LINOLEUM – Review

Bear with me on this one, since LINOLEUM is a unique and admirable film to savor if you approach it with a different mindset. Jim Gaffigan stars as Cameron, a 50ish sad sack with superb astrophysics credentials who dreamt of becoming an astronaut, but settled for hosting a Bill Nye type of kids’ science show in a lousy time slot on a marginal TV station. His wife and former co-host Erin (Rhea Seehorn, best known from “Better Call Saul”) is divorcing him. Their two kids barely notice his presence. He’s getting less respect than Rodney Dangerfield, but taking all the hits without a whimper. Or a one-liner.

Problems pile on quickly. Instead of getting the Saturday morning spot in the schedule he’d been promised, he’s replaced by a younger, more accomplished version of himself (also Gaffigan). His dad has severe dementia. A satellite crashes in their back yard, forcing them from their home by government order. His teen daughter (Katelyn Nacon) becomes chummy with the new guy’s son (Gabriel Rush) developing a friendship that both fathers dislike. Several other plot elements we see may or may not be happening. None of them bode well for Cameron.

Now for the hard part. Suspending disbelief is routine for movie buffs. This one requires flipping one’s logic switch to the off position, as well. It’s a quiet, slow-moving film that dangles the surreal. If you think about events too much, what you’re watching won’t make sense. The film is set during the years of VHS dominance, but otherwise rather timeless and peppered with flashbacks. Writer/director Colin West’s script includes the era’s Red Scare and a handful of red herrings. A phrase that’s repeated – what you see is unique to you; your own personal universe – encapsulates the content of the film, as well as the experience of the viewer.

Fans of Gaffigan’s stand-up career will appreciate how smoothly his persona in that arena morphs into the self-effacing, fatalistic loser that defines Cameron. A dreamer whose dreams were attainable but unrealized. The supporting cast is rock-solid, as well. The teenagers get a large share of the screen time and story significance. They stick the landing. The stretch for Gaffigan comes from also playing his Doppelganger, who shows himself to be more than a bit of an asshole.

The tenor of the film is mostly dominated by Cameron’s passive acceptance of every slight and disappointment that comes his way. There are moments of humor, but not enough of them to call this a dramedy. Any viewers who grow confused and/or impatient should persevere. The last act comes with reveals and resolutions that will moisten the eyes that share bodies with the hardest of hearts. I’m no fan of sentimental fare, but this ending worked. Big time. Still not sure about what everything meant, but quite satisfied with what I’d gotten when the credits started rolling by.

LINOLEUM opens Friday, Feb. 24, in theaters nationwide.

RATING: 3 out of 4 stars