Thomas Wolfe said you can’t go home again. According to the new dramedy This Is Where I Leave You, apparently you can go home again, but it may not be a good idea.
This movie has an appealing, all-star cast and a promising set-up, and I really wanted to like it. And I do, but in spite of itself.
Despite the valiant performances of Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Adam Driver, and Jane Fonda, the movie is a hot mess of contrived situations, implausible character motivations, and unconvincing plot turns.
There was a lot of wonderful material to mine in a situation where a dysfunctional family is forced to deal with its childhood baggage as unhappy adults. But too often director Shawn Levy and screenwriter Jonathan Tropper settle for an easy, quick laugh instead of sustained truth. There are a lot of funny moments, but the movie just doesn’t hang together. Take it or leave it.
*** out of *****
