Blue Moon – Review and Summary
Watching a lonely but brilliant man struggle to validate that he is still relevant may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but that’s what Blue Moon offers.
Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
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“Blue Moon” Film Details
- Director(s): Richard Linklater
- Writer(s): Robert Kaplow
- Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
- Runtime: 1 Hour(s) and 40 Minutes
- Public Release Date (In Theaters): October 24, 2025
- Genre(s): Comedy, Drama, Biopic, Historical
- Content Rating: Rated R
- Primary Language: English
- Official Site Link
Movie Summary
Lorenz “Larry” Hart is as much known for his lyrics as his drinking and as his partner, Richard Rodgers opens Oklahoma! With Oscar Hammerstein II, Larry sees the writing on the wall. He knows, while beloved in some circles, he is talked about like a dog in others, and while he has the gift of gab, his audience is shrinking.
So, he spends one last night basking in the warmth of what his name and network offer him before a descent into bottles, which perhaps ruined his life and career.
Cast and Characters
Lorenz “Larry” Hart (Ethan Hawke)
- Check out other productions we’ve covered starring this actor: [Link to Actor’s Tag]
- Character Summary: Lorenz, often called Larry, is a yapper. He knows and loves to tell a story, embellishing it to keep his audience’s attention and keeping the good part dangling like a carrot in front of a donkey. But what choice does he have when he is an alcoholic, loves an argument, and, for all his lyrical brilliance, there is a level of unreliability that can be quite frustrating.
Richard Rodgers (Andrew Scott)
- Check out other productions we’ve covered starring this actor: [Link to Actor’s Tag]
- Character Summary: Discovered by Larry before he was even of age to drink, the two have a long but tumultuous relationship, with arguments well known throughout the Broadway community. But, with owing his career to Larry, Richard tries to give him grace and patience, but it’s not something he has much of left for his mentor.
Oscar Hammerstein II (Simon Delaney)
- Check out other productions we’ve covered starring this actor: [Link to Actor’s Tag]
- Character Summary: Oscar is the one Richard left Larry for, and with their first production together, Oklahoma! being a hit and a much easier partnership, Oscar becomes Richard’s partner in work.
Elizabeth (Margaret Qualley)
- Check out other productions we’ve covered starring this actor: [Link to Actor’s Tag]
- Character Summary: Elizabeth is someone who Larry says he is in love with but she, she treats him as her sweet, older, male friend. Someone she is willing to talk to about salacious things, but wouldn’t do salacious things with.
What To Expect In “Blue Moon” (Rated R) – Content Overview
- Dialog:
- Cursing: Occasional
- Miscellaneous:
- Drinking: Yes
- Smoking: Yes
Review and Commentary
On The Fence
While Annoying At First, You Grow To Love Larry [77/100]
For most of Blue Moon, Larry is probably going to feel like that one person in school or your job who loves coming there because that is the only opportunity they have to socialize, and they will exploit the fact that you are stuck with them. But as he goes on and on about Elizabeth, this girl 27 years his junior, dragging out the details everyone wants to hear, you see a lonely man who knows how to keep people’s attention, who wouldn’t want to engage with him otherwise.
But, with the movie making it clear this all takes place months before Larry’s death, in many ways, you can see all of this as a man grasping at what made it so he had a reason to live. His work with Richard was fulfilling; their relationship made him feel seen, needed, wanted, and loved. But Richard is flirting with the idea of working with others, and Larry knows he is a piece of work, who else would put up with his drinking, stories, and go back and forth with him for hours?
Heck, even bringing in Elizabeth and taking note that most assume Larry is gay, there is yet another part of his downward spiral. If Larry can’t find love because of how great his work is, he’d like it in his personal life. He may not speak of having kids, but he wouldn’t mind having a wife like Richard has, someone to talk to when the party is over and everyone retreats home.
Yet, as seems to be the pattern in Larry’s life, people love him, but not in the way that matters. They love that he is a good listener, storyteller, entertaining at times, but to truly commit to him, see him beyond his talents, his fame, his network? Accept he has a drinking problem, some insecurities about his height, is losing his protégé, and is in desperate need to prove he still has it? Who wants to be around for that?
How Ethan Hawke portrays that, no matter who he is playing off of, whether someone famous or what Larry calls an “Extra” in his story, that is what makes Blue Moon tolerable. You may even find yourself getting emotional if Larry’s sense of loneliness hits a little too close to home.
Overall
Our Rating (77/100): Mixed (Divisive)
Blue Moon rests heavily on Ethan Hawke’s shoulders as he tries to make Lorenz Hart’s big personality something that isn’t insufferable, but make him someone to be enamored by. Which, at times, is difficult for Hart is/was a sad, strange, little man, and as lovely as some find him, the film relies heavily on it being noted that he died months after the night we see to gain your sympathy.
So, if Hawke doesn’t do it for you as an actor, or you aren’t a fan of the others enough to sit through this, you may want to steer clear.
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