The Phenom

I really enjoyed this movie. (It's on Netflix.) The acting in it is sort of jarringly real, and every character in it is very carefully crafted. One could describe it as "Good Will Hunting" meets "Trouble with the Curve," but that would be annoying. It's about a kid with a case of the yips, and his father, who is a dick, and what it's like when everyone wants you to be something you're not sure you are and you don't even know who you are yet. This is a fine case of the director getting out of the way of the dialogue and the actors and just letting things flow. That means, as a member of the audience, you're not exactly entertained as much as you are engaged. You feel you are in the flow, too. Of course, this is the trick to unlocking the trouble with the kid. He has become fixated on success, when he should only be caring about fun. Although, it isn't really fun, is it? To be not only good at something but great at it. It's kind of a burden, or a cross you bear, and because you don't know why you're so good, sometimes all you can do is just sit there and stare.