REVIEW: Ben Aldridge Leaves Quite the Impact in Spoiler Alert

Based on the memoir, Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies by Michael Ausiello, Spoiler Alert tells the story of Michael Ausiello and his partner/spouse, Kit Cowan (Ben Aldridge) as they navigate the last 11-months of Kit’s life after he is diagnosed with terminal cancer. It’s a story of love and a story of loss that will leave you hoping you never have to experience what Ausiello is going through.

Directed by Michael Showalter, the story is a little uneven. You are not quite sure what type of film Showalter is trying to tell, especially towards the beginning. This may be because Showalter and his writing team, which included David Marshall Grant and Dan Savage, intermixed the story with flashbacks into Ausiello’s upbringing. On the surface, this might seem like a good idea, but the team chose to tell these parts as if Ausiello grew up in a TV sitcom rather than just showcase the actual flashback. The risk they took with this made sense as Ausiello is a television journalist who worked for TV Guide and started his own website, TVLine, but the execution just didn’t pay off. It took the audience away from the story and I found it hard to get back into the story after each flashback.

With that being said, the storytelling is made better by the film’s wonderful cast. Parsons does a nice job bringing to life Ausiello. His character may not have quite the same impact as some of the other characters in the film, but his character is who the audience will end up channeling as they watch. You can’t help but feel as if you are in the room with Michael as everything unfolds with Kit. Feeling every heart wrenching moment. Aldridge’s performance, though, will leave the lasting impact. His chemistry with Parsons is what drives the more romantic scenes, but its his delivery on the more emotional scenes that will leave you sobbing. You can’t help but feel every emotion Aldridge’s Kit is going through because Aldridge is just that good. Field steps in as Kit’s mom, Marilyn, and is pure delight. Field manages to take a character that could have easily been lost in the story and makes her shine.

Spoiler Alert is not exactly the feel-good Holiday film everyone is looking to watch during the Holiday season, but it’s a story of real life. I highly recommend if you are checking out the film this Holiday season, you have the tissues ready. The story has its funny moments, but all in all it is a punch to the gut that will hit close to home for many in the audience.

Grade: B