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"LIFE ITSELF"
 (2018) (Oscar Isaac, Olivia Wilde) (R)

At-A-Glace Content Summary

Alcohol/Drugs Heavy
Blood/Gross Stuff Heavy
Disrespectful/Bad Attitude Heavy
Frightening/Tense Scenes Heavy
Gun/Weapons Heavy
Imitative Behavior Heavy
Jump Scenes Moderate
Music (Scary/Tense) None
Music (Inappropriate) None
Profanity Extreme
Sex/Nudity Heavy
Smoking Mild
Tense Family Scenes Extreme
Topics to Talk About Heavy
Violence Extreme

QUICK TAKE:
Drama: The lives of various people end up interconnected by tragedy.
PLOT:
In this tale of how various people end up interconnected by tragedy, the first chapter focuses on Will (OSCAR ISAAC), a New Yorker who's spent the past several months institutionalized following his college sweetheart turned pregnant wife, Abby (OLIVIA WILDE), having left him. A therapist, Dr. Morris (ANNETTE BENING), tries to help him through his loss.

In the second chapter, Will and Abby's now 21-year-old daughter, Dylan (OLIVIA COOKE) -- who ended up being raised alone by her grandfather, Irwin (MANDY PATINKIN), following the death of his wife, Linda (JEAN SMART), when the girl was just six -- is an angry young woman who's trying to figure out why the universe seems to be against her.

The third chapter focuses on Spanish olive picker Javier (SERGIO PERIS-MENCHETA) whose care for his work draws the attention of his wealthy boss, Mr. Saccione (ANTONIO BANDERAS), who promotes him to foreman status. That allows Javier to marry a local waitress, Isabel (LAIA COSTA), and have a child, Rodrigo (ADRIAN MARRERO). But with Saccione spending more time with his wife and boy, Javier sees the handwriting on the wall.

The fourth chapter then focuses on Rodrigo (ALEX MONNER) who's about to head off to college, but is concerned about his very ill mother. As those various stories play out, we ultimately see how all of them are connected.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
They might if they're fans of anyone in the cast or the TV show "This is Us" (which was created by the same person who directs here).
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R
For language including sexual references, some violent images and brief drug use.

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