PLOT: The story of author Jennifer Vogel and her turbulent relationship with her father is explored in Sean Penn’s dramatic feature.
REVIEW: Sean Penn’s latest directorial effort has arrived. Flag Day tells the story of Jennifer Vogel (author of Flim-Flam Man) and her complicated relationship with her father, John. The film examines her childhood and the effects that her father’s criminal endeavors brought to the family. Fueled by a soundtrack that includes songs by Eddie Vedder, Cat Power, and Glen Hansard, it also features a cast very close to Mr. Penn. In the new film, his real-life daughter Dylan Penn stars as Jennifer, and his son Hopper Penn plays Nick Vogel. If that’s not a family affair, I don’t know what is. The new film also stars a few familiar faces with Josh Brolin, Dale Dickey, James Russo, and Sean Penn himself as the problematic father to Jennifer.
This story begins with the introduction to Jennifer when she is made aware of her father’s crimes courtesy of U.S. Marshal Blake (Regina King). We then are transported back to her younger years’ where Jennifer (played by Addison Tymec and Jadyn Rylee at different ages) and her brother (Cole Flynn and Beckam Crawford) were passed back and forth between their separated parents. The film follows the children as they grow up, and Jennifer realizes that she cannot live with her mother (Katheryn Winnick) and asks to stay with her dear old dad. The last half of the movie focuses on Jennifer finding her place in the world and seeking to better herself as a journalist. As well, she finally gets another shot with her father, but it may not be the closure she was seeking out.
What could have been a moving story isn’t. For the first hour, Penn appears to have been inspired by his work with Terrence Malick. Flag Day – which also happens to be Jennifer’s dad’s birthday – brings on the narration, as well as a series of scenes brought together to look like candid captures of this private turmoil. And much like Malick, the film heavily features narration from Dylan Penn explaining her life story with old family footage flickering on screen. It’s a distracting structure that impedes any honest understanding of this family dynamic. While you certainly can feel for Jennifer, the movie fails to truly offer an emotional connection to what is happening to her. It is dull, pretentious, and rarely finds a beat that is relatable.
Dylan Penn gives a good performance as the teenage and adult Jennifer. Yet strangely, she and her father don’t have much chemistry on-screen together. When they are together, it is a stilted and unemotional journey. As the father, Sean gives a solid performance as well. The two make intriguing character choices, but it just doesn’t translate to a great flick. About halfway through this feature, there is a slight shift in how the film tells its story. At that point, the Malick-inspired moments mostly fade into a more traditional biographical film. It even throws in a subplot about Jennifer investigating a case of poisoned water deforming the amphibians in the area. All of these are important stories. However, none of these themes stand out. It’s ultimately a mishmash of a family drama that fails to give much insight into anything.
Aside from good performances, the one thing that consistently works is the impressive soundtrack. The collection of songs by Eddie Vedder, Glen Hansard, and Cat Power are so good that, at times, it feels like Sean Penn is simply offering viewers a series of pretty music videos. Although, even that is a bit too on-the-nose at some points. Unlike Penn’s previous collaboration with Vedder, Into the Wild, this lacks the powerful human connection to what is happening on-screen. However, as a soundtrack, it’s a series of pretty tunes, including a haunting cover of R.E.M.’s sublime song, Drive, by Vedder.
Flag Day is a disappointment. In the past, Sean Penn’s directorial efforts such as The Indian Runner and Into the Wild were powerful and inspired. His latest is, unfortunately, neither of those things. The performances are good, but the script is all over the place and plays up the melodrama to a fault. There is no joy in saying that this is one of the weakest films I’ve seen this year. It is forgettable. And frankly, it fails to generate any honest emotional connection to what is happening on-screen. There is a certain amount of skill on display, but ultimately it feels like it didn’t quite know what to do with the material. Jennifer Vogel’s story is a good one. It’s just a shame that this structurally messy and cold feature didn’t quite capture the heart of it. I cannot recommend this film, but I highly recommend the soundtrack.