IMDB says: Life for a single mom in Los Angeles takes an unexpected turn when she allows three young guys to move in with her.
In this Hallie Meyers-Shyer (Father of the Bride, What Women Want) written and directed film, Reese Witherspoon (Legally Blonde, Walk the Line) stars as Alice, a single Mum recently separated from her husband Austen (Michael Sheen: Passengers, The Queen), who has stayed in New York City while she has moved to L. A. with their daughters Isabel (Lola Flanery: Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments, TVs Mary Kills People) and Rosie (Eden Grace Redfield: The Glass Castle, I'm Sorry) to live in her father's old house.
Following a drunk-fuelled birthday night with her friends, whilst her daughters are with her mum Lillian (Candice Bergen: Sweet Home Alabama, Bride Wars) overnight, Alice invites three young aspiring-filmmaker guys (brothers Harry (Pico Alexander: A Most Violent Year, War Machine) and Teddy (Nat Wolff: The Fault in our Stars, Paper Towns) and friend George (Jon Rudnitsy: Patchwork, TVs Criminal Minds)) to her house. When her Mum returns early the next morning with the girls before school, the boys are still there and they recognise her as an actress and conversation steers to their interest in the father work as a film-maker. Lillian convinces Alice to invite them to move in and despite the age difference and attraction between Alice and Harry, it works. The boys are doing well with trying to get their careers off the ground as a popular horror filmmaker named Justin Miller (Reid Scott: Dean, TVs Veep) is interested in working with them and they help out around the house while Alice works for new client Zoey Bell (Lake Bell: No Strings Attached, It's Complicated), in particular George bonds with Isabel, an anxious and shy girl, because they are both writers.
Estranged husband Austen finds out and is not happy about three strange men living with his daughters and he moves in to keep an eye on things. The boys do not like Austen as they think he is bad for Alice but what will Alice decide?
I thought this was a charming movie, a real departure from the horror, fantasy and action movies that were out at the same time. Witherspoon was perfect in the role and though the script was somewhat predictable, it was entertaining. Its themes were love, loyalty, parenting and other life obstacles of modern society. I enjoyed the story of the older daughter, Isabel, coming out of her shell with the encouragement of George (Rudnitsky was the stand out in this movie), but the film did feel rushed in parts and could have done with more character development.
The romance is not the main thread of the movie but a light heart warming look at relationships, be they friendship or family. There are some laughs to be had and I came away from the film uplifted, so despite some of the very negative reviews, I recommend that you give this feel-good movie a try.
Trivia: Producer Nancy Meyers , mother of writer/director Hallie Meyers-Shyer, originally offered Reese Witherspoon the lead in The Intern (2015), which she turned down. Meyers played a big role in getting this script in Witherspoon's hands. Bergen and Witherspoon worked together on Sweet Home Alabama (2002) and Lake Bell and Nat Wolff also worked with producer Nancy Meyers in It's Complicated (2009) and The Intern (2015), respectively. . Rose Byrne was once attached to star and Alice's house was formally the home of Cindy Crawford and, before that, Stephen J. Friedman.
Tagline: Starting over is not for beginners. 7/10
This film is available to buy from 5 February 2018 in the United Kingdom.
#HomeAgain #ReeseWitherspoon #CandiceBergen #MichaelSheen #Jon Rudnitsky #PicoAlexander #NatWolff
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