Successful novelist Michael (Ryan Reynolds) visits his family in the Midwest, only to learn that his mother, Lisa (Julia Roberts), has died in a tragic accident. Along with his father, Charles (Willem Dafoe), a college professor, and his sister, Ryne (Shannon Lucio), Michael attempts to come to terms with his grief. Lisa’s absence revives many old wounds, however, and the emerging tensions threaten to destroy the family just as they make an effort to come together and mourn.
Q-tips say: Not as enjoyable as anticipated. An unrelentingly grim drama about yet another dysfunctional family. This histrionic family drama must have looked good on paper to attract such a big-name cast, but on the screen it comes off as glib, rushed, and underdeveloped.