Review: Father and son bond in the wry, understated ‘Confirmation’

Feature films these days rarely come as gentle and equitable as “The Confirmation.” It’s a sweet, decidedly low-key little picture starring a deftly understated Clive Owen as Walt, a divorced small-town carpenter spending a pivotal few days with his 8-year-old son, Anthony (a wonderful Jaeden Lieberher).

When Walt’s ex-wife — and Anthony’s mom — Bonnie (Maria Bello) takes a weekend trip with her new husband (Matthew Modine), Walt’s put in charge of Anthony, a sensible kid with more moxie than his Catholic-school rearing may first imply.

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Walt and Anthony soon find themselves on a treasure hunt of sorts when Walt’s beloved set of tools is stolen just as he’s about to start a much-needed new job. With the dubious help of several local denizens (Patton Oswalt, Tim Blake Nelson and others), father and son zero in on the missing tools, deepening their bond in the process.

Even the few “bad guys” here largely prove to be decent folks who, like the beleaguered, alcoholic Walt, are dealing with their own demons and disappointments. If that and other low-octane conflicts — and upbeat resolutions — make the movie seem overly pie-in-the-sky, there are still enough rough edges to writer-director Bob Nelson’s (“Nebraska”) wry script to keep things grounded.

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“The Confirmation”

MPAA rating: PG-13, for some mature thematic elements.

Running time: 1 hour, 40 minutes.

Playing: Laemmle NoHo 7, North Hollywood.