Film: This Is Where I Leave You
Starring: Jason Bateman, Jane Fonda
Directed By: Shawn Levy

Featuring a cast of familiar faces and a variety of issues that almost everyone can relate to, This Is Where I Leave You serves as a reminder that there truly is no place like home.

Jonathan Tropper wrote This Is Where I Leave You as a portrait of a family going through a hard time together while each individual also deals with their own personal struggles. The adaptation channels the entire story through the perspective of one son, played by Jason Bateman, as he travels home to grieve the loss of his father the day after learning his wife of three years was cheating on him with his boss. It’s a role that Jason Bateman has essentially played every time he’s appeared on screen in the last three years, with the exception of Bad Words, and for what it’s worth, Bateman fills the role as well as ever.

The family is made up of three sons, a daughter (Tina Fey), and a domineering mother figure (Jane Fonda). On paper the siblings could not be more different, but after their mother informs them that their atheist father’s dying request was for the family to sit shiva they have no choice except to come together at the place where they all grew up. Paul (Corey Stroll), the oldest, brings his wife with whom he is (unsuccessfully) trying to conceive a child. Wendy, the sister, brings her children and relentlessly busy husband. The baby of the family, Phillip (Adam Driver), brings his girlfriend. Judd (Bateman) comes alone.

It’s not too hard to see where the various stories in This Is Where I Leave You are headed, but the life given to the characters by the film’s talented cast makes the journey entirely worth your time. Bateman may be top billed, but he is far from the most enchanting face on screen. That award goes to Tina Fey who, with a little help from another character played by Timothy Olyphant, delivers a story outside the main narrative that ripped my heart into a million tiny pieces. She’s also superbly funny, but that’s something audiences already know before purchasing their tickets. Her dramatic talents have rarely been displayed the way they are in this feature, and it will no doubt lead to more emotionally driven offers down the road. The same can be said for Adam Driver, who holds his own opposite a cast that is arguably far more recognizable than him.

The main problem with the film comes from its attempt to filter the various side stories through Judd’s point of view. This effort works a good portion of the film, but as various situations become increasingly complicated the movie abandons Judd’s perspective in order to offer emotionally rewarding moments that would otherwise not exist. It’s a move that works as a tool for manipulating audiences into feeling a stronger connection to the story, but it also creates a messy viewing experience. There comes a point a little over halfway through where it seems the film may switch gears altogether and show things from another family member’s perspective, which in hindsight may have been a better decision than what actually happens, but instead viewers are given seemingly random moments of exposition for no reason other than tying up loose ends that never really needed to exist in the first place.

This Is Where I Leave You is not as much a tale about a dysfunctional family coming together as it is a story about people learning to better understand the struggles of others. That message is surprisingly rarely presented in movies today, especially in cases where not everything works out for the best in the end. Some people have victories, others suffer loss, and still others have to settle with the realization some things simply will never be. That’s kind of how life is, which is probably what makes the story work so well. It’s not perfect, but if you’re looking for something that will make you want to reconnect with the loved ones in your life, This Is Where I Leave You will certainly move you to action.

GRADE: B-

Review written by James Shotwell Follow @utgjames

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James Shotwell

James Shotwell is the founder of Under The Gun Review. He loves writing about music and movies almost as much as he loves his two fat cats. He's also the co-founder of Antique Records and the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. You should probably follow him on Twitter.

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