They say (who ever "they" are) that the worst possible loss is that of a child. Not only is it tragic when such a young life is lost, but it is out of the order of things when a child dies before their parents. This film is about a young couple, Becca and Howie (Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart) who are struggling to put their lives and marriage back together after their son is hit by a young driver; truly an accident. While the storyline is not new, it is done carefully and with refreshing honesty; grief is messy and unkind. Becca wants to resume life as usual and tries so hard to get back in to the rhythm of life without realizing she is trying to skip over her grief. Howie is the opposite, finding it hard to let go and swimming in a sea of memories. Both actors do tremendous jobs in this film. For the first time in a while, I felt like I was watching a character, rather than Kidman acting. In a film like this it could easily slide into a movie-of-the-week drama, but it stays grounded and truthful. There is no right way to grieve; no time deadlines; no rules. I really appreciated how they ended the film. No one ever lives happily ever after. In this film, however, they do continue to live.
