Reading the reviews here on IMDb, it looks like a lot of the reviews are positive, which is leaving me scratching my head. The critics panned the film, and while I don't always agree with them this time I have to say I agree. What I don't get is that I don't see any of the comments I would have expected to see. Case in point, there are several scenes with Bill (a 40 year old man) smoking pot and drinking with his teenage mentee. There's even a scene that implies that Bill and the kid got it on with a couple of girls in a tent together. In the film, this is passed off as no big deal, but watching it I was cringing. I guess I'm just surprised. I don't consider myself to be that much of a prude, but it just felt wrong. Maybe I'm out of touch.
Anyways, the film never hits the right notes, and despite a decent cast the actors all feel as if they are auditioning for different films. Bill seems to be in American Beauty, his mentee seems like he thinks he's in a national lampoon film, the wife in a dramedy, and Jessica Alba seems like she can't wait to leave the scene and hop on the first flight out of town. Apart from Bill, none of the characters are fleshed out even a little. This is particularly true for Bill's gay brother, who's only role seems to be to pick him up from jail and look concerned while Bill rants. According to the notes on the film there were a lot of last minute cast changes and, I'm guessing, script changes to accommodate the different actors. Whatever was done, the whole thing feels like it unraveled in a spectacularly bad way. I can't get the hour and a half of my life back, but its not too late for you. Save yourself and avoid this flick.
Anyways, the film never hits the right notes, and despite a decent cast the actors all feel as if they are auditioning for different films. Bill seems to be in American Beauty, his mentee seems like he thinks he's in a national lampoon film, the wife in a dramedy, and Jessica Alba seems like she can't wait to leave the scene and hop on the first flight out of town. Apart from Bill, none of the characters are fleshed out even a little. This is particularly true for Bill's gay brother, who's only role seems to be to pick him up from jail and look concerned while Bill rants. According to the notes on the film there were a lot of last minute cast changes and, I'm guessing, script changes to accommodate the different actors. Whatever was done, the whole thing feels like it unraveled in a spectacularly bad way. I can't get the hour and a half of my life back, but its not too late for you. Save yourself and avoid this flick.