Being the son of a famous film director might be a little intimidating, especially when one’s dad has directed something as big as “Ghostbusters.” But director Jason Reitman, son of Ivan Reitman, has managed to create a cinematic voice all his own, with films like “Juno” and “Up in the Air.”  Jason Reitman’s latest film is the romantic drama, Labor Day.

In “Labor Day,” Adele Wheeler (Kate Winslet) is a single mother who has gone through a rough divorce, and her only family, now, is her son. The son, Henry (Gattlin Griffith), helps Adele around the house, and does chores for her, like grocery shopping. Adele has a bad habit of rarely leaving her home, making going to public places very difficult for her. But on a day that Henry and his worrisome mother are at the grocery store, Henry is stopped by a man (Josh Brolin) who is bleeding badly, and asks if he can help him out. This man, who is later revealed to be Frank Chambers, a wanted criminal, manages to convince both Henry and his mother to stay the night at their home. But days go on, and Frank has still not left. As Frank hides out in their home, Henry & Adele feel that their lives are improving with Frank there. But they now run the risk of harboring a fugitive, if the police find Frank.

Viewers will love how director Jason Reitman has managed to craft a unique cinematic story, with a different approach on kidnapping. Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin give terrific performances in this film. Reitman is able to make almost all aspects of his story connect, so that nearly every scene in the film exists for a reason. Viewers will very much feel for these characters, as they have big hearts and are very likable people.

There are not many problems with “Labor Day,” but there are some minor ones. The first being that there are some occasional hard-to-believe moments, like this mother and son looking very comfortable during the kidnapping. Some viewers might also dislike the film’s slow pacing.

For those who would like to see an interesting approach on kidnapping in film, or have a unique but romantic experience, “Labor Day” is very much worth a theatrical viewing.