Poster of This Is Where I Leave You

This Is Where I Leave You

Comedy, Drama

Director: Shawn Levy

Release Date: September 19, 2014

Where to Watch

I enjoyed This Is Where I Leave You more than I thought that I would. I haven’t read the book YET! I think this movie is what The Family Stone wanted to be, but failed to do. Comparing it to August Osage County is ridiculous-other than a funeral and a family, they have nothing in common and have totally different mission statements. August Osage County is art. This Is Where I Leave You is Hollywood-enjoyable while pretending to be edgy. This Is Where I Leave You reminded me of a R rated Parenthood except more profanity and sexual situations. I can see This Is Where I Leave You being converted into a series starring Jason Bateman. Corey Stoll was criminally underutilized. I’ve been a fan since his unrecognizable turn as Ernest Hemingway in Midnight in Paris and Law & Order: LA. (See The Strain!) Tina Fey is reliably hilarious, but is also pushed to take a dramatic turn. If you like Adam Driver in Girls, you’ll enjoy him here. Connie Britton appears briefly-she was my favorite part of Friday Night Lights and the first season of American Horror Story. I almost saw Nashville for her. It was nice to briefly see Debra Monk-you may remember her as the executive assistant who handed a mirror to Charlize Theron in The Devil’s Advocate. It was nice to see Ben Schwartz do his thing in something other than Parks & Recreation. Kathryn Hahn is here going against type in contrast to her appearances in Free Agents and Parks & Recreation. This Is Where I Leave You encourages people to stop living for the imagined ideal life. Instead of bemoaning the messiness of life, embrace it. If you like the actors in This Is Where I Leave You, especially Jason Bateman, then see it. If you don’t, don’t and run the other way.

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