User reviews

I will endeavour to make this review of more use, to those unfamiliar with this film or it's previous incarnation.

Far More is a simple, unobtrusive family drama which tells the story of successful gay fashion designer Sean McAllister (The often critically underrated Adrian Grenier) who travels back his rural hometown to visit his terminally ill brother Tim (Drew Powell) which forces him to re-live and come to terms with old conflicts from his past. These include his overbearing and unsympathetic Father, Dick, whose primary focus is to win the local bowling tournament (The always excellent Daniel Hugh Kelly) and a bully from his old High School days, whose son is following in his footsteps.

Sean's Nephew Eli (Joshua Rush) is always pestering his Grandpa to ask 'Why did Uncle Sean leave...' while trying to understand the moods and actions of the adults around him, as well as dealing with some issues of his own.

Circling around his dying brothers bedside are various friends and family members who come into conflict with one another. Old friends return to share good times, but find themselves unable to offer any real comfort or deal with the death facing their former teammate. The wife and the nurse disagree over how his brother should be treated - live a little longer but be drugged up the eyeballs on the time, or less drugs, more pain, but live more compos mentis in the moment. Sean very much observes these conflicts from afar as he prepares himself for his brothers imminent demise.

When his Father's bowling teammate is injured, the family name and tournament prize are at stake, which gives Sean a chance to connect with his nephew, reconcile with his Father and for a brief window, to be the son his Dad always envisaged. A brief oasis is found in the midst of a family tragedy with is all too short lived for all concerned.

I called Far More simple and unobtrusive at the beginning of this review. I will qualify that further by saying this is not a drama that seeks to ram a social agenda or message down the throat of the audience. These characters and stories will feel familiar because we have come across them. The small town conflicts that play out between family members and their friends and loved ones will feel familiar to anyone brought up in the small town rural environment of the USA.

As the story progresses it becomes apparent that Sean has unresolved issues that are trapped in his past, and in order to move forward with his present relationship back in New York, he must find a way to confront them in the present. Further light is shed on this narrative through a number of flashbacks to Sean's time at High School, where his brother was the popular athlete but always stood up for his younger brother, who was coming to terms with his homosexuality at the time and often a victim of bullying from his brothers teammates..

Much of the narrative in the present is viewed through the eyes of the Nephew, which I am told took more dominance in the older cut of the movie. It works far more effectively to have him as very much the silent observer rather than being the narrative voice over, much like The Wonder Years. This is primarily a story about a young man, Sean McAllister, coming to terms with the imminent loss of his older brother while finding a way to heal his own wounds through reconnecting with his distant Father.

Far More is the writing / directing debut of talented actress Ally Damian Walker and it's an extremely commendable debut with much to recommend it. The film was previously rush released under the title Sex, Death and Bowling and not to her satisfaction. Wisely, she was allowed to recut the film and it was then re-released it in its present form. Few directs get to tweak their work some six years later but I can assure you, it's something more directors often aspire to do. (Just ask George Lucas)

Far More, might be a small story, but it carries big emotional threads that weaves a dramatic tapestry of conflicts, to anyone who has dealt with the dramas that often come with a large and complex family dynamic. It's beautifully acted and directed and has a number of outstanding performances including an underplayed, but perfectly poised turn from Grenier as Sean, and superb cameos from the likes of Melora Walters (criminally underused here) Selma Blair, Richard Riehle, and Drea De Matteo. The younger cast in the flashback scenes to Sean's time in High School all give solid performances in their scenes.

If the film has a weak spot, then it's in the bowling subplot which while perfectly plausible is occasionally a distraction from some of the superbly underplayed family drama scenes. But it does provide a satisfactory way of tying the story elements together but could have done with an injection of more drama.

Far More is very much a slice of life story, I am certain many will find something relatable in a tale, where the town, setting and characters will feel familiar to all those who grew up in rural USA.

I liked it but There's nothing earth-shattering about this movie. Except I love it when the underdogs come out on top!! I've lost my mother and my best friends to cancer, this was true to life cancer experience. I liked every character in the movie and understood them all.

If you like Hallmark movies or the Lifetime channel this movie is for you. Sad situations but no depth, nothing cerebral. I get emotional, an easy crier watching TV and movies. With this one I almost didn't finish it, was bored, and the kid was annoying.

A predictable story with mediocre acting. I felt like I was watching small town, community theater. Joshua Rush, playing Eli, outperformed the adult actors. Don't waste your time.

I am a gay man with no talent. Just opinions.

Ok m I would watch anything with Adrian Grenier. He is though part of an ensemble that makes this movie special. This movie is all about going home. Mending fences and rebuilding family ties. The movie is a wonderful diversion from Omicron. You can lose yourself in the p;lot and subplots.

I've watched plenty of horrible movies and easily gave up on them and never looked back. Not this one. I can't stop watching because it's like that car crash on the side of the road that's so bad that you will literally just stop and stare cause it's so horrible. As I sit here and type this I'm continually appalled by the garbage that's playing in the background, this lame movie. I feel bad for the actors. It feels like they were held at gun point to make this film. I would love to see this storyline though, just produced and directed by people that are, oh, I don't know... awake.

Brilliant performances and all around fantastic film. All involved deserve kudos for this film. I felt a part of this, not as if it was a "movie". Had me in tears and emotional throughout. Wow! Bravo everyone!.

From the get go, this film looks and feels like a 1989's low budget independent film.

The cuts/editing are bad, the acting by most is substandard and the directing is choppy. There is a story here, if you can get passed all the issues. Very hard to believe this is a 2021 film.

Poor acting, especially given the cast. There is no excuse. Truly unbelievable. Bad directing, editing, makeup, storyline. It could have mattered. It doesn't.

Ally Walker recut and remastering the film lends to a more honest and thought provoking personal journey for the lead character Sean McAllister played by Adrian Grenier (Entourage/Click Bait). Adrian shows us a more sensitive side to his character's internal conflicts that we haven't seen in his other films without overacting or giving us a typical gay stereotype. We understand and feel for him, his family and relatable conflicts growing up as gay man in a small town.

Sean returns home after a long absence to a dying brother played by Bailey Chase and his wife Selma Blair along with their son Joshua Rush. Selma, I think is one of the most underrated actresses out there and her performance shows why she is so natural in this role. Joshua Rush is the glue that puts the family back together while questioning life and what death really means. Sean's father played by Daniel Hugh Kelly, is gruff at times and elusive to Sean after years of separation along with Bailey who he refuses to see at first. Bailey's nurse is played by Drea de Matteo who is natural and sensitive to the families needs.

The films takes us back and forth to Sean youth and is really a more of a coming of age. It's about family, life and what it really means to put our differences aside and just love each other for who they are...

With endless demand for our streaming attention, I implore you to give Far More a go.

The independent film is the directorial debut of actress/writer Ally Walker known to many as the less than precocious Agent Stahl on FX's Sons of Anarchy.

I won't break down the plot points or include any spoilers (I hate that) but I will tell you most everyone will find a piece of themselves in the themes that weave in and out of the film.

So put on your comfies and spend the evening with these characters as they come full circle while tackling bullying, family estrangement, homophobia, death and ultimately, the meaning of life.

Hint: love is the answer. ;) 🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿

Joshua Rush who plays Eli is 20 years old. This movie is at least 10 years old. I don't understand why they put the year on it the way they did.

I thought it was a really good family drama movie.

I just watched this movie and i have to say that it takes just a movie like this to touch my heart.. Great Actors and Actresses.. I did cry it is a Great movie. A must see!

Another sincere heartfelt performance by one of my favorite actors, the very talented Adrian Grenier. I was truly touched by this based-on-a-true-story film. It is not easy to watch the realities of loss, suffering, grief and cruelty; but seeing people's courage and dignity in adversity makes it the kind of story we need to share.

An intelligent entertainer from a gifted director. A movie not to be missed.

Excellent casting. All the actors were brilliant in their roles. Great story. Very honest and real. The whole thing feels authentic. Very well paced film and beautifully edited. A well crafted film. Scenes seamlessly blended together.

The art direction looks very genuine. The cinematography brings a voyeuristic feel.

More than you'd expect. Very original.

Highly enjoyable from start to finish. A very thought provoking film. Would love to see more of this fare from this director. The actors were well chosen for their roles. The director really seems to have brought out the best in them. The story was highly realistic and original. No really dull moments or anything.

Totally authentic feel to it. The plot is very well conceived. Highly recommended. A real gem of a movie!

I streamed this movie on TV. To be honest, the thing that attracted me to the movie was the fact that Joshua Rush was in it. Joshua is one of my favorite actors, especially his work as a child actor. The movie examines life and death and family dynamics in a meaningful way. I felt like Rush was the central character. He really stood out in every scene. And don't be confused by the date. Rush was only 12 when the movie was filmed in 2014. But it wasn't released until 2021. It sat on a shelf for 7 years denying us the ability to enjoy it. But enjoy it I did. The plots and sub-plots may make you a little dizzy, but stick with it. It will be worth it. And thank you Joshua Rush for once again showing what a great actor you are.

@azanti0029 (July 2021) wrote an excellent review - the first one I read - that cleared up a few things for me, specifically that I couldn't see how a 20 year old Joshua Rush could play 11 year old Eli. Discovering that the movie was actually made 6 years earlier (ie when Joshua was 13 or 14) has solved that mystery. That reviewer did get one detail wrong - the dying brother was Rick, played by Bailey Chase, not Tim (Drew Powell).

Another mystery - the cast list on here says the older brother John was played by an uncredited Joseph Aviel, whose pictures show him as huge (tall and muscly), nothing like the John in the film, who looked more like Marco James who is listed as playing the teenage John.

Finally, who on earth came up with the description of this film as a Comedy? I was scrolling through Prime looking for something light to watch at the end of the day, and saw this "comedy" staring Adrian Grenier - just the ticket, easy on the eyes, and light! Fortunately it was such an engaging story that I forgot that it had been listed as a comedy, until it was over and I saw the promo page again.

Despite the mysteries relating to cast and designation, this is a film well worth seeing.