I was pleasantly surprised when I finally committed to sitting down and watching this movie. I'm a huge fan of Michelle so naturally I knew I would get around to it, though the premise made me uneasy.
The story essentially revolves around Sam (Chris pine) who learns his father has died and left him a shaving case filled with money to give to his half sister, Frankie (elizabeth banks) that he never knew existed. During this journey we learn all about what in his eyes was a very unhappy childhood, the estrangement with his parents (Michelle Pfeiffer is his mother), some obvious relationship issues he has with his current girlfriend (Olivia Wilde), and the difficult issues Frankie and her son have.
I felt the acting was top notch for the most part. Loved Michelle as I always do. The only issue I had with the film were some of the unanswered questions and certain aspects that seemed less believable. Where was Frankie's mom in all this? Why would Jerry (Sam's dad) be so detached with him yet make the effort to reunite the kids on Sundays? Why would that detachment between Sam and his father mean distance between Sam and his mother? What the hell ended up happening with everyone trying to arrest Sam at the end? There is this shift where you get some insight that Sam may not be all that great of a guy... The argument he has with his girlfriend, troubles at work, yet it was never really addressed... Just he made up with everyone and yeah, happy ever after getting to know his sister. They delved a bit into Lillian's heart condition yet didn't fully explore why she wasn't seeking treatment and why she finally agreed to it, that convo even after she was back home never happened.
Despite all that, the movie was enjoyable and thought provoking - which are movies that are rarely made these days. So if you can forgive the questions that arise once it's finished and enjoy it for what it is, it's worth it.
The story essentially revolves around Sam (Chris pine) who learns his father has died and left him a shaving case filled with money to give to his half sister, Frankie (elizabeth banks) that he never knew existed. During this journey we learn all about what in his eyes was a very unhappy childhood, the estrangement with his parents (Michelle Pfeiffer is his mother), some obvious relationship issues he has with his current girlfriend (Olivia Wilde), and the difficult issues Frankie and her son have.
I felt the acting was top notch for the most part. Loved Michelle as I always do. The only issue I had with the film were some of the unanswered questions and certain aspects that seemed less believable. Where was Frankie's mom in all this? Why would Jerry (Sam's dad) be so detached with him yet make the effort to reunite the kids on Sundays? Why would that detachment between Sam and his father mean distance between Sam and his mother? What the hell ended up happening with everyone trying to arrest Sam at the end? There is this shift where you get some insight that Sam may not be all that great of a guy... The argument he has with his girlfriend, troubles at work, yet it was never really addressed... Just he made up with everyone and yeah, happy ever after getting to know his sister. They delved a bit into Lillian's heart condition yet didn't fully explore why she wasn't seeking treatment and why she finally agreed to it, that convo even after she was back home never happened.
Despite all that, the movie was enjoyable and thought provoking - which are movies that are rarely made these days. So if you can forgive the questions that arise once it's finished and enjoy it for what it is, it's worth it.