On Friday I saw Home Again, starring Reese Witherspoon and Pico Alexander.
Alice (Witherspoon) is a single mother, separated from her husband, who is a big-wig in the music industry. To make a fresh start she moves back home to L.A. with her two girls. On a night out with her friends, she meets Harry (Alexander) and two of his friends; all are trying to break into the film business. Her father was a legendary filmmaker. Before long, the three are living in Alice's guesthouse and she and Harry are falling for each other.
Things get complicated when her husband, Austin (Michael Sheen), decides he'd like to reconcile and makes his way to L.A. Alice is torn between starting over and returning to a comfortable familiarity for her kids.
This is a textbook rom-com with a convenient love triangle, which addresses age, commitment and societal norms. That said, it is also thoroughly enjoyable. Predictable, sure—but enjoyable.
Witherspoon is delightful as a genuinely good mom who only wants what's best for her kids, and the supporting players all foster her decision-making by staying true to their personas. The girls who play her daughters, Lola Flanery and Eden Grace Redfield, are also spectacular. They hit just the right notes of confusion and joy as their lives take a topsy-turvy turn.
If you're looking for something deep or dark, this isn't the film for you. But if you want to take a break from our fractured world and breathe for a while, I can safely say you'll be in good hands with this sweet flick.
~~~
Showing posts with label Reese Witherspoon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reese Witherspoon. Show all posts
Sunday, September 10, 2017
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Wild
Tonight I saw Wild, starring Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern.
Everyone processes grief differently: some hide and retreat for the privacy; others weep every day until their tears run dry. Cheryl Strayed (Witherspoon) coped with the loss of her young mother (Dern) by having extramarital affairs and shooting heroin.
When those recreations weren't satisfying her anymore, she divorced her husband and hiked the Pacific Crest Trail from California to Oregon—completely alone. She wrote a book about her journey, which is what this film is based upon.
Of course, because she wasn't a nature enthusiast or even regular hiker, Strayed wasn't truly prepared for what was in store. She read guidebooks and bought fancy supplies at REI, but when she got to the trail, her bag was too heavy, she didn't know how to pitch a tent or use her stove properly and her shoes didn't fit. Admirably (or stupidly, depending on how you look at it), she pressed on.
She encountered everything from foxes to snakes along the trail, and with the exception of one pair of creepy men, several human beings who were nothing but kind. Watching this just may restore your confidence in humanity.
Witherspoon does a stellar job of making Strayed's pain seem authentic and her mistakes almost necessary. What judgmental folks who scoff at the path she took will overlook is that at the heart of everything, she was searching for an experience to expel the grief that she couldn't let go of in any normal scenario.
I've never lost a parent, but I have lost love in life and it took me years to recover from it because I wasn't able to completely lose myself in that grief and step outside myself to process it.
Strayed gave herself a great gift by completing her trip and she gave us a great gift by sharing that journey. More than a story of pain, it's a meditation on healing.
We could all learn a thing or two from her courage.
~~~
Everyone processes grief differently: some hide and retreat for the privacy; others weep every day until their tears run dry. Cheryl Strayed (Witherspoon) coped with the loss of her young mother (Dern) by having extramarital affairs and shooting heroin.
When those recreations weren't satisfying her anymore, she divorced her husband and hiked the Pacific Crest Trail from California to Oregon—completely alone. She wrote a book about her journey, which is what this film is based upon.
Of course, because she wasn't a nature enthusiast or even regular hiker, Strayed wasn't truly prepared for what was in store. She read guidebooks and bought fancy supplies at REI, but when she got to the trail, her bag was too heavy, she didn't know how to pitch a tent or use her stove properly and her shoes didn't fit. Admirably (or stupidly, depending on how you look at it), she pressed on.
She encountered everything from foxes to snakes along the trail, and with the exception of one pair of creepy men, several human beings who were nothing but kind. Watching this just may restore your confidence in humanity.
Witherspoon does a stellar job of making Strayed's pain seem authentic and her mistakes almost necessary. What judgmental folks who scoff at the path she took will overlook is that at the heart of everything, she was searching for an experience to expel the grief that she couldn't let go of in any normal scenario.
I've never lost a parent, but I have lost love in life and it took me years to recover from it because I wasn't able to completely lose myself in that grief and step outside myself to process it.
Strayed gave herself a great gift by completing her trip and she gave us a great gift by sharing that journey. More than a story of pain, it's a meditation on healing.
We could all learn a thing or two from her courage.
~~~
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
How Do You Know
Tonight I saw How Do You Know, starring Reese Witherspoon and Paul Rudd.
George (Rudd) is a financial something-or-other in hot water because of his father's illegal dealings in the family business. As a result, his girlfriend leaves him, which allows him to pursue a woman by the name of Lisa (Witherspoon) who another friend attempted to set him up with.
Lisa, a professional softball player just cut from the team, is currently in a relationship with Matty (Owen Wilson), a pitcher living the high life and enjoying the perks that come with it.
Once she realizes that Matty isn't the most honorable of men, she treats their union with equal respect and goes out on a date with George. But the timing is bad—he's just been indicted and she's just lost her career, so neither of them is really in the mood for good conversation. They decide it would just be best to remain silent throughout the meal and that's how their entire date is spent—enjoying the peace and quiet.
Lisa decides to try to work things out with Matty and George's self-esteem convinces him to leave her alone (though he thinks about her constantly after their weird evening together).
What's interesting about this somewhat conventional romantic comedy is that the only person worth rooting for here is George.
His life has been turned upside down through no fault of his own and now he's falling for an unavailable girl who frankly isn't much fun to be around. Poor thing!
Witherspoon does a great job of communicating a neurotic, selfish, spoiled brat who appears to leave any situation she doesn't find totally hospitable. Sure, she's pretty; yeah, she's in great shape (though, oddly enough, we never see her on the softball field), but what about this woman's personality is so enticing? Nothing.
Matty is cute, rich and clueless. He has redeeming qualities in that he truly seems to care about Lisa, but a truer-to-life version of him would surely cheat on her.
Though the cast here is predictably great, the screenplay falls short of delivering any real romance or spark, and the laughs are too few and far between to be satisfying.
How do you know when you're in love? This movie won't provide the answer.
~~~
George (Rudd) is a financial something-or-other in hot water because of his father's illegal dealings in the family business. As a result, his girlfriend leaves him, which allows him to pursue a woman by the name of Lisa (Witherspoon) who another friend attempted to set him up with.
Lisa, a professional softball player just cut from the team, is currently in a relationship with Matty (Owen Wilson), a pitcher living the high life and enjoying the perks that come with it.
Once she realizes that Matty isn't the most honorable of men, she treats their union with equal respect and goes out on a date with George. But the timing is bad—he's just been indicted and she's just lost her career, so neither of them is really in the mood for good conversation. They decide it would just be best to remain silent throughout the meal and that's how their entire date is spent—enjoying the peace and quiet.
Lisa decides to try to work things out with Matty and George's self-esteem convinces him to leave her alone (though he thinks about her constantly after their weird evening together).
What's interesting about this somewhat conventional romantic comedy is that the only person worth rooting for here is George.
His life has been turned upside down through no fault of his own and now he's falling for an unavailable girl who frankly isn't much fun to be around. Poor thing!
Witherspoon does a great job of communicating a neurotic, selfish, spoiled brat who appears to leave any situation she doesn't find totally hospitable. Sure, she's pretty; yeah, she's in great shape (though, oddly enough, we never see her on the softball field), but what about this woman's personality is so enticing? Nothing.
Matty is cute, rich and clueless. He has redeeming qualities in that he truly seems to care about Lisa, but a truer-to-life version of him would surely cheat on her.
Though the cast here is predictably great, the screenplay falls short of delivering any real romance or spark, and the laughs are too few and far between to be satisfying.
How do you know when you're in love? This movie won't provide the answer.
~~~
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