Plot: What’s it about?
Films like Thanks for Sharing makes me forever grateful for the home media format. This isn’t just because the film lends itself nicely to HD, but rather that certain films that never got a wide release are finally available to rent or own. It’s hard to believe with such a talented cast that this film never received a wider release in theaters. It tells the story of several sex addicts who battle their addictions on a daily basis. Marc Ruffalo plays Adam, he is one of the many characters we meet over the course of this film. He used a flip phone and isn’t allowed to have a TV or internet. We see him have the TV removed in the hotel rooms he stays in while he’s traveling. Adam has been sober for five years and seems to be going strong. We also meet Neil (Josh Gad). He is a doctor who is fired one day after he’s caught filming a coworker. Tim Robbins plays Mike, he a sponsor who has problems of his own, including a less than stellar relationship with his son Danny (Patrick Fugit). Another addict is Dede (Alecia Moore A.K.A. Pop singer “Pink”). She gives a surprisingly strong performance here. She is a sex hound and hopes to be cured of her addiction, much like the other characters in the film. We follow the various story arcs of these characters throughout the film. At a party, Adam meets Phoebe (Gwyneth Paltrow). She is a breast cancer survivor and also very sexually active when she starts a relationship. She tells Adam that her former boyfriend was an alcoholic and she hopes to never date an addict again. This sets up an inevitable argument the two of them will have before the film is over. The film gives each individual arc enough screen-time to make us care about these characters. I found the scenes between Ruffalo and Paltrow to be the most interesting, but all of them held my interest.
Director and co-writer Stuart Blumberg is careful not to judge these characters. We’re on the outside looking in and it works in the film’s favor. There are several great things about the film and I wanted even more. I wish the film was a bit longer where we could explore these characters further. I think the film could’ve also worked as a TV series of some sort where we follow them in more detail on their various journeys. The film maintained my interest throughout. Some plot points do become a bit predictable, but that didn’t bother me. I think it’s because I was so invested with them from the beginning that I didn’t mind some of the more conventional bits. It also carefully avoids melodrama territory all while keeping things realistic. We’re witnessing characters who could fall back on their old habits at any given second, but also want to better themselves. There is a strange scene late in the film with Ruffalo and a former friend where we see them practicing some strange role-playing. This sequence is strange, but also effective because it shows a darker side to this character. The Tim Robbins character also has a few secrets of his own. He is so focused on helping others that he neglects to see problems within his own family, especially with his son who is also a former addict. Paltrow and Ruffalo also have several effective scenes. I was never quite sure where their relationship would go despite some obvious conflicts between the two of them. The film is very worth your time and though it isn’t perfect, there are more than enough good elements to warrant a look. Paltrow fans will also enjoy the scene where she attempts to seduce Adam by dressing in sexy lingerie. I know I did.
Video: How’s it look?
The film looks quite nice on Bluray. The New York setting has plenty to offer as far as visuals go and this transfer satisfies. There are various rich colors throughout the city, all showing nice detail. During a scene where the Ruffalo and Paltrow characters go bike riding, we can see her perspiring quite a bit. I was able to spot a few hairs along her arms and neckline. Ruffalo sports some stubble in a few scenes and they show up with strong clarity. There’s a sequence where we see the Josh Gad character dancing and he’s sweating bullets left and right. The print used is clean and displays a nice range of colors. This won’t go down as a showcase disc, but the transfer still serves the film well. The image is AVC encoded and in a 1.78:1 ratio.
Audio: How’s it sound?
The DTS HD track is solid, but never anything earth shattering. Vocals remained strong and clear throughout, but the rear channels didn’t stay overly active. This isn’t so much a knock as the film is mostly dialogue driven anyway. We do get some background noise during the scenes on the busy New York streets. We can hear horns honking, people chattering, taxi cabs driving by in a few scenes. This track should please fans of the film.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Audio Commentary – We get a commentary track with the director Stuart Blumberg and Co-writer Matt Winston. We hear some decent notes, but a lot of it is just the two narrating what we see on screen. Yawn!
- One Step at a Time: Making of Thanks for Sharing – This goes for a little over 15 minutes and provides the usual interviews with the cast and crew. It provides some decent information, but nothing too in depth.
- Gag Reel – A small (2 minute 39 second) collection of outtakes and bloopers. These didn’t do much for me.
- Deleted Scenes – Just under 10 minutes worth of scenes. Some offer a few fleshed out plot points, but are mostly extended bits.
- Previews
- Digital copy
