The Film
There are many, many movies where big, estranged families get together for one reason or another -- and both wackiness and heartfelt moments ensue. So what makes This Is Where I Leave You so different? Well, nothing really.
The film, which is based on Jonathan Tropper's 2009 novel of the same name, does have a very big, all-star cast. That's something. In fact, it's probably the only thing that will keep you from pushing the stop button on your Blu-ray player, because frankly, the cast is so darn likeable.
Once again, Jason Bateman plays the straight man as Judd, who comes home one day to find his wife (Abigail Spencer) sleeping with his boss (Dax Shepard). If that's not bad enough, he soon gets even worse news: His father has passed away and he needs to sit Shiva. That means that he needs to spend seven days with his oversharing mother (Jane Fonda), his desperate-to-conceive older brother Paul (Corey Stoll) and his wife Annie (Kathryn Hahn), his unhappy sister Wendy (Tina Fey), and his weird younger brother Philip (Adam Driver).
Right there is more cast than any movie deserves, but This Is Where I Leave You still manages to stuff Rose Byrne, Connie Britton, Ben Schwartz and Timothy Olyphant into super-small roles.
Tina Fey, Corey Stoll, Jane Fonda, Jason Bateman and Adam Driver are just a portion of the all-star cast in "This Is Where I Leave You." Photo: © Warner Bros.
And that's part of the movie's problem. It's just a bit too much for a movie that runs 103 minutes, but really, the film shouldn't go any longer. It has funny moments and moving moments, but overall, This Is Where I Leave You is sort of boring. The one saving grace is Driver, whose brand of crazy does manage to elevate a few scenes.
The Picture
This 2.40:1 image is a good one, with strong black levels and a nice color palette. Those colors are probably the image's strongest suit, with varied skintones, lush scenery, and plenty of warm tones inside the family's home. However, there's also some good detail here. Again, it's most notable on the faces in the cast. Jason Bateman's facial hair, Rose Byrne's lips, Jane Fonda's wrinkles, Tina Fey's scar; I could go on, considering the film's giant cast. While it's not exactly demo material, This is Where I Leave You is certainly nothing to be unhappy about. It's pretty much what you'd expect from a new movie, with an all-star cast.
The Sound
This is Where I Leave You is a very dialogue-heavy movie, which the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track handles quite nicely. There are a few ambient sounds, especially when the action goes inside the bar, in the skating rink, and when the family has guests. However, it's nothing really all that memorable, with most of the surround sound being consumed by the film's soundtrack. However, it's pretty much what you'd expect with this type of movie.
The Extras
Final Thoughts
This Is Where I Leave You is a forgettable movie and it really shouldn't be. It has an insanely talented, insanely large cast, most of which is completely wasted. The AV is good, but the film itself is totally predictable and reminiscent of many other movies -- many other, better movies.
Product Details
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