NOWHERE SPECIAL -- Michael's Choice

Review by Joseph Fayed

A parent should always consider what's in their child's best interests. Nowhere Special is a film that takes a child's well-being into consideration and a father having to use his intuition to make a crucial decision in a short period of time. The story packs its punches with a father and son at its forefront, acting out the emotional stakes of this unorthodox parenting tale while keeping its heart on its sleeve the entire time. 

John (James Norton) is a 35-year-old window washer with just months to live. In light of this, he must work with an adoption agency to find the right family for his four-year-old son Michael (Daniel Lamont) to live with after he dies. John struggles with making this life-altering decision for his son, feeling immense pressure to make the right choice. However, as time runs short, John must learn to let go and listen closely to the input of his four-year-old, who is catching on to why such a heartbreaking decision must be made. 

One thing the script impressively avoids is tropes about terminal illness. John's diagnosis isn't explained in detail, although there are moments where we do see how his condition affects his job and day-to-day life. John has to carry on with life even in the face of death. The plot never transforms into tragedy porn because there is so much focus on John and Michael and finding a new home for the latter. No life-and-death anecdotes are shared amongst characters or an overdrawn bedside moment set in a hospital. A Nicholas Sparks novel, this is not. It is about parenting first and foremost, and death, while inevitable, is not treated like a standard plot device.

Daniel Lamont really acts like he had such freedom with his character. For someone who is playing a main character who is only four years old, Michael is written as his age and not too mature. Michael is a kid who loves his dad. He seems confused when he and his dad are accompanied by a social worker to visit different families. While he may not fully understand why that is being done at first, it gives Michael a reason to love his dad even more. Normally, in a film, I would roll my eyes at this kind of character development only occurring as a direct result of a personal tragedy, but a child his age shouldn't be expected to grasp the emotional toll this has on the adults around him. That is why, in between potential family visits, any scenes with John and Michael are meant to show them bonding over the smallest of activities. There is such a warm and playful energy with Michael on screen that serves as the perfect contrast to what John is dealing with. 
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James Norton gives a stellar performance as John. Norton uses his range to be equally worrisome and wholesome at times. His chemistry with his co-star Lamont makes it seem like the two really bonded and that his wholesome demeanor rubbed off on his fictional son. The potential families they visit all have their own experiences with adoption that they unload onto John and Michael, each trying to seem less chaotic than the previous one. These interactions are kept brief, and one particular family shown is guaranteed to leave a sour taste in almost every viewer's mouth due to how unpleasant they are. The point of that scene is to prove the harsh reality of adoption; despite your appearance, not everyone is willing to cater to your needs. It's a notable departure from the rest of the film that gets John to question everything he and his son have been through. 

Nowhere Special was done in the name of fatherly love. It is impressive how two topics like adoption and terminal illness were written in such a way that they don't feel exploited for our pity. Kids really want nothing more than parents who love them, and vice versa, and John and Michael were two perfect embodiments of that. ​

Nowhere Special is now in theaters.

Rating: 5/5