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This touching play is essentially a retelling of the film Kramer vs Kramer from 1979 – except with two fathers in New York battling for custody of their child instead of just one. 2
The classic duo of a man and woman in marriage is a recurring theme of the play. Similar to the previous production starring Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep, Our Son may seem melodramatic and mainstream, but the acting is flawless overall, thanks to the exceptional performances of Luke Evans and Billy Porter as the two dads, accompanied by the charming and endearing Christopher Woodley as their eight-year-old son, Owen.
The screenplay, written collaboratively by Peter Nickowitz and director Bill Oliver, presents a nuanced and insightful depiction of various gay lifestyles. This includes individuals like Nicky (played by Evans) and Gabriel (played by Porter), who are married with children and initially monogamous, until Gabriel cheats on Nicky without prior agreement. Additionally, the film portrays older men who never desired domesticity, as well as younger men who still engage in casual hook-ups within the gay community. Not limited to male characters, the film also features lesbian characters, including Pam (played by Robin Weigert), a family law attorney who offers helpful guidance to Nicky.
Gabriel finds himself in a believable situation where he is unsure of why he has lost his feelings for Nicky. Despite this, the change in emotion is irreversible and once it is voiced, there is no turning back. The objective is to handle the separation, divorce, and custody arrangements without causing too much harm to Owen, a gentle child who is surprisingly resilient. The movie briefly mentions how Owen was brought into the world with the help of an egg donor and a surrogate, but responsibly reminds us that in the legal sense, both Nicky and Gabriel are considered his fathers, even though Nicky is biologically related to Owen.
Occasionally, the movie can come across as instructional, almost as if it aims to educate heterosexual friends and family members about the challenges faced by same-sex marriage and divorce, much like the sympathetic but heterosexual individuals in Nicky’s family that are introduced later on. However, there is an overall graciousness in the film that makes the somewhat preachy parts easier to overlook. All of the characters are well-developed, flawed, and endearing, and even though the music can be overly sentimental, it still manages to make for an enjoyable and captivating viewing experience.
Source: theguardian.com
