When their family patriarch dies, the Altmans gather for a reluctant family reunion, featuring four adult siblings, their significant others and children and their overly candid mother. Put these characters under one roof for seven days, and antics ensue.
Based on Jonathan Tropper's bestselling novel of the same name, "This Is Where I Leave You" approaches death humorously and poignantly, with no shortage of bizarre antics throughout the journey. Amid an all-star cast of accomplished actors including Tina Fey, Jason Bateman, Jane Fonda, Adam Driver, Rose Byrne and Corey Stoll, there is no lack of rich character development.
The beginning of the movie trudges along at a regrettably slow pace, establishing the underlying discontentment of not only the recently divorced and unemployed Judd Altman (Bateman), but also the unhappiness every adult seems to be experiencing in one form or another.
However, the pace of the movie picks up as soon as the Altmans are reunited at the funeral of their father, Mort (pun intended). From then on, there is no shortage of dramatic plot twists and the comically awkward events characteristic of dysfunctional family movies. That being said, director Shawn Levy ("Night at the Museum," "The Internship") does his best to navigate away from your run-of-the-mill plot of a broken family emotionally reconciling past differences with comedy sprinkled in.
In an era of entertainment where dysfunctional families and general quirkiness are in vogue – one needn't look further than "Modern Family," and its extensive list of accolades to confirm this trend. "This Is Where I Leave You" approaches the popular theme with a refreshing nuance. A dizzying number of relationships – both familial and romantic – ultimately result in a complex puzzle that does its best not to fit the stereotypical plotline of the unconventional family reconnecting. For example, loose ends that the audience expects to be neatly tied up in the final minutes of the movie are simply left alone. To stay true to the title, there is a fair amount of uncertainty about the futures of the individual members of the family by the time the credits roll.
More than 10 romantic relationships are covered, so pregnancies, divorces and affairs eventually lose their shock value when there's an excess of storylines jostling for screen time in only one hour and 43 minutes. That being said, it's refreshing to see a talented cast successfully step up to the challenge of meaningfully adapting the drama of the book while also interjecting its fair share of comedic relief.
Nonetheless, with the sheer amount of dramatic and comedic material jammed into the movie, "This Is Where I Leave You" would be far more suited to a television sitcom of at least two seasons. With such a loaded cast, the movie possesses a colorful array of talent that seems wasted in a short time frame. Following the rather slow start, the movie races ahead in full speed and one almost needs a map to effectively navigate an involved maze of relationships – a journey that would be preferably traveled over a 12-episode television season.
What fundamentally sets "This Is Where I Leave You" apart from other cinematic takes on flawed families is the spectacular chemistry of the cast. Bateman and Fey are predictably excellent with Bateman's deadpan humor complementing Fey's signature quick wit. In a departure from his "House of Cards" character, Stoll convincingly plays the "unfun" sibling, while Fonda and Driver are in a league of their own, frequently stealing scenes with their larger-than-life personalities. Engaging and heartfelt, the ensemble synchronizes perfectly while walking the fine line between comedy and drama, therefore balancing their talents between the two.
With an all-star cast, clever comedic timing and a nuanced take on the common but lovable dysfunctional family story, "This Is Where I Leave You" is worth the movie ticket. It's a movie that leaves you, well, wanting more.
– By Megan Waples, Contributing Writer
