Directed by Shawn Levy (Warner Bros., 2014)
Following the death of the Altman family’s patriarch, his four children travel home to join their mother (Jane Fonda) for the funeral. The graveside service draws the curtain back and gives us our first glimpse into this unique family dynamic. We watch as the youngest brother (Adam Driver) pulls into the cemetery, rap music blaring, and interrupts the service already in progress. Here we see both the exasperation and genuine affection that characterize the film’s tone. This is not a story about mourning, but instead one of love and family.
After the funeral, it is revealed to the four grown siblings that their father’s dying wish was for them to spend seven days together in their childhood home sitting shivah. The week-long traditional Jewish mourning period is unwelcome and somewhat confusing to the nonreligious Altmans, who perceive it as something akin to serving hard time.
As with any family unexpectedly confined to a single house, their patience wears thin. They struggle to relate to one another as adults and default to the adolescent behavior they last employed to work through their problems. And problems are something they have in spades, from infertility and potty training to infidelity and divorce. By the end of the seven days no stone is left unturned and no secret is left untold, leaving the group no choice but to face reality. Together.
Billed as a comedy, This Is Where I Leave You does not disappoint. Each heavy scene is counterbalanced with the sharp wit and comedic chops we’ve come to expect from the likes of Tina Fey and Jason Bateman. But don’t let the well-timed hijinks fool you. At its core this is a surprisingly rich story with a deep emotional well that is beautifully articulated by
a dry subtlety and an honesty that will warm your heart.
No, this is not a story about death. It’s a story about life.
This review appeared in the November 2014 issue of U.S. Catholic (Vol. 79, No. 11, page 42).
Image: Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
