[yasr_overall_rating]
A man returns to his small hometown after learning that his mother has fallen ill and is about to undergo surgery.
Insomuch as this movie is predictable, it is also a breath of fresh air, to know that there are many families that are just like the Hollars who don’t realize that the dysfunction they share as a family is the lifeblood that keeps many families attuned to one another in the midst of trials and tribulations. Sally (Margo Martindale) is the perfect doting mother who is so busy being caretaker for the family that she dismisses her own shortcomings and ignores vital signs of troubled health because she is so used to everything being in disarray and it being her responsibility to make it right. When she finds out she has a tumor, it humors her that she will not have to take another advised trip to Jenny Craig in order to lose the extra weight she has gained. Her clueless husband Don (Richard Jenkins) is so consumed with his failing business that the slightest amount of stress throws him into a never-ending cycle of helplessness which is triggered by two grown sons Don (John Krasinski) and Ron (Sharlto Copley) who have their own set of indiscretions and are trying to one-up each other and their dad in order to fulfill their own unaccomplished goals in life.
When Sally is given a positive post-op prognosis, her husband and sons are finally prepared to position themselves to get a new lease on life and work better with each other and with their life partners and children in order to support themselves and the family business. In a last minute deferral, Sally dies unexpectedly and leaves the family in temporary turmoil until they realize that she has equipped each of them with the ability to recover and continue without with her.
The direction of the movie changes constantly from an uncivil and childish state of bickering to compassion that makes every relationship represented seem worthy of the struggle to keep it. Director and Co-Star John Krasinski has turned a family tragedy into a heartwarming story that everyone can relate to and appreciate for whatever good comes from a bad situation. For so many relatively dysfunctional reasons, you don’t want to miss it.
Opens at the Angelika Film Center in Dallas and Cinemark West Plano Friday, September 9th
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