Clara's Heart Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		2.0

Clara's Heart Blu-ray Movie Review

Bougie Howser, M.D.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III January 19, 2021

Filmed in 1986 and released theatrically two years later, Robert Mulligan's drama Clara's Heart features great dueling lead performances by star Whoopi Goldberg and up-and-comer Neil Patrick Harris... but in all other respects, feels like a Hallmark production that hasn't aged all that gracefully. It's an odd combination that nonetheless achieves several great moments and a palpable sense of urgency even as it drifts by over the course of just 108 minutes, yet the intermittently soapy aspects of its plot hamper what could have been a wholly compelling experience.

Its setup is deeply depressing but potentially effective, depending on your tolerance for tear-jerkers. Wealthy Baltimore mom Leona Hart (Kathleen Quinlan) has recently lost her infant daughter to SIDS, further splitting an already fractured marriage with estranged husband William (Michael Ontkean). Their bright young son David (Harris) is left to fend for himself, since both parents are now basically absent for different reasons. Leona retreats to Jamaica for a getaway and, during her stay, befriends no-nonsense housekeeper Clara Mayfield (Goldberg), eventually hiring her as David's live-in nanny. Mom and dad's emotional distance pretty much makes Clara the default role model for David and, though he sees her as a threat upon arrival, the two gradually develop an bond as they both open up about personal tragedies -- including a particularly nasty one involving Clara's own son, who's talked about but never seen.

This is heavy stuff handled decently well by most of its principal cast members, none more so than the unlikely new mother-son duo that emerges... especially once David is introduced to Clara's rowdy circle of friends that live near her run-down apartment in inner-city Baltimore (the Hart's don't have an extra room?!). Almost every shared scene with Whoopi Goldberg and Neil Patrick Harris is at least compelling on the surface, as both do a fine job of displaying quiet strength while attempting to fight through deep-seated emotional turmoil. But its most shocking reveals ultimately prove too heavy, as Clara's Heart veers carelessly into melodrama that even Goldberg herself can't salvage. Had these two characters appeared in an entirely different movie together, it would've been an improvement.

That's not to say that Clara's Heart doesn't have a few redeeming qualities, including solid cinematography by Freddie Francis and a serviceable score by Dave Grusin. There's even a pretty enjoyable supporting performance from the late, great Spalding Gray, even though his character feels like an afterthought. But honestly there's not much replay value here for me... so only established fans should be interested in Warner Archive's new Blu-ray, which at the very least features a nicely supportive A/V presentation that plays to the film's understated visual strengths.

Clara's Heart Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Vaguely advertised as a "new master", Clara's Heart nonetheless looks very pleasing on Blu-ray thanks to yet another rock-solid restoration from Warner Archive. As usual the image is very clean and stable with a purely dense, film-like appearance highlighted by strong textures, great color, and a very natural layer of grain. This is a very understated film from a visual standpoint but contains lots of attractive "magic hour" moments shot outside the Hart family's expansive waterside home in the Baltimore suburbs and, even during sporadic ventures into the city, the period-specific buildings and storefronts are captured perfectly. Colorful clothes and background details exhibit strong color saturation and no apparent bleeding, with skin tones and indoor lighting looking particularly good. Overall, it's just another fine effort from a reliably great studio that, pound for pound, is tough to beat for consistency in catalogue releases.

As usual, Warner Archive has uploaded several short clips to their YouTube channel showcasing the new restoration, including the full opening credit scene and another clip of Clara and David's first meeting.

Clara's Heart Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The film's original stereo mix is likewise nicely preserved with this robust DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track, which features cleanly-recorded dialogue that's balanced nicely with background effects. The film's main two environments -- the Hart family's serene suburban home and inner-city Baltimore - - are sonically very different and also rendered well. Dave Grusin's original score also sounds quite good with a strong dynamic range and solid channel separation; it's as subdued as you'd expect given the source material, but opens up nicely during most of the right moments.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the film; they're formatted nicely with no sync issues.

Clara's Heart Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release arrives in a keepcase with poster-themed cover art and minimal extras. Although it goes against WAC's policy, given the talent involved I'd have loved an audio commentary or retrospective featurette.

• Theatrical Trailer (1:25) - A deceptively light promotional piece that can also be seen here.

Clara's Heart Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Robert Mulligan's drama Clara's Heart features two great lead performances: one by already-established actress Whoopi Goldberg (The Color Purple) and the other by young Neil Patrick Harris (Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog), who makes his film debut here. But it honestly doesn't have much more than that -- aside for solid cinematography, a decent original score, and a few enjoyable supporting performances, any goodwill built by Clara's Heart is ultimately overshadowed by too-heavy melodrama. It's good enough for a once-over but, due to the subject matter, will not lend itself to regular replays. Warner Archive Collection's Blu-ray at least rewards established fans with another great A/V presentation, even if the bonus features come up predictably short. Otherwise, this one's a rental for most.