The End of Oak Street

The End of Oak Street
Starring Anne Hathaway, Ewan McGregor, Maisy Stella, Christian Convery
Directed by David Robert Mitchell

Ever since 1993, dinosaurs on the big screen have been unofficially owned by "Jurassic Park" and its subsequent sequels, reboots and franchises. Any time you hear of a dinosaur movie, you'll be sure to hear John Williams' iconic score with the title "Jurassic ____" in it. Which is what makes "The End of Oak Street" so refreshing - it's a dinosaur movie without having Chris Pratt try to calm Velociraptors or Jeff Goldblum talking about life finding a way. Instead, it's a unique mix of prehistoric and modern day, where a normal cul-de-sac is somehow transported to another era where dinosaurs ruled supreme. Not just that, but the family dynamic at the heart of the film propels the thankful 99 minute runtime forward, along with surprising humor and even more surprising shocks that makes for a lean, entertaining, memorable little film.

In 1982, the Platts - wife Denise (Anne Hathaway), husband Greg (Ewan McGregor), older daughter Audrey (Maisy Stella) and younger son Brian (Christian Convery) - are living the picture-perfect life on Oak Street, at least on the outside. Inward, Denise and Greg have been fighting, with Denise writing a novel about wanting to leave the family and Greg secretly working as a pizza delivery driver because he can't admit he lost his regular job. Audrey and Brian are aware of the family strife, but everything changes one night when a bright light occurs. The next morning they find that their entire community has been moved to a prehistoric time, and dinosaurs begin attacking them and their neighbors. As they try to find a way back home, they also have to learn to come together and mend their broken family.

To associate "The End of Oak Street" with Steven Spielberg isn't a far reach, and not because both are synonymous with dinosaurs. This movie feels like a throwback to the classic 80s films you'd see Spielberg do, with a mixture of fantastical wonder and family drama with a sweet score that hearkens back to that time (it's also fitting it takes place in 1982). This is a movie they truly don't make anymore, a mixture of action, suspense, drama, comedy, and true horror that mixes so well together that you'll be laughing til you cry one moment then literally crying the next. Also there's a moment in this movie I never thought I'd see on the big screen, and that's saying something.

Yet as the dinosaurs ravage the suburbs, the true story occurs within the family dynamic itself. Anne Hathaway is having an amazing year starring in "Mother Mary," "The Devil Wears Prada 2," "The Odyssey," and the upcoming "Verity," and here she takes on a more modern-day motherly role that you actually wouldn't see in the 80s as Denise. She is no-nonsense (literally telling her neighbor she'll burn his house down if he shoots their dog) and fiercely takes charge, but is also struggling in her marriage because Greg doesn't talk to her about his problems. Ewan McGregor's Greg is essentially a gender-swap of the 80s films, playing a more timid character who is always looking on the bright side of life and lacking true survival skills, at least pertaining to Denise. He almost becomes the matron of the movie, offering grace, kindness, and hope in an otherwise bleak environment. 

The kids themselves are pretty cookie-cutter, and once again proof that you should never have kids in an apocalypse. Audrey, played by Maisy Stella, is about to head off to college and, thankfully, studies under the likes of Carl Sagan, so when the events happen she has a bit of an idea of what's happening. Christian Convery, known for his roles in "The Monkey" and "Frankenstein" plays Brian, the most annoying kid on the planet. He carries around a bow and arrow but took lessons at Stormtrooper Training Camp, he whines and cries a lot, and makes boneheaded decisions that, again, make him a liability. 

Still, when these four come together, the family dynamic shifts in unique ways, and there's even some deep, tender moments between them that come unexpectedly - as does some certain twists that even I didn't see coming. It all culminates in a conclusion that's extremely satisfying, and along with the PG-13 gore and dinosaur eating makes for an enjoyable thrill ride brought by the acclaimed director of "It Follows."

The Score: A