True, grief is universal – but To Olivia never embraces the fact that stories draw their power from specificity. It’s what makes them feel real.
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EmpireHelen O'Hara
EmpireHelen O'Hara
A well-intentioned biopic about a little-discussed but pivotal moment for both artists. If it’s never transcendent, it at least offers charming child performances, and Hawes is a particularly good fit as Neal.
How parents mourn a child’s death together — or apart — is among life’s aching mysteries. The director John Hay plumbs the poignancy well but avoids any tussling with Dahl’s legacy, tarnished by antisemitic statements.