The Confirmation doesn’t whip up anything you haven’t tasted before, but like a home-cooked meal, its warmth and consistency make up for any missing spiciness. A sweet, gentle riff on Bicycle Thieves, it’s the directorial debut of screenwriter (and Stranger Genius Award finalist) Bob Nelson. Like his Nebraska, it’s a father-son story told with streaks of bleak humor.
The Confirmation‘s father (Clive Owen) is a troubled-but-decent ex-alcoholic who’s watching his rambunctious-but-perceptive son (Jaeden Lieberher), while mom (Maria Bello) goes away for the weekend to a Catholic marriage retreat with her new husband (Matthew Modine). Dad and son amble through the blue-collar suburbs south of Seattle, looking for tools that were stolen out of dad’s truck. They fight! They bond! They become closer than ever over the course of one crazy weekend!…