Kate has good chemistry, the requisite amount of quirkiness and lots of charm. It also has the usual but maddening ghosting periods of relationship movies where nobody says what they are dying to say to the other person and we go to moody musical montages. The acting of the four leads and the supporting characters range from very good to excellent with one exception, Henry Thomas from ET fame, 40 years later. He's Sam's best friend and a pothead but he's neither realistic nor interesting. On the other hand, even with little to do in a minuscule role, Tyler Labine is delightful Dustin Hoffman and Sissy Spacek are excellent facilitators as well as developing a delightfully awkward romance of their own until we approach the denouement. Then he discovers that Spacek has a hoarding issue and the story takes a darker turn and also slows down a bit. I won't reveal more other than that the final scenes are very satisfactory.

No expectations, no trailer, little information, romantic comedy. This movie just popped up, usually I have no interest in this sort of movie and the only draw to it was DH. For a slow burner the pacing was nice, Goldilocks even. It's a simple story that would reflect many audience members lives or if not, would have a familiar ring to it for at least one of its story threads. It doesn't batter you over the head with its themes or narrative and thankfully let's you fill in the blanks and work out the context and conclusions. The actors are gentle the dialogue is light and witty. Don't expect head thrown back laughter but chuckles and titters, in a good way. I have done no research but I would be surprised if this didn't come from a small book or short story, possibly an off broadway or festival play. Though I'm probably wrong! For a lazy warm Sunday afternoon go watch and have a glass of wine!

The movie was long and drawn out, annoying & not at all funny. More depressing actually. Didn't leave us feeling good We wanted to watch something else after but being late for my parents didn't would love to get their $$ back actually. Uplifting not at all. Good acting yes. Some spots had irritating sharp music not relevant had to mute! Not for the elderly & ill to make feel better at all. Billed as comedy with no comedy in the context. Calling father Bill not Dad was ridiculous as well actor's definitely did their job being annoying. Dustin Hoffmans son good actor as Dad is. I would not recommend it to anyone.

As I sat down to watch the 2022 comedy "Sam & Kate" from writer and director Darren Le Gallo, I must admit that I had some expectations to the movie. Sure, I hadn't heard about the movie prior to getting the opportunity to sit down and watch it. But seeing that the movie had the likes of Dustin Hoffman and Sissy Spacek on the cast list, of course I had to give it a chance. The storyline in "Sam & Kate" is actually interesting and nicely written by Darren Le Gallo. I enjoyed how the narrative in the movie was something very relatable and realistic, and it made for a very down to earth viewing experience. However, I must admit that I felt that the end of the movie felt rushed, as if they were running out of funds and had to close down production post haste. The acting performances in "Sam & Kate" were good. And the movie is nicely carried by the cast ensemble, which includes the likes of Henry Thomas, Tyler Labine, Schuyler Fisk and Jake Hoffman, not to mention Dustin Hoffman and Sissy Spacek, of course. I was genuinely entertained by Darren Le Gallo's movie, though I wasn't fond of the ending. But if you enjoy a feel-good drama, then you definitely should watch "Sam & Kate". Now, the movie is listed as a comedy, but this is not the type of comedy that will have you toppling over laughing. Nay, this is more of a drama laced with comedy elements. While "Sam & Kate" certainly is watchable, this is hardly a movie that warrants more than just a single viewing. My rating of "Sam & Kate" lands on a six out of ten stars.

There are so many positives to this movie, I almost feel bad starting with the poster: it is so misleading! You look at the poster and you thing this will be just one more of those crazy silly comedies. This couldn't be any farther from the truth. This movie is deep and thoughtful, with intertwined stories very well connected and rooted in reality. You watch it and it makes you feel all kinds of emotions: there is a light comedy that makes you chuckle on many places and, best of all, it never feels forced. there is unlikely romances that you can't foresee how this could possibly happen, and it catches you by surprise slowly developing into something nice and beautiful without any of those "magic moments" that so often happen on rom-coms. there is also a bit of drama that makes you cry and feel deeply for the characters and move you along the progression of the story in a very natural way. In SUMMARY: an almost perfect script, filled with great actors, all very well cast on each role; you'll feel all the emotions and you'll be grateful that you have picked this film to watch at the end.