Reece Witherspoons House in Home Again
better than expected
I'm hit and miss with Witherspoon movies. I like her in a fun, need a vapid relaxation movie kinda way, but this surprised me a little. It's a cute rom com etc as expected but what was a bit different in this is that the boy toy characters actually had depth and were interesting people, which made it much more enjoyable to watch. Not going on a favorite movies list but definitely worth a fun watch on movie night.
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I Enjoyed It For the most part
I feel the ex-husband should not have been introduced and the relationship between Reese and the young man should have gone further. It was boring in spots, but I was interested in her life and her mother's and wanted more.
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Fluffy and Forgettable
Home Again is one of those movies that's easy to like and easy to forget. It's amateurish, the characters are flat and one-dimensional and the story is practically a celebration in vapidity and contrivance. Despite this, there's not a mean bone in Home Again's body. There's lightness to it. It's boring but charming in much the same way the interior of a Pier 1 is.
Reese Witherspoon stars as Alice Kinney, a recently separated mother of two who has returned to her childhood home in California to start over. Her mother (Bergen) and deceased father were once considered Hollywood royalty; a fact that three young potential filmmakers (Wolff, Alexander, Rudnitsky) go positively gaga for when they meet her at a bar celebrating her 40th birthday. Blah, blah, blah the three end up moving into the guest house. The estranged husband (Sheen) shows up later making four and Reese Witherspoon tries to cobble together a life amid the chaos.
Did I say chaos, I meant unrealistically utopian equilibrium. Alice and her brother-husbands seem to have little scruples about living in a house together. This is in large part because they don't display any of the negative attributes of a regular human being. Stubbornness becomes selflessness and possessiveness is painted like enamored school boy crushes. Most of the external conflicts exist despite the setup and all the internal conflicts have the undemanding clarity of a children's storybook. To top it all off we're given the comparable setting of a 30's screwball comedy, vis a vis an expansive Hollywood villa, ensuring that the prime demographic will finally have a respite from the grave, emotionally challenging story arcs of The Gilmore Girls (2000-2007).
The movie takes its reverse Three's Company (1976-1984) setup exactly where you think it's going to go. At one point one of Alice's friend's muses that she has 24-hour childcare, tech support and sex all under one roof. Because the children are around, the dynamic stays as pallid and PG as it can, with focus being constantly siphoned off into unnecessary subplots. These subplots provide the few moments of character development for the three boys, but once they're living and interacting in Alice's quaint Spanish style abode, it becomes clear that the main reason for them being in this movie is to be a plot device.
This is where, if you read way too much into it like I did, you get to the good stuff. If viewed through a specific lens, Home Again could be seen as an examination of modern gender relations. At 40, Alice struggles with never truly finding the complete package – a handsome man who can exhibit maturity, meet obligations, provide economic stability, and healthy emotional growth for her and her children while seeing Alice as an equal. This point is further highlighted by the fact that she idolizes her father despite him not exactly being a prize either. So instead of compromising she compartmentalizes. She fits the guys in this film into boxes of positive traits and for the most part, they fit them, at least until the plot deems this equilibrium is no longer stable.
Obviously this line of thought coaxes a lot of interesting questions about masculinity, femininity and modern relationships. But using this movie as a starting point for such a discussion is like reading Tarot through McDonalds Monopoly tokens. This movie isn't Antonia's Line (1995) it's Sweet Home Alabama (2002); which is to say a fluffy and forgettable piece of popular entertainment.
That said Home Again is not all that unpleasant to sit through, in large part because Witherspoon knows exactly how to move sugary confections like this. She proves effortlessly charming and despite some bad editing and awkward staging, Home Again glides on the power of her gossamer wings to give us a moderately entertaining distraction. See it if you must.
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The Definition of Rom-Com
I've skimmed some of the reviews here, many of them so negative. What were those reviewers expecting? Shakespeare this is not. But it is a light, cute romantic comedy, and I enjoyed watching it. Sitting home alone on Christmas Eve, I spent a nice hour and a half watching these pleasant looking characters in a pleasant looking environment leading their pleasant, contrived and comical lives. That, and a bowl of popcorn - hey, it could have been a lot worse.
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the buddy system
Greetings again from the darkness. Let's just get this out of the way upfront. There is a proved and established market for mindless fluff designed to allow women to laugh at the messes created by "real life" relationships, careers, and parenting. In fact, first time writer-director Hallie Meyers-Shyer is merely continuing the traditions set by her bloodline. She is the daughter of filmmakers Nancy Meyers and Charles Shyer who shared an Oscar screen writing nomination for PRIVATE BENJAMIN (1980), and collaborated on other Romantic-Comedies such as FATHER OF THE BRIDE (I and II), and BABY BOOM (1987). Rom- Coms exist to bring some balance to the universe of Comic Book film adaptations for fan boys. It is possible to have quality filmmaking on both sides … no matter how rare it seems.
Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon stars as Alice Kinney. It's her 40th birthday, and she's a chipper lady recently separated from her music industry husband (Michael Sheen) and moved with their two daughters (Lola Flanery, Eden Grace Redfield) from New York to Los Angeles. Alice is in full "starting over" mode, including kicking off a new home decorating business. During a drunken birthday celebration with her friends, Alice hooks up with a younger man. The next morning, Alice's mom (Candice Bergen) invites Harry (the young man played by Pico Anderson) and his two buddies (Nat Wolff, Jon Rudnitsky - all 3 are budding filmmakers) to move into Alice's house. What follows is a maybe/maybe not romance between Harry and Alice, a bonding between the fellows and Alice's daughters, new business struggles for Alice, the sudden return to the scene of Alice's husband, and an endless stream of movie-making meetings for the 3 guys.
That's a recap of the story, but it doesn't address the real issue. For years, we have been hearing that the good-old-boy Hollywood network needed to back more female-centric projects: movies about women, movies directed by women, movies written by women, movies produced by women. Well this one has ALL of that, and yet I can only imagine the outrage if a man had written/directed/produced this exact film. Let's discuss.
Alice is positioned as a "brave" and "strong" woman for moving her kids across the country and starting over. What allows this woman to be so courageous? Well see, she is the daughter of a deceased filmmaker who had a successful career and left her a multi-million dollar California estate … conveniently, one with a guest house for the three young men to live in. And who in their right mind, and with two young daughters, would invite three total strangers to move in – especially the night after - even if one of them looks to be yanked right out of an Abercrombie ad? There is also Alice's interaction with her first client (played by Lake Bell). Despite despicable treatment from the rich lady, Alice doesn't stand her ground until yet another drunken bout of liquid courage occurs. The two daughters are smart and cute, but there is an obvious shortage of daily parenting happening here – the daughters seem to show up only when a dose of precociousness is required. The scenes with Alice and her estranged husband are appropriately awkward, but the communication seems hokey … at least until we witness true hokeyness in the cartoonish exchanges between the (now) four gentlemen. In fact, all male characters are written as cartoons, which we might view as "getting even" with the many times female characters were poorly written; however, since the female lead here is just as unreal, that theory doesn't hold.
The paint-by-numbers approach carries through as we check all the boxes: cute kids, a pet dog, apologetic ex, hunky new suitor, no financial hardships, loads of delightful dialogue, Ms. Witherspoon flashing more facial contortions than Jim Carrey at his peak, at least two cheesy musical montages, a mad dash to the kid's play/recital/game, and even the cherry on top … a Carole King song at the end. In a year with so many wonderful female-centric films, this one is difficult to comprehend – except that maybe, given who her parents are, perhaps Ms. Meyers-Shyer is actually the beneficiary of that good old boy network of which we've heard tell.
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Disagree with the haters
I like a movie with heart. It's nice not to see a movie without adults in costumes, violence and all the other negative aspects of life. It's a feel good movie with likeable characters. It is what it is. It was better than some Oscar nominated farces I've seen in the past. By the end of the movie it evoked a sense of what life among family and friends should be.
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Fun and enjoyable. Lighthearted and warm.
I always love Reese in anything, even though this was a little smarmy. Beacause Reese was in this it gave this movie something worthy to watch. I am glad I did. I like a good fun movie in the afternoon. I laughed, I cried, I liked it a lot. The three young men are charming, handsome and sexy in their own way. Nothing my hubby would watch, but I am allowed some fun for me. Yay! Now if I can just find another charming movie to see on my free afternoon.
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Fun, Family, and Friends Make It Feel Like Home
Not in the mood for scares this weekend? No problem, Hollywood has got you non-horror movie goers covered with another romantic comedy. This weekend, the legendary Reese Witherspoon stars in another Hallie Meyers-Shyer work, in hopes of tickling your romantic fantasy on a less risqué scale. Robbie K back again with another movie review on Home Again. Will this film be another mundane addition to her lineup, or do we perhaps have something special with this flick? Let's get started to answer that question, shall we?
LIKES:
Charming/Cute: Like her works in the past, Meyers-Shyer has done a fantastic job building an adorable world/situation for our characters to play in. No major tension, violence, or heart- stopping shock moments, exist in this movie. Instead it is just a simple tale that will pull at your heartstrings while portraying those romantic morals many wish to see. Such a positive atmosphere certainly offsets the horror atmosphere of the other movie most likely to be in your theater.
Fun: With that positive atmosphere comes a fun movie, filled with small sequences that are wholesome, innocent, and surprisingly entertaining. Like a Hallmark Movie on steroids, Home Again takes on plenty of life lessons that are tested against the modern society trends today. Loyalty, romance, job work, responsibility, and child rearing are just some of the things you'll get in this movie. And while tasteful, and certainly predictable, the journey to addressing the obstructions in our character's life brings about some simplistic laughs, a plethora of smiles, and a few tears for whose hearts are warmed by Meyer-Shyer's writing.
Acting: Despite what some say, I found the acting okay and well-fitting given the environment of the movie. Witherspoon herself felt very natural in the role of a single mom looking to find herself again. She brought great energy to the film, all while keeping herself grounded amidst the chaos of all the relationships. The kids were an adorable addition, each playing their parts well to offset the romantic drama loaded into this film. I particular liked the older daughter story and how it integrated a different side of the guys to help solve a different problem. Speaking of the guys all three "eligible" bachelors were decent in playing their assigned roles, from younger brother bringing peace, to the stud that caught Reese's eyes. Of all them, Jon Rudnitsky was my favorite and the most dynamic of the characters being integrated into the film. A nice blend of comedy and drama, Jon's character kept the characters well integrated into the mix.
The short run time: A predictable tale like this can get old, fast. Fortunately, they had the foresight to cut this movie to the shorter end, telling the tale in enough details to get the job done. A plus on my side, though many may feel robbed of a full story they pine for given her past films.
DISLIKES:
Rushed elements: Despite the short time being a nice gift, Home Again's brisk pace leaves some key development scrounging for a rebound. So much potential to really give more layers to the movie, and perhaps get a few engaging story lines out of the mix would have been the better route. Especially when it came to the challenges at hand.
No major obstacle: Home Again felt like a movie with little struggle, few challenges, and in all honesty a lackluster tale all in all. It played a little too close to home and left me just milling about as the problems seemed to iron themselves away. With all the complicated relationships crammed into this tale, one would expect a little more resistance from the awkward shuffling this cast played. Even most Hallmark movies push back more than this film did before they get to that mushy-gushy ending that millions fall in love with. Perhaps a larger challenge might have made for more engaging characters and a feeling of accomplishment.
Characters: Sure they are charming, cute, admirable, and responsible in many ways, but I have to face the facts… the characters are rather one dimensional. The actors did well with what they were given, but much of the movie's puppets were a bit boring to me. Much of my fellow audience members like their physical appearances the most, but this reviewer had difficulties attaching to them because of their stunted growth. Even Reese's character seemed a bit dull, caught in a whirlwind of indecision before suddenly flipping sides. Even worse, the characters (like the plot) were predictable, further dulling the film's entertainment value.
Little Candice Bergen: When you sell Murphy Brown in the trailers, I hope to get more of the spunky actress. Not the case, as Bergen is reduced to a few nugget lines of dialog that is lost in the "romantic" tide. Had she been integrated into the movie, I have no doubt the characters could have grown stronger with her pushing Reese's character to better herself.
The VERDICT:
While certainly cute, Home Again was a bit too simplistic for my tastes, missing the potential to be one of the better romantic comedies. A rushed story with limited character growth, no real obstacles to keep you engaged, and some missed comedic elements doesn't bode well for this predictable tale. However, it is still a fun, feel good movie that will do its job of entertaining target audiences with eye candy, simplistic laughs, and an overall warm your cardiac pump moment that will make you feel good at the end of the day. Not a bad feeling, but not worth the inflated movie ticket price.
My scores:
Comedy/Drama/Romance: 6.0 Movie Overall: 5.5
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I loved it!
It's hard to find a decent, endearing film these days and I really liked the characters. It's not the Holiday or anything, but it's a lovely, feel good film. I might even watch it again sometime.
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Why do people hate this movie?
I watched this movie and three years later, it's still good to me. The actors are good, but it is Witherspoon's well put together body that is good, and above all the design elements are great. Some people say it has too many jokes and it's not for children. So what?
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Entertaining light fare
Home Again is the new Nancy Meyers produced Reese Witherspoon movie. It centers around Witherspoon's character, Alice. Alice is a single mother with two daughters who has separated from her husband and has moved back to California. She invites three young struggling male filmmakers to stay in her guesthouse, since they, at that time, have nowhere else to go. Alice gets romantically involved with one of those three men and then things get a bit complicated. Also, her husband she is separated from decides to pay a visit and things get even more complicated. I absolutely adore Nancy Meyers! She is one of the best in the industry in my opinion. So, I thought it was a pretty safe bet to say that I was going to have a positive reaction to this movie. Turns out, that was a safe bet, because I enjoyed home again very much. If you like romantic comedies, you'll love it. If you like sentimental dramas, then you will definitely enjoy it. And if you like the stars, then there's a good chance you'll like it too. The writing is good and the dialogue is very well written, this movie is all about the characters, and the writing enhances the connections between them. 8/10 for Home Again, it's a worthwhile sweet movie to enjoy if you're in the right mood for this kind of film.
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Good Film
I was enjoying watching this one, although I admit that I am biased for Ms. Witherspoon. She is slender and has nice hair. The guys were 'buds' but were not trashy and tattooed. For added tension her ex-husband is still in the picture and she transitions from a one night stand to becoming their mother...
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Cute & Wacky!
Rom Com with zany characters, cute kids, and good eye candy.
While these characters are the brightest tools in the shed or in this case the pool house... The story was entertaining and funny.
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"Home Again" is a clichéd, unrealistic fantasy of a rom-com.
Have you ever been to a high school play? Those kids and their director work on it for a long time and they try really hard, but no matter what they do, no high school play is going to compete for a Tony Award – or have Hollywood studios clamoring to make the play into a movie with The Original Cast. If you're in the audience, you may enjoy some moments of the play, but you'll often get distracted by what's wrong with it. You'll surely notice some of the actors are more talented than others. There will probably be a really pretty girl who seems to be in a lot of plays and may even win some awards and she'll be acting opposite a slightly older guy with fake gray in his hair, but they'll be acting alongside guys and girls who don't quite manage to get genuine emotion into their performances. And then there's the story. Whether the script is good or not, in the hands of a bunch of high school students and a director, who is probably fairly young and may be just starting out, the play's action comes off as unrealistic and may make you roll your eyes a few times or even laugh at the production (not laugh with it – laugh AT it). Well, you may have a similar set of experiences watching the rom-com "Home Again" (PG-13, 1:37).
Alice Kinney (Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon) has come home. (She's already there when the movie begins, with no drama leading up to the actual homecoming as the movie's title seems to be implying.) She has moved from New York City, back to L.A. into the home of her late film director father and back in close contact with her former actress mother, Lillian Stewart (Golden Globe and Emmy winner and Oscar nominee Candice Bergen). Alice has brought her two daughters, insecure young teen Isabel (Lola Flanery) and the precocious little Rosie (Eden Grace Redfield), but Alice has left behind her music manager husband, Austen (Golden Globe nominee Michael Sheen). She considers herself separated from Austen and has decided to start another new career where she grew up. She freely admits that she was bad at photography and her other previous ventures, but now she thinks she can be an interior designer. She isn't hurting for money, but trying a new profession is part of trying to figure out her life.
Alice goes out with her old friends to celebrate her 40th birthday and makes some new friends – some very young new friends who become very good friends. Alice's birthday celebration merges with the night out of three aspiring filmmakers who are celebrating getting a meeting with a producer who is interested in making their acclaimed short film into a feature. This trio of 20-somethings includes the tall, suave and handsome Harry (Pico Alexander), who is the director (and the group's leader), the hard-working screenwriter George (Jon Rudnitsky) and Harry's sensitive younger brother, Teddy (Nat Wolff), the actor. The party ends up back at Alice's where everyone passes out. The next morning, Lillian shows up with the girls after spending the night together, the guys are star struck and everyone bonds over breakfast. Lillian finds out that the guys just lost their apartment and suggests that Alice let them stay in her guesthouse. She's hesitant, but agrees. Before long, Alice strikes up a romance with Harry, George mentors Isabel in her school drama activities and Austen shows that he's not so sure his marriage to Alice is really over.
"Home Again" is a clichéd, unrealistic fantasy. Everything simply happens too easily for these characters and the plot resolutions that eventually arrive are not well-earned, dramatically speaking. Not only does the script indulge about every rom-com cliché in movie history, but it has the actors do and say things that just don't ring true, making it feel more like a fantasy film than a romantic comedy. Writer-director Hallie Meyers-Shyer (daughter of successful filmmaker Nancy Meyers) can be forgiven to an extent, this being her first film as writer or director, but having an Oscar winner say lines like, "I know this, because I know this," is simply unworthy of a major motion picture. Besides, the experienced cast members should've known better, while the younger cast should've done better (or been cast better). Most of the performances lack emotional depth and most of the relationships portrayed lack cinematic chemistry.
On the positive side, this film has a bland sweetness about it, there are moments of muted joy and the set-up is fairly creative, but the setting isn't relatable to most Movie Fans and it's hard to imagine anyone considering this a quality film. As for Meyers-Shyer, she was still in her 20s when she wrote and shot this movie. Hopefully, her follow-up efforts will show some professional growth. If not, I'm sure there's a high school somewhere that could use a drama director. As for Movie Fans who go to the trouble to go out and see this movie, afterwards, you'll be happy just to be Home Again. "D+"
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Yeech!!!
Warning: Spoilers
Just because the parents made several good movies doesn't mean that they passed the 'good movie' gene along to their children. First-time writer-director Hallie Meyers-Shyer is the daughter of Nancy Meyers, who directed "What Women Want" (2000), "Something's Gotta Give" (2003), "The Holiday" (2006), "It's Complicated" (2009), and "The Intern" (2015). Furthermore, her father, Charles Shyer is best known for "Irreconcilable Differences" (1984), "Baby Boom" (1987), "Father of the Bride" (1991), "I Love Trouble" (1994), and "Father of the Bride, Part II" (1995). Now, Meyers-Shyer has made her cinematic debut as the director of "Home Again," a sickly-sweet, featherweight, contemporary romantic comedy about love, friendship, and families that comes laden with clichés. Indeed, if you look scrutinize it, you may spot the tale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears lurking in this treacle-flavored, feel-good comedy that would send a Grinch into convulsions. America's sweetheart Reese Witherspoon plays Alice Kenny, a fortysomething mom who uproots her two young daughters from New York City and moves back to her hometown Los Angeles. Alice has grown weary of her stale marriage to her smug, British-born, music mogul husband, Austen (Michael Sheen of "Passengers"), who has made it a habit of coming home with Jose Cuervo on his breath. Now that she is back in L.A., where her mom, former movie starlet Lillian Stewart (Candice Bergen of "Soldier Blue") lives, Alice decides to embark on a free-lance career as an interior home designer. Meantime, her two daughters, Isabel (Lola Flanery of "Trauma") and Rosie (Eden Grace Redfield of "The Glass Castle") find the transition from East Coast to West Coast a little disconcerting. Truth be told, Alice is feeling a bit blue, too. Among other things, this frivolous potboiler involves a May-December romance between Witherspoon and a far younger Romeo that kindles few sparks as well as some screwball humor about one of our heroine's flaky clients. Ironically, the advertising campaign for "Home Again" insists that: "Starting over is not for beginners." Comparably, starting up is not for beginners either, considering that Hallie Meyers-Shyer's freshman effort is as inoffensive as it is lukewarm.
Mind you, Alice and her daughters have little trouble finding a place to live. They settle into the palatial bungalow where Alice once lived as a child with her late father, John Kenny (David Netto), a renowned director of 1970's era art-house movies. Later, during an alcohol-fueled birthday party at a local restaurant with her girlfriends, Alice runs into three aspiring, twentysomething filmmakers who have just been evicted from their hotel because they cannot pay their rent. You couldn't find a nicer trio of handsome, charming, broke guys like Harry (Pico Alexander of "War Machine"), Teddy (Nat Wolff of "Paper Towns"), and their friend George (Jon Rudnitsky of "Patchwork"), but where did these guys get the money to pay for those drinks? Anyway, the party grows legs, and everybody winds up at Alice's place. Hormone-addled Harry cannot resist making a pass at Alice, and Alice cannot resist the 27-year old stud muffin's confidence. They wallow in some guilt-free sex behind closed doors. The two awaken the following morning without any concerns about indiscretion, and Harry treats Alice like a princess. The night before Alice went out with her girlfriends, she had entrusted Isabel and Rosie to the care and supervision of her mother. Lillian was supposed to take the girls to school. Instead, she brings them over to find everybody recovering from their mild Bacchanalian without any repercussions. It doesn't hurt matters that the guys worship the films of Alice's late father. Moreover, they not only recognize, but they also idolize Lillian, who starred in John Kenny's movies. Lillian revels in their adulation and rustles up breakfast for them while recounting her glory days in Tinseltown. Later, she convinces a reluctant Alice to let these adorable dudes move into the guest-house rent-free until they can get on their feet. As it turns out, Harry, Teddy, and George have just signed with a Hollywood talent agency, and they are struggling to get their short movie produced as a feature length film. It doesn't hurt matters that Harry's brother Teddy knows how to cook, and George becomes Isabel's best friend. Furthermore, George inspires Isabel to write a play for her elementary school about her family. Naturally, Alice's jealous husband learns about this odd arrangement and tears himself away from his business to fly out to Los Angeles so he can reunite with his daughters and perhaps even reconcile with Alice. He is also around to make sure that Alice doesn't make a fool of herself with gallant Harry. Indeed, Alice does make a fool of herself with Harry, before she realizes the error of her ways. Meantime, the guys don't care for Austen any more than he cares for them. Inevitably, this happy house of cards collapses, and Alice explains to Harry that they aren't made for each other. Teddy and Austen clash in the most inoffensive and sloppy fistfight in cinematic history. Naturally, Alice intervenes, and she sends the guys packing, much to Austen's delight. No sooner have they left the premises than Alice lowers the boom on Austen and asks for a divorce.
"Home Again" is not one of Reese Witherspoon's better efforts. It lacks the sparkle of her better movies, such as "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Freeway," and conjures up none of the wit of her "Legally Blonde" chick flicks. Nothing about this breezy but superficial saga is remotely memorable, and it relies primarily on hopeless artifice that amounts to sheer fantasy. Basically, this movie resembles a situation comedy where nobody suffers any consequences for their actions, and everybody kisses and makes up without any lingering ill will to others. Finally, most moviegoers may find it difficult to sympathize with our affluent white protagonist who doesn't have to struggle to assert herself. Ultimately, "Home Again" qualifies as 'a comfort food movie' for audiences that prefer to shun anything approaching reality.
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Not A Rom-Com
This film is misunderstood.
It is not a romance film. Reese is sweet eye candy and yet does not get involved 1:1 or 1:4 with any man/men.
It is not a comedy. There is no laughter or jokes.
It is a situational drama and a good one. I just wish we would have seen some nudity. certainly, would have been realistic because Reese in a lbd is heavenly and, as a man, who would do her just once and let go? Exactly.
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Lovely, with Reese
Looks like the perfect feel-good movie for mommy. There is everything mommy can possibly want. In the end, almost everybody is happy! Good enough for me too.
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Great Example of a Movie That Should Never Have Been Made
This flimsy female fantasy only got made because the "writer/director" has Hollywood connections.
This fluff wouldn't past muster on a TV sitcom, yet here's a 97-minute yawner of a feature film that wastes time and talent and money that could have gone to something worthy.
Reese Witherspoon stars as a 40-year-old rich woman struggling to raise two daughters all on her own in her swanky LA house that used to belong to her daddy who was a famous filmmaker. She's separated from her record-producer husband, but her movie-star mother lives nearby.
Out on a bender with friends she gets drunk with three young would-be filmmakers who end up living in her guest house. How cute! The three guys of course bond with the kids and help Reese with her difficult life. She's a designer trying to get a start in LA but can't even get her web site up and running.
One of the guys gets "serious about her but then the soon-to-be ex-husband shows up. What to do! Since this was written by a woman, we already know the fairy tale ending.
In this supposedly "empowering" story, we're supposed to root for the poor 40-year-old as she makes some "tough" decisions about her privileged life while sitting in her outdoor kitchen by the pool.
Hardly a minute goes by (it seems) when Witherspoon or the two daughters are not being encouraged and bolstered by someone on their looks. All the women do is seek the approval of men. Even the "strssed out" pre-teen can't put on her school play without one of the guys standing in the wings to encourage her.
Witherspoon finally makes a big decision about her marriage, but it's totally meaningless even within the context of this pile of goo.
Vanity production for Witherspoon and little else. The film is not funny or insightful. Candice Bergen is totally wasted as the movie-star mom who pops in a few times to offer advice. Michael Sheen plays the dopey husband. The "guys" are all unknowns.
This should have been titled THREE MEN AND A MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN ACTING LIKE A FOOLISH KID.
$12M was wasted on this trash.
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Reese is a mom of two moving back to California.
Warning: Spoilers
My wife and I watched this at home on DVD from our public library. We enjoyed it as light entertainment.
Whether one enjoys this movie depends on whether one enjoys Reese Witherspoon. We have seen her in many movies starting with "The Man in the Moon" when she was a young teenager. Here she is Alice, separated from her husband of 15 years, and with two daughters about 7 and 11 I'm guessing. Her husband is still in NYC as she moves back to where she grew up, the L.A. area. And she is turning 40.
A chance encounter with a 20-something guy in a bar leads to her meeting all three of the friends who are budding filmmakers and who incidentally are out of funds and need a place to live. Her mother (Candice Bergen) meets the three guys and invites them to stay in the unoccupied guest house.
All this sets up mostly comedic situations but the guys end up helping around the house and even some activities with the daughters. Then the husband (Michael Sheen) shows up unannounced which creates additional situations.
Mostly an entertaining and clean 90 minutes of rom-com.
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A RomCom that stays light and airy
Writer/director Hallie Meyers-Shyer (What Women Want, The Parent Trap, It's Complicated) serves us a delectable light treat for the holiday season in this well written and well-acted little piece of pastiche. The reason the film works so well is in addition to a nice light touch in writing and directing it is delivered by a strong cast of both well-known actors and some very exciting newcomers.
Alice (Reese Witherspoon), a recently separated mother of two daughters (Lola Flanery, Eden Grace Redfield) has moved from New York to Los Angeles to find a vocation and an escape form a bumpy marriage. She finds her life upended when three young, charismatic filmmakers (Pico Alexander, Jon Rudnitsky and Nat Wolff) move into her guesthouse at the encouragement of her ex-actress mother (Candice Bergen). But her unlikely new family and a budding romance come to a crashing halt when her ex-husband (Michael Sheen) shows up, suitcase in hand. And as the synopsis states, ' A story of love, friendship, the families we create, Home Again is a modern romantic comedy with one very big life lesson: starting over is not for beginners!'
Reese Witherspoon is wholly convincing as the central figure undergoing transition from a discontent marriage to a life when she feels free. The three young men are very well cast and offer a sense of credibility to what could be a rather silly idea. In all, it works - and makes for a light evening's entertainment - with a heart.
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Unsympathetic characters but the houses are nice
Good points: The houses are pretty. That's about it
Bad points:
The central character is unsympathetic. She gets so upset that a guy misses a dinner with her because he is trying to get financing for his movie. She should understand how hard it is to succeed in the industry and understand that. Sounds like an entitled immature me me me person.
The relationship has no chemistry. Pico Alexander looks a too young for Reese - it's a tad predatory looking. He looks younger than an average 27 year old because he's slim.
What happened to Michael Sheen? Usually British actors don't get out of shape.
Not much a of a conclusion. What did you get out of watching this movie? Very little. The story is just too weak.
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As in real life
Witherspoon is a real MILF. Unfortunately by definition MILFs come with their kids and kids are annoying and get in the way. This one was entangled with her ex so you will have to deal with that in the course of the film.
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What is wrong with Hollywood??
Pointless.
I mean I get the anti climatic entrance of the husband to create tension and indecision, but what is the point of having a yummy mommy and it is just a one night stand??
She has a slim waist and hawt face so what is the point of not giving her heavy spunking love??? WTF?
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The very essence of a bad movie
It's beyond comprehension how bad this movie is. Yes, that's an exaggeration...but this is a review so I'm allowed to exaggerate a little bit right?
I saw this at a sneak preview. During the break, when 80% of the people had already left the theater, people started clapping their hands out of misery...wondering why they were there.
Story: three young movie makers to be crash at Reese Witherspoons (guest)house, while they play with the big boys of Hollywood to turn their short movie into a big one. In the meantime, they fill the void in Reese's life in terms of sex, cooking, nannying and ICTing.
And THIS is why this movie should me avoided at all costs:
- Flat, one-dimensional characters
- A brainfart of a story
- A typical unrealistic Hollywood fantasy without any comedy
- What's up with all the sitting around the table and laughing scenes?
- A fat Martin Sheen in a stupid role (this one doesn't really count but it bothered me)
- How in EARTHS name does Reese pay for things? It's daddy's house, OK. But how does she pay for all her sh*t? Going out to dinner with friends, having a macbook, raising two kids and driving a bl**dy Volvo XC90 T6? Without a (steady) job?? Only in Hollywood fantasyland!
I wonder what the target group for this movie is. Here, in Holland, we are way too 'down to earth' for these kind of movies (yes, that's a flaw too).
And for all of you calling this 'lighthearted' and 'sweet', shame on you! By allowing yourself to believe that THIS is an OK movie, we as audience set the bar sub-zero for Hollywood bag boy's.
It's forgettable, utter rubbish and it hurts the eyes (to end with exaggeration again).
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Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5719700/reviews
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