[yasr_overall_rating]
A young, narcissistic entrepreneur crashes and burns on the eve of his company’s big launch. With his entire life in total disarray, he leaves Manhattan to move in with his estranged pregnant sister, brother-in-law and 3-year-old nephew in the suburbs – only to become their nanny.
“Adult Beginners,” starring and based on a short story written by Nick Kroll, is a fun, entertaining movie that gets right to the point. Jake’s entrepreneurial failings has him moving in with his sister, Justine – played by the delightful Rose Byrne – and becoming the male nanny (manny) of his toddler nephew. We have all seen the story of a man who cannot handle taking care of a kid and then falls in love with everything about the situation.
This is modern, R-rated version that is funnier than most and does not rely on a hokey romantic subplot to keep the train rolling. Of course, there is romance, but this film is not about Jake taking care of the baby and then getting the girl. This movie is more about self-discovery, finding out what is most important in life (hint: it’s not the money), with a bunch of comedy and a few splashes of drama thrown in for good measure. The cast is great, too.
My only qualm is I would have liked to have seen more of Joel McHale (who plays Jake’s BFF Hudson) and Bobby Cannavale (who plays Justine’s husband, Danny), but stretching a storyline just to include more facetime is not always the best idea. If you are a fan of any of the actors and/or a fan of quirky comedies, I bet you’ll enjoy “Adult Beginners.”
In theaters now
