Kevin Hart Gets Emotional for Netflix Dramedy ‘Fatherhood’

Sandra Miska

Kevin Hart shows his softer side in “Fatherhood,” a Netflix dramedy based on a true story about a Boston man who suddenly finds himself a single parent just a day after the birth of his daughter. Hart plays Matthew Logelin, the author of the bestselling memoir on which the film is based, “Two Kisses for Maddy: A Memoir of Loss and Love.” After his wife, Liz ((Deborah Ayorinde), suddenly dies following the birth of their first child, Matt finds himself dealing with immense grief on top of the usual challenges faced by new parents.

The first part of “Fatherhood” deals with the immediate aftermath of Liz’s death. Flashbacks show the moments leading up to the birth of little Maddy. Both Matt and Liz feel unprepared, but their love for each other gives them strength. Their joy over their new daughter comes to an abrupt end after Liz suddenly dies of a pulmonary embolism. Needless to say, Matt is shattered, but is forced to pull himself together following the funeral for the sake of his daughter.

Matt has every intention of raising his daughter alone, but judging from people’s reactions to this decision, the world has not changed much since the release of “Kramer vs. Kramer” over 40 years ago. Both Liz’s mother, Marian (the always regal Alfre Woodard), and Matt’s mother, Anna (Thedra Porter), want him to move back to his and Liz’s hometown in Minnesota, but he refuses to leave his job and the life he has built in Boston. Type A Marian even pushes to move in with him for six months, but he stands his ground. 

Meanwhile, Matt’s boss, Paul (Paul Reiser), has a typical boomer attitude towards fatherhood, but Matt is such an asset to his company that he is able to convince him to let him bring his baby to work. He gets into the groove of being a working single parent, and while his family is far away, he gets some support from his two best friends, single guy Jordan (Lil Rel Howery) and married co-worker Oscar (Anthony Carrigan), which at times gives the film a “Three Men and a Baby” vibe.

The second part of the film takes place five years later, when Maddy, now played by Melody Hurd, is an adorable and precocious elementary schooler. Matt finally starts dating again after being set up by Oscar and his wife, tentatively embarking on a relationship with a woman who’s almost too good to be true, another Liz (DeWanda Wise), whom he and Maddy come to call Swan. It seems like a natural thing to do, as Matt is an adult with physical and emotional needs like everyone else, but the relationship hits a major bump after Maddy has an accident at school while Matt and Swan are preoccupied taking a major step in their relationship.

One key difference between “Fatherhood” and the original memoir is that the real Logelin is white, while Hart and most of the cast here are Black. However, director Paul Weitz and co-writer Dana Stevens do not take advantage of this to explore any issues unique to Black men and Black families. There is, however, a subplot involving Matt going up against the nuns at Maddy’s school after they try to ban her from wearing slacks instead of the traditional plaid skirt. It seems ridiculous that a school would uphold such an archaic rule in this day and age, even a Catholic school, so we feel Matt’s exasperation.

Fans of Hart’s usual work will most likely have mixed feelings about “Fatherhood,” as it doesn’t really contain a lot of big laughs and feels even sappy at times. However, Hart shows range and proves that he’s more than a guy who does comedy and sometimes tweets questionable things. His young co-star Hurd also deserves her due, as she holds her own with Hart and there are more than a few genuinely touching moments between the pair.

“Fatherhood” begins streaming June 18 on Netflix.