Subtlety reigns supreme in this delicate yet confident debut from writer/director Shana Feste. The entire cast delivers nuanced performances. Brosnan’s steady, buttoned up turn as the father of a recently deceased child, is capped off by an emotional explosion that could rival any actual explosion from the actor’s Bond days. Newcomer Carey Mulligan surprises as the warm epicenter of this otherwise (realistically) grim journey into familial grief. “The Greatest” is the most recent film (after 2002’s “Far From Heaven”) to carry on the tradition of teary family dramas (from “Imitation of Life” through “Ordinary People” and “Terms of Endearment”).

Feste isn’t afraid to let the camera linger on the Brewer family (including spot on performances by Susan Sarandon and Johnny Simmons, as well as the aforementioned tour de force by Brosnan) as they struggle to cope with the death of their “all around good guy” son. What results is a film with a maturity and patience that is far beyond what should be coming from a first time director. I was impressed. I welcome Feste reclaiming the tearjerker. I didn’t realize how sorely I missed movies about actual people dealing with actual problems, fighting against and submitting to actual emotions. If you’re looking for a (genuinely earned) good cry, “The Greatest” is for you.