When Did You Last See Your Father?

David Nicholls’ film adaptation of Blake Morrison’s autobiographical novel reveals a history of conflict between father and son that is healed by unconditional love. Colin Firth plays Blake, the loyal son who has spent a lifetime seeking his father’s approval, only to receive callous and belittling remarks in return. Jim Broadbent plays the sour-tongued dad, now on his deathbed. The overly weepy soundtrack and unoriginal use of flashbacks under the direction of Anand Tucker are forgivable only because of the spot-on performances by the two lead actors.