Wonderous ‘Sketch’ is one of the year’s best films
Good grief, is “Sketch” a gift from on high. More precisely, from an Angel, the faith-based studio that brought you “The Last Rodeo” and “The King of Kings.” But where those flicks weighed heavily on the spiritual scale, “Sketch” is a delightfully irreverent family film more akin to the canon of Guillermo del Toro than the gospels. But it’s no less of a religious experience in how it so accurately captures the afterlife of a family touched by death.
The deceased is one Ali Wyatt, a young woman taken too soon from her husband, Taylor (Tony Hale), and two preteen children, Jack (Kue Lawrence) and Amber (Bianca Belle). We meet the clan in an emotional limbo, each trapped in a different stage of grief. Taylor is in denial, Jack is at the bargaining stage and Amber is brimming with anger, manifested through her gruesome sketches of hideous, blood-sucking monsters.
While the underlying mood is solemn, “Sketch” is never less than sprightly, radiating humor and charm in a manner synonymous with the best family films, from “The Wizard of Oz” to “E.T.” to “Gremlins.” All three were an obvious influence on Seth Worley, the first-time writer-director from whose mind this madcap, Spielbergian adventure sprang. He likens his subversive creation to “Inside Out” meets “Jurassic Park.” And you couldn’t find a better description of his film’s uncompromised depiction of suppressed grief.
He deftly immerses us in a realm where an enchanted pond gives life to Amber’s macabre drawings of abominable beasts. Soon, they are running roughshod over her rural Tennessee town, pursuing Amber’s chief nemesis, a busmate bully with the unfortunate name of Bowman Lynch (a terrific Kalon Cox).
Each of these beings has the uncanny ability to appear as frightening as they do adorable, courtesy of effects supervisor Dan Sturm. Following the blueprint of “Monsters, Inc.” and “Where the Wild Things Are,” he crafts boogeymen from a child’s perspective, envisioning them as asymmetrical, often one-eyed gremlins, convincingly deposited in the live-action environs.
They are as crude and unsophisticated as the hilarious, PG-rated dialogue the children exchange while summoning up the courage and capacity to conquer their fears and rid the community of what Amber has inadvertently wrought.
Yes, there are a bit too many pop-culture references, with shameless shoutouts to Minecraft and “House Hunters.” But we’re also blessed with one of the funniest Kenny G. gags ever. It’s too bad Worley didn’t incorporate more of that keen wit into the noisy, violent showdown that dominates Act III. But that’s a mere quibble with an otherwise solid story that is consistently endearing, even coaxing a tear or two.
Credit much of that to the authentically impactful performances by Lawrence, Cox and especially Belle, as the kids learn to curb their bickering and find strength in working together. It’s Hale, though, who holds it all together. He essentially expands upon the deadpan delivery that won him an Emmy on “Veep,” molding Taylor into the personification of a befuddled sitcom dad who means well but is often ineffectual.
Hale further benefits from a nice assist by way of D’Arcy Cardon as Taylor’s concerned sister, Liz, a realtor as committed to selling her brother’s home as she is to selling him on letting Ali go and becoming a better dad. But to do that, Taylor will need to stop pretending that Ali never existed. No wonder Jack is entertaining the idea of resurrecting his mom by emptying her ashes into the enchanted pond.
In the end, you’re sufficiently wowed by what proves to be a cathartic meditation on loss. It doesn’t pretend to have all the answers, but it does present a convincing case for not neglecting your grief.
Worley says he got the idea for “Sketch” while recalling how his younger sister handled a school bully. Instead of fantasizing about cutting her oppressor in half – sorry, “stabbing him really hard in the stomach” – she vented her anger through her art. And that was a good thing. Certainly much more practical – and prudent – than bottling up your feelings like Taylor and Jack.
Sadly, that’s the antiquated macho way. Neither crying nor counseling is an option. You put on a brave face and bury your feelings. “Sketch” does wonders in toppling that neanderthal approach. True, Amber’s drawings may be dark. But curiously, they also help us to see the light.
Movie review
Sketch
Rated: PG for some violence, language, scary action, rude humor, thematic elements
Cast: Tony Hale, Bianca Belle, Kue Lawrence, Kalon Cox and D’Arcy Carden
Director: Seth Worley
Writer: Seth Worley
Runtime: 92 minutes
Where: In theaters Aug. 6
Grade: B+
