Sun, December 5, 2021
I’d like to read the book; I think it’d play a lot like one of Richard Russo’s great ensemble stories. The adaptation suffers a bit for its lack of depth, but does a great job compressing backstory without feeling hacky. The cast is to die for—Jane Fonda packs a lot into a few scenes, the family relationships feel real, and even Ben Schwartz rises to the occasion. Sure, it would have been great to watch them play this out over a six-episode streaming series. But it is absolutely worth sitting through any movie, no matter how nearly it misses its greatest potential, just to watch Tina Fey and Jason Bateman in a two-shot, delivering their best.
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