I think I've liked everything Kenneth Lonergan has done that I've seen up until now. Even The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle movie he wrote. Hold On To Me Darling is the exception that proves the rule.
There is no reason this play needs to be 3 hours long. At it's core, the story is about a self destructive guy, and the love triangle he creates, against the backdrop of his mother's funeral. Considering the audience can tell both relationships are doomed from the start, the play takes a really long time dragging them out.
Also, making the main character a huge country star felt like an unnecessary distraction. Driver is a great actor but not especially believable as a modern country star. Danny McBride is someone who would probably be a better fit for the role. But for me, the main point of making Strings McCrane famous, was so that the two love interests would look past the huge red flags about the guy, and both women were vulnerable enough that would still be the case if he wasn't a celebrity.
The second act did pick up some but that last scene with Strings McCrane's father was not earned. Other than one reference to wanting his father at the funeral, it's not particularly connected to anything that came before.
