Win Win

Paul Giamatti plays Mike Flaherty, a struggling New Jersey lawyer who coaches high-school wrestling to help make ends meet. He’s got a wife (Amy Ryan), two young daughters, and a growing mountain of debt. Against his better judgment, Mike appoints himself caregiver of Leo Polar (Burt Young), who’s suffering from dementia. When Leo’s teenage grandson Kyle (newcomer Alex Shaffer) shows up and turns out to be a wrestling prodigy (surprise!), Mike takes the kid under his wing. Mike enrolls Kyle in school and moves him into his house, where he quickly becomes part of the family. Complications ensue when Kyle’s addict mom blows into town fresh from rehab, determined to get her hands on Leo’s money. After discovering Mike’s caregiver arrangement, she hires a lawyer. The Blind Side parallels are as unmistakable as they are ultimately meaningless: Win Win is a tougher, grittier, and less sanctimonious do-gooder fable in every way.