Glass Castle, The

"The Glass Castle" chronicles the adventures of a young girl (Larson) growing up in an eccentric, resilient, and tight-knit dysfunctional family of nonconformist nomads. This is a story of unconditional love and of a young woman who, influenced by the joyfully wild nature of her deeply dysfunctional father (Harrelson), found the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms. (Gary Reber)

Special features include nine deleted scenes (HD 09:32), a making-of featurette Summer Storm by Joel P. West (HD 03:22), the featurettes Memoir To Movie (HD 25:48) and Scoring The Glass Castle (HD 04:96), a conversation with Jeannette Walls (HD 15:24), upfront previews, and an UltraViolet digital copy.

The 2.40:1 1080p AVC picture, reviewed on a Sony Bravia Z9D 4K Ultra HD HDR display, upconverted to 2160p with greater resolution and luminance, was photographed digitally with the Arri Alexa camera system. The picture appears perfectly natural throughout with a rich and warm color palette. Interior highlights, as well as natural outdoor highlights, are nicely illuminated and provide superb contrast. Such illumination enhances the warmth of the color palette. Hues are rich in tone. Fleshtones are naturally endeared throughout, both during reflections of the past and the present. Black levels are realistic, as well as shadow delineation. Resolution is revealing of fine detail in facial features, skin pores, hair, clothing, and the incredible range of object textures, especially during the scenes of growing up in poverty habitat conditions. This is a beautiful picture with incredible diverse imagery that makes for a memorable and powerful visual experience. (Gary Reber)

The Dolby TrueHD 7.1-channel soundtrack is dialogue focused, with a music score that activates the four surround channels and occupies a wide and deep soundstage presence. Atmospherics are terrific as well as Foley sound effects. Dialogue is consistently intelligible with good spatial integration. Fidelity is excellent. The soundtrack excels at creating the varied soundscapes. This is a terrific sonic experience that, while generally quiet, has moments of intensity that reflect on the emotional outbursts that are an integral part of the storytelling. (Gary Reber)