A Movie Review: This Is Where I Leave You

This Is Where I Leave You. A father passes away and so the family gathers for a week of mourning. Each sibling brings their personal problems. Judd Altman (Jason Bateman) just found out that his wife Quinn (Abigail Spencer) was cheating on him for the past year. What's worse, the affair was with his boss. Wendy Altman (Tina Fey) has married for wealth, but regrets it. Paul Altman (Corey Stoll) and his wife Annie Altman (Kathryn Hahn) desperately want a child but it just isn't working out for them, which is causing a strain in their relationship. Phillip Altman (Adam Driver) is the baby in the family who refuses to grow up.

The problem with this film is that all the siblings feel like their lives are awful, but the honest truth is that Judd is the only one who really got hit with a right hook. So yes, Wendy married the wrong man. She can get a divorce. Paul and Annie desperately want a child and I can understand that, but it isn't the end of the world. There is the potential for adoption. Phillip seems to enjoy his lackluster life. To me, Judd is the only one who can really say his life stinks, because who wants to catch the love of their life in bed with another individual. Ouch. 

Maybe the movie even knows this as it focuses in on Judd even though the family as a whole tries to acknowledge that their adult lives aren't living up to expectations that were set by a famous mother (author of an influential book) and an idolized father (a really good man based on the backstory, but perhaps overly idolized). Essentially, this is a movie about Generation X hitting their midlife crisis and it isn't a very pleasing experience to watch.