Judd Altman (Jason Bateman of Identity Thief) comes home to discover his wife in bed with his boss, then learns that his father has died. He goes home for the funeral and discovers that none of his siblings are very happy, either. Wendy (Tina Fey) is married but still has feelings for the man next door (Timothy Olyphant) whom she nearly married but who became brain-damaged in an accident. Paul (Corey Stoll of House of Cards) can't give his wife, Annie (Kathryn Hahn), a baby, and it's driving her so crazy she comes on to Judd. Family screw-up Phillip (Adam Driver) has a sophisticated older girlfriend, Tracy (Connie Britton of American Horror Story), who loves him but despairs of him ever becoming a true adult. And so on. Then Mom (Jane Fonda) has a big surprise of her own. One character comes out of the closet after decades and no one asks a single question. This Is Where I Leave You is amiable enough, and generally well-acted, with some amusing moments, but it's sitcom stuff. Typical of many modern comedy-dramas it's cutesy and contrived in equal measure. They did movies like this much better in the golden age. None of the actors are really impressive the way they used to be. This is yet another movie in which the family lover boy is the least attractive of the brothers.
Verdict: Okay if you're not too demanding. **1/2.
Cute movie, very mild as you note. I agree with your verdict!
ReplyDeleteThanks. It's the kind of movie you forget a second after it's over, LOL.
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