Adoption can be a very touchy subject. While there have been many lives that have been changed for the better because of it, there have also been tough emotional situations from a number of aspects. Craig Johnson takes on this subject with “Wilson,” based on the graphic novel by Daniel Clowes.
The title character is played by Woody Harrelson (Zombieland, Now You See Me), a man who has no real purpose in life and lives day to day and shows no real responsibility and decides to reconnect with an old flame, Pippi (Laura Dern), who is a recovering addict. As the story goes on, Wilson realizes that he actual fathered a child with Pippi named Claire (Isabella Amara), so they decide to try to get to know her without her adopted parents finding out. The supporting cast also includes Judy Greer (Ant-Man, Jurassic World), Mary Lynn Rajskub (24, Julie & Julia), and Margo Martindale (Million Dollar Baby, Justified).
Harrelson does well in the lead role playing the down and out kind of guy with no motivation, as does Dern playing the role of a recovering addict. I do want to note that Amara does well as the daughter who really shows not too much emotion, especially in the scene where she meets her biological parents for the first time.
The story is slow-moving but does not drag, which is actually fine for about 90 minutes. The pacing is also helped by a good mix of both comedy and drama, and even though this is a more of an independent film it has a good mainstream feel. “Wilson” is good but not as a good sit-back-and-relax style film that I will recommend as a Red Box Rental.