In the opening moments of "End of Sentence," the feature debut for director Elfar Adalsteins, there's a quick sense of wanting to reject something that already seems trite and maudlin. Sean (Logan Lerman) has been in prison for a while and is visited by his dying mother (Andrea Irvine). She has come to say goodbye to her son because she knows her fight with cancer is coming to an end. There's clearly love between Sean and his mother and he seems genuinely grateful to have those few moments in the visiting center to give her one last hug.
Sean's relationship with his father Frank (John Hawkes) couldn't be more different. He is released from prison after his mother dies and when he is escorted out by an officer, Sean isn't pleased to see his father sitting there waiting for him. His relief from his release quickly turns to anger as Sean storms past his father, addressing him by his first name. Frank and Sean clearly have a contentious relationship and it appears it has been that way for some time. Sean doesn't want anything to do with his dad, but Frank is there to plead with his son about taking a trip to Ireland to spread his mother's ashes in a lake, per her last wishes. Sean rejects the idea, letting his father know he needs to be in California in five days to start a job.
Reluctantly, and without many other options, Sean does decide to join his father. There is bickering, there are silences, and there are many disagreements. Sean meets a girl named Jewel (Sarah Bolger) one night in a bar and offers to bring her along on the trip against Frank's wishes. Sean and Frank seem to disregard each other each step of the way but find some common ground in honoring their late wife and mother.
As "End of Sentence" goes along, it's hard to shake the urge to write it off. The typical road trip diversions and mishaps occur, but the skepticism slowly starts to chip away, largely in part to the wonderful performances by Lerman and Hawkes. Lerman - so good in 2012's "The Perks of Being a Wallflower - is consumed with anger towards his father but you get the sense he doesn't want to hold onto the resentment he does.
Hawkes is a truly versatile actor, and though some of his standout performances are menacing, here he effectively plays a sympathetic role. Frank knows that he wasn't the best dad he could be, but his love for his son never diminished. Frank has always strived to do the right thing but maybe at times could have done more. What's smart about "End of Sentence" is backstory is brought up in conversation and it never feels like the movie stalls to tell us what happened between Sean and Frank in some wordy exposition dump.
The tried-and-true tropes are present throughout "End of Sentence," and not everything about Michael Armbruster's screenplay works. What ultimately elevates the movie - outside of the central performances - is the decision to sidestep putting a perfect bow on everything. We don't know if Frank and Sean are going to be okay, or if they will even speak to each other once they leave Ireland, but their trip suggests they found some sort of healing they've longed for. If only other movies had the guts to realize that life is messy and things don't always get resolved.
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