Lyla (Keri Russell) and Lewis (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) are both musicians and they spend one night together before circumstances keep them from meeting again. Twelve years later, Lyla finds out that their son, who she believed was dead, is actually alive; Lewis is feeling a pull back to her that is stronger than ever.

Meanwhile, their son August (Freddie Highmore) follows the music he hears all around him to help him find them. He ends up in New York City in a gang of street kids working for Wizard (Robin Williams) and then at Julliard. His musical genius becomes quickly apparent and it brings parents and child back together.

CRITIQUE

Excessive sentiment in a film is almost always a negative quality. A film must affect us emotionally, but a trying-too-hard approach is obtrusive. Other aspects of the film can be good, but if it suffers from sugar overload, the film will never be a good as it could have been. This is one such film. August Rush has warmth, good performances, and amazing music wrapped up in a story that strains believability to its limits.

My tolerance for saccharine in films is high, I’ll admit, so I should say upfront that most people will feel the film is more schmaltzy than I did. The plot is the main culprit for this. There is sweetness here essentially -- a musical prodigy finds his parents after a hard search. Uplifting is the only thing a viewer can feel about the premise. Details, however, mar the believability of the story quite a bit.

For example, Lyla’s father tells her the baby is “gone” when she wakes up after an accident near the end of her pregnancy. Wouldn’t she question this and ask if he is dead? We only get to see a little spark between Keri Russell and Jonathan Rhys Meyers because they spend most of the film apart, so it stretches credulity to think that Lyla, shown as level-headed and responsible, would fall into his arms so easily. The fact that music, something that connects them, is emphasized in that short interaction helps but not completely.

Of course, the meat of the story is August’s burgeoning musical ability and quest for his parents. This provides its share of preposterous plot points, too. August is the name given to the boy (whose real name is Evan Taylor) by Wizard, who is the most sinister character in the film. Not only is seeing Robin Williams play that sort of character around children jarring at first, but the whole conceit owes more than a little to Dickens’ “Oliver Twist”.

Additionally, is Julliard that easy to get into, even with the kind of preternatural talent the boy has? Speaking of, Freddie Highmore is still the charmer with exceptional talent as he displayed in Finding Neverland. Rhys Meyers has a bad boy appeal, especially when he sings, and Russell isn’t really given enough screen time. Too sentimental and unbelievable, the story in August Rush is flawed, but the music impresses and the cast appeals.

THE VIDEO

August Rush is offered in both anamorphic widescreen and standard aspect ratios on one double-sided disc. The widescreen is more of a representation of the theatrical experience, but there are no transfer glitches on either format.

THE AUDIO

August Rush is presented in English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround. The music and dialogue come across loud and clear. Additional French and Spanish language tracks also in 5.1 Surround are offered, including subtitles in all three languages.

THE EXTRAS

Deleted Scenes: Around ten minutes worth of scenes are here, and they are all actually worth watching once. One has unfinished special effects but they are mostly polished. The scenes with Rhys Meyers deciding to leave and Russell visiting the orphanage Highmore has left are probably the best. As a matter of fact, including those two scenes in the film might have improved it.

FINAL THOUGHTS

An unbelievable plot and instances of celluloid saccharine, in combination with a terrific cast and strong music, are the ingredients found in August Rush. Some viewers may be able to just allow the fault of the film to fall away more easily while viewing it at home. The fact that the extra features here are only deleted scenes doesn’t add much value to buying the DVD. The best idea is to probably rent it first, and adding it to the collection afterwards if the film’s best qualities overshadow the weakest.