“Beginners” is about Oliver (Ewan McGregor) and his father, Hal (Christopher Plummer), who has just passed away from pancreatic cancer. The story alternates between present time and a couple years prior where Hal admitted to Oliver that he was a homosexual shortly after Oliver’s mother passed away. Before passing away, Hal attempts to live the alternative lifestyle and takes Oliver along for the ride. Due to growing up in a home where his parents dealt with a loveless marriage, Oliver, as an adult, has trust issues and problems keeping a stable relationship. However, Anna (Melanie Laurent) walks into his life and things change.

This was a very cute and emotional movie that I enjoyed watching. The visuals were great throughout the movie and the montages about the how things were in the past were fun to watch and creative. It had a great story and the characters were really likable and memorable. This movie made me really care for each character and, as a viewer, this movie made me feel so many different emotions. In addition, Oliver’s conversations with Hal’s dog, Arthur, were comedic and my favorite parts of the movie. I would watch this movie again and recommend it to others.

My only gripes were the pacing and the lack of extras. I thought this was movie was a bit too long and stalled in some parts. They did redeem themselves towards the end, but some scenes could have been left out. Also, the only extras included were the trailer, director commentary, and a making of featurette. I liked the movie a lot and would have liked to see more extras. Other than that, I highly recommend this movie and am giving it an “A-.”