'The Life of Chuck' is a Unique Look into Death Until It Isn't
Life is short. Stephen King's recent Mike Flanagan adaptation is heartfelt, albeit a bit too heartfelt. Yet, it doesn't feel like your typical sentimental film. That is, until the middle act, which resorts to conventional storytelling, taking some momentum away from the picture. The Life of Chick isn't a horror film. King doesn't just write horror books. This adaptation falls into the Stand by Me category of drama. There's a little coming of age, a bit of joy, and enormous dread. It's a unique tale that's genuinely emotional yet a tad dull in its third act. That still doesn't detract from the film's spectacular opening.
The Life of Chuck might be Stephen King's most unconventional drama. The movie starts with a first act that's laced with horror, but not the slasher or psychological kind. The film begins in an English literature classroom. One of Marty Anderson's (Chiwetel Ejiofor) students is reading to the class when one of the students looks at her phone, prompting Marty to ask why she's not paying attention. She tells him that multiple hurricanes have occurred in California. Moments afterward, the internet goes out. Then, Nick Offerman begins narrating the film as the novelistic voice of God, setting the apocalyptic stage and introducing Marty's ex-wife, Felicia Gordon (Karen Gillan).
Felicia is a nurse in a local hospital who's dealing with the end of the world like everyone else. She calls Marty, looking for some sort of comfort. The two discuss the concept of life ending and how much time they have left. Furthermore, they broach their relationship in a non-confrontational manner, which is more about human connection than resentment. It's clear the two love each other. Will they get back together? Is there enough time? Although the film's about the end of the world, it's a very quiet picture that's not about mass destruction. It's about how we're connected to this universe. We don't know where we're going to go after we die. As we become adults, embracing the concept of our passing becomes increasingly terrifying yet peaceful.
There are billboards, radio ads, and TV advertisements all over town informing the public that Charles Krantz (Tom Hiddleston) is retiring from his job after 39 years of service in accounting. Marty and Felicia think, "Who cares?" Yet his retirement is more important than we think. After spending a long time with Marty, we cut to Chuck, who's dying. As he goes, we begin to realize how important all our lives are. According to Flanagan and King, we're connected to this universe. Each of our souls is a star. When we die, we become one with them. At least, that's one of the countless theoretical possibilities we levitate toward in order to give us solace from the uncertainty of nothingness. When we cut to the second act, the film follows Chuck months before he retires. As the audience learns from the narrator, he has only nine months to live, although he is unaware of this at the time. Chuck is a normal accountant who gave up on his dreams, like most of the general public. Although he's a man who generally keeps to himself, a street drummer captures his attention, causing him to break out into an extravagant dance number. As we learn in the film's third act, Chuck's true calling is dancing. And it's in this act that the movie loses some of its luster.
Young Chuck (Benjamin Pajak) lives with his grandparents. His grandmother, Sarah Krantz (Mia Sara), instilled in him a passion for dancing, while his grandfather, Albie (Mark Hamill), mentored Chuck like a compassionate father. Both his grandparents played an integral role in his upbringing. If the first act is about death, the following two are about life. It's about finding the things that make us happy, even when surrounded by enormous tragedy, that gives us a reason to live. Chuck's life has been surrounded by loss. Yet, it was his passion for choreography that brought him happiness. Unfortunately, this act goes on for a bit too long, where The Life of Chuck transitions from being a one-of-a-kind existential picture about life and death to a typical coming-of-age tale.
There's the foster kid, the love interest, and the middle school upbringing. It works fine in a different film. This movie regresses to a state of familiarity that will leave you wondering where things are going when they suddenly come to an end. The ending is abrupt but meaningful. It's a metaphor for us accepting death, trying to vanquish our fears of it. Yet, it comes so fast that we're never ready for it. As Grandpa Krantz says, "It's the waiting that's the difficult part. The last two scenes of the picture bring back some of its resonance. Even if it's too little, too late. There's a great monologue from Mark Hamill (a wonderful actor who deserves more live-action roles outside of Star Wars) about the importance of math. It's not just about making money or solving numbers. It's really about how math connects everything from our biological material to measuring the universe. It's all conjoined. Everything he says about math is spot on and will shape Chuck into leaving his love for dancing for a typical life in accounting. When we reach the last scene, the movie tries to wrap everything up too quickly, as it is distracted by its dancing arc.
There is a profound existentialism to be found in half of the picture, while the other half beats the same point of meaning over the audience's head like a hammer. That's disappointing, as there's a lot of deep material to explore in this picture. It's clearly a story that King relates to as he approaches his later years. And it's certainly one that, for at least a good portion of it, will have you thinking about why dwelling on death is frivolous. Enjoy the life you have while you have it.
