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An endearing and engaging film, "A Bag of Hammers" is part zany comedy, part searing drama that, when it's on, really works.
"Hammers" centers around car thieves Ben (Jason Ritter) and Alan (Jake Sandvig), who run a scam in which they pretend to offer free valet-parking services at funerals and parties, then split with the nicest car they can find.
They're not totally illegitimate, though; they collectively own a rental property which they are letting to single mom Lynette (Carrie Preston of HBO's "True Blood") and her son Kelsey (a magnificent Chandler Canterbury).
Lynette is perpetually late on paying the rent and is borderline neglectful to her son, and Ben and Alan take a shine to the kid. When circumstances leave Kelsey in Ben and Alan's care, they soon find themselves becoming attached to the kid, as well as a strange yearning to go straight.
Preston is fantastic in a relatively small role, bringing real gravitas to a part that could be turned into a caricature. You see her struggles and her frustration; she knows she's a lousy mom, but wants to be a good one every day, doesn't know how and is quite frankly too worn down by life to try much harder.
Canterbury is a find; he has great screen presence, is wonderful every moment he's on screen, and has great chemistry with the other actors, particularly Ritter and Preston.
The film gets bogged down with Ben and Alan's shenanigans, though thankfully some of it drops away once the plot gets rolling. The premise — that virtual parenthood straightens out two slackers who don't want to be responsible adults — is a solid one, but the setup is a little too silly given how hard-hitting and serious it becomes later.
There are also a few even more familiar faces; Amanda Seyfried ("Mamma Mia"; "Red Riding Hood") makes a brief appearance as Ben's ex-girlfriend, and Rebecca Hall ("The Town") plays Ben's sister.
"Hammers" isn't a perfect movie, but it has plenty of heart and is certainly worth giving a look to, with a strong cast, a heart-wrenching, uplifting story and engaging performances.