Labor Day

Until the next Nicholas Sparks movie adaptation is unveiled, his fans will have to make do with Labor Day, which treads similar territory.

This well-acted but unconvincing romantic melodrama based on a novel by Joyce Maynard (To Die For) is an unconventional love story that features some powerful moments but strains to be sympathetic.

The film follows Adele (Kate Winslet), whose divorce has left her as a recluse caring for a precocious yet socially awkward 13-year-old son (Gattlin Griffith). Their lives are thrown into turmoil by the arrival of Frank (Josh Brolin), a stranger who pleads for their help during a routine shopping trip.

After they reluctantly take him home, Frank reveals himself to be an escaped convict who needs a place to hide out. Rather than being frightened, however, Adele finds his kindness and his companionship alluring. Frank tries to seize his opportunity for redemption by gaining their trust even as the manhunt closes in.

The film is a change of pace for director acclaimed director Jason Reitman (Up in the Air), whose screenplay emphasizes the darker elements of the source material.

Labor Day deals with some weighty issues such as severe depression, single parenting and the effects of divorce on children, but tends to trivialize them in favor of plot devices. Either way, the central relationship requires a significant suspension of disbelief that fails to be consistently provocative and suspenseful.

Mother and son are both vulnerable and needing an adult man in their lives, yet just because Frank cooks, cleans and is truthful about his intentions doesn’t automatically means he deserves a second chance to the degree that Adele offers him one. That said, there are complications to their moral dilemma that can’t be divulged.

Winslet and Brolin bring depth to their characters — each haunted by a troubled past — and create some intriguing character dynamics in an effort to elevate the story above the usual pitfalls of domestic drama. Meanwhile, Griffith provides an emotional window for the audience into the story with an expressive and understated portrayal.

But alas, the most memorable sequence in Labor Day involves baking a peach pie, the ingredients of which perhaps best encapsulate the film as a whole.

Rated PG-13, 111 minutes.