This Is Where I Leave You

Starring: Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Jane Fonda, Adam Driver, Rose Byrne, Corey Stoll, Kathryn Hahn, Timothy Olyphant, Dax Shepard, Abigail Spencer
Directed by: Shawn Levy
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama
2014

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: When their father dies, four siblings (Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Adam Driver, Corey Stoll) reluctantly come home to live together for a week.

Review:

Tim: I have to be upfront about the fact that the trailers seriously underwhelmed me for this movie. It just didn't look good at all. It looked like dozens of other films and I have to admit, I was reluctant to sit down and watch it. That being said, I'm surprised I liked the movie as much as I did. Sure, there were flaws and the movie wasn't great, but this was a solid, funny film that I enjoyed watching. I'm surprised by that and reminded again that you should never judge a film too early. This Is Where I Leave You might have a generic title, but it was a good movie.

The biggest attraction is the impressive cast and getting to see them all together. Director Shawn Levy does a great job of utilizing the cast. Sometimes with casts this big, most of them get short-shrifted. Besides a few outliers, that doesn't really happen here. Jason Bateman is the protagonist and I have to say he does a good job. I think in every Bateman film I've ever reviewed, I mention that I don't like him. I have to admit that my feelings have lessened over the last few years. He's still not my favorite, but he was good in this film and I really can't find any fault with him. He connected well with the audience and was sympathetic. I enjoyed his performance. Tina Fey had some terrific moments sprinkled throughout the film, but she's so talented that I couldn't help but feel like we needed more screen time with her. This isn't a huge issue because she has these great moments, but the film would have been better with more screen time for her.

Jane Fonda was very funny as the matriarch, although I feel like so many aging actresses have been cast in these crazy mother roles in recent years. Still, she was good here. Corey Stoll added a good performance. He's eclipsed by the rest of the cast, but that is okay- his role needed to kind of fade into the background. Adam Driver did a good job as the scene-stealing youngest son. For some reason, Driver has rubbed me the wrong way in previous films, but I liked him here. I loved the addition of Rose Byrne- she's one of the most versatile, underrated actresses in Hollywood. She can do so many different things and has such range as an actress. She's never overly flashy, but just always delivers a solid performance. I enjoyed her very much here. Timothy Olyphant was a welcome addition, but his role was pretty limited. He does have a few tremendous scenes. Dax Shepard did well in a smaller role, too. As a whole, I really, really enjoyed the cast.

This is a dramedy, and for the most part, it handled both sides of the equation quite well. There's certainly some dramatic, emotional moments in the film. There were also some truly funny moments as well. This movie had to be rated R and the swearing was exceptionally well used. A lot of the time, it was the F-word in a line that made it truly funny. This just felt like an authentic, real-life family that struggles with its own dysfunction. I didn't always love how it was portrayed and it does on occasion slip into feeling too fictional, but for the most part, this felt like a story about real people, not characters. I also have to say I'm surprised by how much was crammed into this 103 minute film. It covered a ton of ground by never felt unduly rushed. I give Levy great credit for that.

This Is Where I Leave You doesn't quite do enough to launch itself to greatness. It could have been funnier and it could have delivered more of an emotional punch. However, for a film that didn't look all that good to begin with, I was pleasantly surprised by how authentic and humorous it was. I actually had a lot of fun watching this movie and I would certainly recommend it.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Family Stone, Four Christmases, Bad Words, The Kids Are Alright