Family dynamics are a crazy thing. Most families get along, or at least pretend to get along during holidays and special gatherings, and others just can’t be in the same room together without some unfortunate event taking place.

The Altman family, from the new comedy-drama This Is Where I Leave You, falls squarely into that second category. Oldest son Paul (Cory Stoll) feels like the “responsible” son who took control of the family business while his younger brothers fled their hometown. Middle son Judd (Jason Bateman) seems to have a successful career and marriage … on the surface, and youngest son Phillip (Adam Driver) is seen as the irresponsible one who is now dating a much older woman. Then there’s sister Wendy (Tina Fey) who seems more like a mother to them all than their actual mother.

And that mother, Hillary (Jane Fonda), is an author who wrote a child-rearing book that was basically a tell-all of her own children’s lives which caused them no small amount of embarrassment. Now that their father has suddenly passed, Hillary tells the kids that their father’s last wish was that they all sit Shiva for him (even though he was an Atheist, and she’s not Jewish). Of course, close quarters reveal all of their deepest secrets.

It’s those secrets that drive the plot of This Is Where I Leave You, but unfortunately they become an unrealistic list of one thing after another plot contrivances. Judd’s wife has cheated on him, but she shows up unexpectedly with another surprise, Paul and his wife can’t get pregnant, Paul’s wife (Kathryn Hahn, who had a very different relationship with Bateman in Bad Words) is Judd’s ex, Phillip raises eyebrows with his girlfriend, Wendy’s husband is a jerk and she’s still in love with someone else from the neighborhood … it almost gets tiring keeping up with all the subplots.

On the plus side, most of the performances are just fine with a group of mostly comedic actors stretching their dramatic chops a bit. And Jane Fonda seems to be having fun playing a super sexy (grand)mother with a new, large set of breasts, unapologetically baring her ample cleavage to her uptight family. Timothy Olyphant is very under-used (wasted) as a brain damaged neighbor, as is Rose Byrne as Judd’s old flame, and a final act twist comes completely out of left field.

With that said, there are some funny moments and, refreshingly, the film does not tidy up everyone’s messy lives by the time the credits roll. Director Shawn Levy keeps all of the meandering plots moving smoothly, but the script is just too full of cliches to elevate the film above something you’d expect to see on the Lifetime Movie Channel.

ALL BOSTON PASSES HAVE BEEN CLAIMED.

CliqueClack has partnered with Warner Brothers Pictures to offer readers in Boston and Hartford an opportunity to attend an advance screening of the new comedy drama This Is Where I Leave You starring Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Jane Fonda, Adam Driver, Rose Byrne, Cory Stoll, Kathryn Hahn, and Connie Britton.

When their father passes away, four grown siblings, bruised and banged up by their respective adult lives, are forced to return to their childhood home and live under the same roof together for a week, along with their over-sharing mother and an assortment of spouses, exes and might-have-beens. Confronting their history and the frayed states of their relationships among the people who know and love them best, they ultimately reconnect in hysterical and emotionally affecting ways amid the chaos, humor, heartache and redemption that only families can provide—driving us insane even as they remind us of our truest, and often best, selves.

The screenings will take place Monday, September 15 at 7:00 PM at the following locations:

• AMC Plainville
• AMC Boston Common ALL BOSTON PASSES HAVE BEEN CLAIMED

Passes are available on a first come, first served basis. To be eligible, please read and follow the directions CAREFULLY. There will be no exceptions.

• Comment on this post ONLY with PLAINVILLE or BOSTON. If you make a mistake, do not edit your comment because it will not register. You must submit a new comment.
• Include your FULL NAME (First and Last) and email address on the entry form (NOT in the comment box!). Double check your email address before submitting. If your email address is misspelled, you will not receive passes.
• ONE entry per person or couple will be accepted. CliqueClack has the right to discard any duplicates or comments that appear to be duplicates. Multiple comments from a single person will result in complete disqualification. As this is not a random drawing, only one person per couple needs to comment. Keep these offers fair for everyone!
• Check your calendar before commenting. If you have no intention of using the passes, please don’t leave a comment. If the studios see that passes we are given to award to our readers are not being used, they will not want to offer us passes for future screenings. Please be considerate!

Please note that passes do not guarantee seats at the screening. Seating is first come, first served so plan to arrive early. CliqueClack has no control over the total number of passes distributed, and is not responsible for seating arrangements at the theater.

Have a look at the trailer below and then let us know where you want to see the film. This Is Where I Leave You opens in theaters September 19.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=fH0cEP0mvlU

ALL PASSES HAVE BEEN CLAIMED. COMMENTS ARE CLOSED. WINNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED BY EMAIL.

CliqueClack has partnered with Warner Brothers Pictures to offer readers in Los Angeles an opportunity to attend an advance screening of the new comedy drama This Is Where I Leave You starring Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Jane Fonda, Adam Driver, Rose Byrne, Cory Stoll, Kathryn Hahn, and Connie Britton.

When their father passes away, four grown siblings, bruised and banged up by their respective adult lives, are forced to return to their childhood home and live under the same roof together for a week, along with their over-sharing mother and an assortment of spouses, exes and might-have-beens. Confronting their history and the frayed states of their relationships among the people who know and love them best, they ultimately reconnect in hysterical and emotionally affecting ways amid the chaos, humor, heartache and redemption that only families can provide—driving us insane even as they remind us of our truest, and often best, selves.

The screenings will take place Tuesday, September 16 at 7:30 PM at the AMC Century City 15, 10250 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles.

Passes are available on a first come, first served basis. To be eligible, please read and follow the directions CAREFULLY. There will be no exceptions.

• Comment on this post with LOS ANGELES. If you make a mistake, do not edit your comment because it will not register. You must submit a new comment.
• Include your FULL NAME (First and Last) and email address on the entry form (NOT in the comment box!). Double check your email address before submitting. If your email address is misspelled, you will not receive passes.
• ONE entry per person or couple will be accepted. CliqueClack has the right to discard any duplicates or comments that appear to be duplicates. Multiple comments from a single person will result in complete disqualification. As this is not a random drawing, only one person per couple needs to comment. Keep these offers fair for everyone!
• Check your calendar before commenting. If you have no intention of using the passes, please don’t leave a comment. If the studios see that passes we are given to award to our readers are not being used, they will not want to offer us passes for future screenings. Please be considerate!

Please note that passes do not guarantee seats at the screening. Seating is first come, first served so plan to arrive early. CliqueClack has no control over the total number of passes distributed, and is not responsible for seating arrangements at the theater.

Have a look at the trailer below and then let us know where you want to see the film. This Is Where I Leave You opens in theaters September 19.