My mother and I went to the movies this evening to see “This is Where I Leave You”. My mother wanted to see it for Jane Fonda and I wanted to see it because I love the entire ensemble cast: Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Connie Briton, Rose Byrne and Timothy Olyphant and other strong character actors, whose names escape me right now, but give solid performances nonetheless.
The story in a nutshell is the dad passes away after a long illness and the siblings, along with the mother, are made to sit shiva. The entire movie is about familial relationships, sibling rivalry, sibling pecking order, role playing, role reversals and expectations.
I left with the feeling of having seen wonderful performances, I shed a few tears at various intervals, and I am glad that my mother and I had gone to see it. After thinking about it for a while, I have to say that Jane Fonda’s performance did it for me. She didn’t miss a beat and she was the mother to them all and a mother to each of them. She nailed the character wonderfully.
If you like movies that explore family dynamics, then definitely go see this one. You will enjoy the time you spend with this family.
laurieanichols 