The story centers around Jonathan (Garrett Hedlund),the wayward son who has flashbacks to his past. He has traveled from LA to be with his dying father (Richard Jenkins),who has been fighting cancer for 12 years. The family gets together, feuds, and then bonds in ways that were missing before. Sister Karen (Jessica Brown Findlay) studying law has filed a court injunction to prevent her father from being taken off the machines. This allows us to have a heart warming story about people and kids dying from cancer. Jonathan meets Meridth (Jessica Barden),a 17 year old with a death sentence as they bond smoking in the hallway.

In case you have Puffs left over from "The Fault in Our Stars," this one is designed to help you finish the box, although it really failed to create that Puffs moment until the end when they over reach for it. Amy Adams has a role far smaller than her billing. This is your typical try to feel good about life Indie with acoustical accompaniment. The film needed a few more light indie moments as it seemed to be heavy just for the sake of being heavy. Good performances by the cast.

The film teaches us that smokers are criminals and they stink.

Parental Guidance: F-bomb. No sex or nudity.

Andrew Levitas makes his screen writing and directing debut in this little film LULLABY and for a first time effort, despite all the rough unfinished edges of the canvas, he gives notice of a man with a fairly keen perception of the complex interrelationships of dysfunctional families.

Jonathan Lowenstein (Garrett Hedlund) lives in Los Angeles attempting to become a singer of note and has been estranged from his wealthy New York family for years, always feeling as though he was unable to live up to his father's expectations. One day, he suddenly receives word that his terminally ill father Robert Lowenstein (Richard Jenkins) wishes to be taken off life support after a 12 year struggle with lung cancer and has 36 hours to live. When he agrees to visit his father, he unintentionally sets up a family conflict with no easy resolution. His mother (Annie Archer) has been caretaker of Robert and is happy to have the family reunited: Karen (Jessica Brown Findlay),the younger sister in law school, struggles with resentment for Jonathan, Jonathan detests the fact that he must observe the dying wishes of Robert (including setting up Seder when Jonathan has a history of disregarding his Jewish heritage),cope with Karen's acerbic flairs, deal with a stranger Meredith (Jessica Barden) who is 17 years old and dying of bone cancer who shares her needs with Jonathan and he with her, and re-encountering his lost love Emily (Amy Adams). Some of the best moments are provided by Jennifer Hudson as the potty mouth bitchy nurse, Terence Howard as the attending physician who is to aids Robert's 'assisted suicide', and Daniel Sunjata as a policeman who joins in the Seder. Though there are funny moments the story hangs on the subject of death and end of life situations, sharing the manner in which we evaluate our lives and our purposes in this life at that transformative moment of death of a loved one.

Though falling frequently into the overplayed anger/grief/sobbing triad the actors are very fine and they make the film worth watching. Grady Harp, July 14

I first noticed Garrett Hedlund in On The Road, where I thought he was brilliant, in all senses of the word. The trailer for Lullaby also looked enticing. After watching the movie I can tell you that I don't regret my decision, I liked it very much, but it is not something that you can relax with or something that can be enjoyed at all times and by anyone.

The plot is simple: family patriarch is dying and the family gathers around him at this difficult moment. We get to understand each character, mostly Hedlund's though, and their interaction. Courageous bald cancer girl and ex-girlfriend clichés are also present to further the story.

People have talked about the length of the film and, indeed, to witness human uncomfortable suffering for two hours felt a little too much. However all actors played well, except maybe Jessica Brown Findlay, but she is just beginning, cut her some slack; the script was very nice and I could find no real flaws in the direction or other production values. Maybe bracing through two hours of good film is not so bad after all, is it?

My personal take from the movie is that people always expect something from you and when they have nothing to lose, like when they are dying or are overwhelmed by pain, they actually demand it. I am still not convinced that being annoyed rather than involved is the bad thing to do. It makes for a good movie to get involved, I guess.

Bottom line: watch out for Garrett Hedlund, he will be rising. The movie was great, but watch it when you are in the mood for consistent emotional dramatic tension, not at breakfast before you get to work. i think it is also cathartic for people who lost or are going to lose somebody soon. And Richard Jenkins is always good in the role of the dying or dead father, isn't he? :)