Fatherhood

Reverse the gender of the main character, a resilient single parent just trying to keep up, and Fatherhood feels awfully familiar.

That slight twist in the premise, along with a committed performance by Kevin Hart, can’t quite keep this tender saga of guilt, healing, and responsibility from feeling calculated and predictable.

Inspired by a true story, this sensitive tribute to dedicated fathers and the value of male role models conveys a worthwhile message. However, good intentions alone don’t make great parents, nor great movies.

Hart plays Matt, a Boston tech executive devastated when his wife dies a day after childbirth, which also leaves the grieving widower with a newborn daughter who requires round-the-clock care. He clashes with his headstrong mother-in-law (Alfre Woodard), who urges him to relocate to his hometown in Minnesota to start over, to no avail.

Both his best friend (Lil Rel Howery) and his boss (Paul Reiser) offer varying levels of support, but Matt still faces an uphill battle, physically and psychologically. Flash forward years later, and the adjustment has become easier for Matt and young Maddy (Melody Hurd). Still, the dynamic shifts when he begins dating Swan (DeWanda Wise) and must confront some commitment issues.

Hart adeptly balances strength and vulnerability while showcasing his usual comic timing in a vehicle that should continue to expand his mainstream popularity. He captures the awkwardness and exasperation, along with the loneliness and isolation, that comes with putting every aspect of your life on hold to shoulder the burden of full-time doting dad — plus the long-term rewards that come with it.

On a broader level, though, the film struggles to modulate its comedic and dramatic elements without succumbing to sentimentality. Matt’s character is grounded in reality, even if too many of the resulting scenarios seem exaggerated or contrived.

Perhaps something was lost in the adaptation from page to screen of Matthew Logelin’s memoir. The script by Dana Stevens and director Paul Weitz (Grandma) merely scratches the surface, settling into a pattern of lighthearted montages followed by emotional reckonings.

It’s difficult to condense a decade of real-life ups and downs into two hours. Yet in Fatherhood, the instances of comic relief and genuine poignancy don’t resonate with much fresh insight.

Rated PG-13, 109 minutes.