The Only Living Boy in New York

“Something’s missing, and we all feel it…” are the words that cryptically introduce this shallow, wryly sordid, coming-of-age story about a wannabe fiction writer who becomes involved with his father’s mistress. Lifting its title from the famous 1970 Simon & Garfunkel song, the story revolves around Thomas Webb (Callum Turner), the privileged twentysomething son of artistic, emotionally fragile Judith (Cynthia Nixon) and arrogant, prominent publisher Ethan (Pierce Brosnan). While his erudite parents host frequent dinner parties for Manhattan’s literati at their spacious Upper West Side brownstone, preppy Tom prefers to live in a Lower East Side walk-up, pining for artsy Mimi Pastori (Kiersey Clemons), who already has a boyfriend she’s planning to join in Croatia. After some coaxing, lovesick Tom confides his heartache to inquisitive, garrulous neighbor, W.F. Gerald (Jeff Bridges), an alcoholic author who’s more than willing to offer ambiguous philosophical advice, becoming Tom’s coach/therapist. Tom’s equilibrium is further challenged when he inadvertently discovers that his father is having an affair with a sexy British editor, Johanna (Kate Beckinsale). Curious Tom starts stalking mercurial Johanna and soon they’re between the sheets. Directed by Marc Webb, the film is distinctly derivative (borrowing from The Graduate, among other films), while also delivering an implausible third-act twist. Although the glibly cosmopolitan characters are only superficially developed, Bridges, Brosnan, and Nixon are able to bring far more to the screen than is on the written page, and they are ably supported by Wallace Shawn, Debi Mazar, and Tate Donovan. Optional. (S. Granger)