Who knew the end of the world could be so life-affirming? And who would have guessed that a Stephen King short story adapted by fellow Master of Horror Mike Flanagan would result in the feel-good movie of the year?
The challenge with talking about “The Life of Chuck” is that it’s a film that should be discovered — the less you know going in, the better. Which made it challenging to market. Is it a drama? A musical? A romance? A coming-of-age story? A movie that does nothing less than ask about the meaning of life? Well, yes.
The film is broken into three acts, told in reverse chronology. The first act finds the world crumbling due to an unspecified apocalyptic event. The internet is down, there’s no television — and yet mysterious billboards and commercials thanking someone named Charles “Chuck” Krantz begin popping up everywhere. In the second act, we meet a grown Chuck (played by Tom Hiddleston) on a pivotal day in his life. The third act details Chuck’s childhood, where he’s raised by his grandfather Albie (Mark Hamill, never better). All questions about Chuck will be answered as the story examines big questions about the universe through the life of one ordinary man.
It’s an act of courage to be earnest and optimistic in a world where audiences aren’t accustomed to sincerity. “We live in a cynical world and we work in a cynical industry,” says Flanagan. “We’re kind of instructed to be cynical, to be on guard and not to lead with our emotions, because that’s vulnerable.” To that end, Flanagan and company knew their film wouldn’t appeal to everyone.
But people have responded — the film was the winner of the coveted Audience Award at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival. Hamill’s wife is also a fan. “She never hesitates to say: ‘This is my favorite thing he’s ever done,’” the actor reveals. And perhaps the greatest endorsement came from King himself, who the filmmaker says told him: “I don’t know how it will play for everyone, but this works for me because its heart is on its sleeve.”
Huge credit is due to the outstanding ensemble — in addition to Hamill and Hiddleston, Flanagan regulars like Jacob Tremblay, Kate Siegel and Annalise Basso make appearances, proving the old adage that there’s no such thing as a small role. Karen Gillan (also a return player) and Chiwetel Ejiofor play a divorced couple in one of the most romantic scenes of the year. And Nick Offerman gives one of the best performances of the year simply by lending his voice to the Narrator. But it’s Benjamin Pajak as 11-year-old Chuck and Hamill who provide the heart and soul of the film. Flanagan is known for his gorgeous dialogue, and it may sound like a joke, but Hamill articulates a monologue to Pajak about the importance of math that sounds like poetry.
It’s a stunning achievement, especially considering King himself never thought it would happen. Asked why Flanagan is such a good interpreter of his work, he declared the director to be fearless. “I never would have believed, out of all the stories I’ve ever written, that ‘The Life of Chuck’ would ever be a movie,” King notes. How happy he was to be proven wrong.
