Jason Reitman is one of those great directors that I’ve been keeping my eye on ever since he wowed me back in 2005 with his hilarious first feature Thank You for Smoking. After that he went on to make the excellent comedy-dramas Juno and Up in the Air, both of which earned Reitman nominations for Best Director, in addition to both films being nominated for Best Picture. He stumbled a bit with his last film, Young Adult, which had a few problems with its story and main character, but this hasn’t deterred him from plowing ahead.
Today we have word that Tobey Maguire has joined the cast of Reitman’s latest effort entitled Labor Day, which already includes Kate Winslet, Josh Brolin, J.K. Simmons, and James Van Der Beek.
The film, which Reitman has adapted from the Joyce Maynard novel, “focuses on a thirteen-year-old boy from New Hampshire who learns valuable life lessons over a five-day Labor Day weekend when his mother (Winslet) inadvertently offers a ride to a wounded, escaped convict (Brolin).” Maguire will be the boy as an adult as well as the narrator of the film.
Hopefully this will be a return to greatness for Reitman after his previous disappointment. I’d hate to think he’s fizzled out this early in his career. The film may not sound like much from the synopsis, but from what Reitman’s been able to accomplish before, I’ll still be seeing it ASAP.
Labor Day began shooting early last month in Massachusetts and does not yet have a release date scheduled.
(Source: The Playlist)
