THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Stephen Holden
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| From left, Pierce Gagnon, Zach Braff and Joey King in "Wish I Was Here." Credit Focus Features |
HOLLYWOOD---Until you partly surrender to its underlying good will and sincerity, watching “
Wish I Was Here” is like observing an experiment in a cinematic test kitchen. “Wish I Was Here,” which studies the turmoil of a middle-class Los Angeles family. The family under the film’s lens is the Blooms: a Jewish clan whose stern but caring patriarch, Gabe (Mandy Patinkin), a retired microbiologist, is dying of lung cancer. Gabe isn’t a lead role, but Mr. Patinkin’s moving, understated portrayal of a thorny older man facing the end makes him the film’s emotional center of gravity. He is especially impressive when his voice begins to waver and rise in pitch, and you feel the character’s deeply submerged emotion. [
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“Wish I Was Here” is rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian) for language and some sexual content
