This Is Where I Leave You (2014)

A big bundle of cliches without the support of a strong central plot, sure-handed directing, or even capable acting (Fey was so out of her league it was painful). There wasn’t even consistency with the pronunciation of one of the longtime neighbor’s names, being referred to as both Horry and Hahry by a couple of characters and, before you ask, it obviously wasn’t supposed to be funny -- I just think the production hadn’t yet made up its mind about the pronunciation and no one bothered to do a postdub on the “wrong” scenes once the decision was made.  The whole thing was a huge mess with plot twists you could see coming because they were featured in some sitcom or miniseries a decade or more ago.

Two exceptions to the general crapping all over this: 1) Adam Driver is magnetic -- even when forced by the script into doing eye-rollingly movie things like turning up the baby monitor so everyone in the house can hear a couple unwittingly having sex next to the transmitter upstairs and 2) Connie Britton showed quiet vulnerability in a short scene. I actually think her scene should've been cut as it only served to reveal the falseness in most of the other performances. Next to her, almost the other actors looked to be pulling faces in what were supposed to be their emotional scenes.

D+