Granted, if you're a fan of Adam Brody ("The O.C."), watching this coming-of-age drama would be satisfying just to see his cheeky little mug. But speaking from a somewhat unbias position, I have to say the real star of this film is the writer, newcomer Jon Kasdan. Being able to write sincere thoughts about acknowledging your mortality, defining your relationships, and struggling to escape from what seems like purgatory can be tricky. Cliches could've inundated the script, as they have done many. But Kasdan managed to capture the plight of the four main characters, while simultaneously adding a little humor to their sorrow.
The story follows Carter (Brody), a porn screenwriter, who gets dumped by his actress girlfriend. He's so heartbroken that he takes a trip to visit his ill grandmother Phyllis (Olympia Dukakis) to get as far away from her as possible, and maybe start that book he's been trying to write for the last 11 years. Once he's there, he realizes his grandmother needs a lot more help than he thought. She's succumbed to death, acting completely indifferent to life with morose statements and hilariously blunt comments. Every line she delivers makes you wonder if her senile behavior is all an act or the refined persona of a worldly woman who's seen it all and is ready to drop kick that bucket. These are two people who are on opposite sides of the spectrum--one starting life and the other ending it.
Being the old bat that she is, Carter is in dire need of someone to talk to, to lay all his troubles on, and he finds that in his next door neighbor Sarah (Meg Ryan). She's one of those white-picket-fence moms, who on the surface seem to be living the dream, but are actually trudging through a nightmare. Her husband cheated on her, her teenage daughter hates her and she's dying from cancer. There are three people living in her house and one is old enough to console her, but her salvation comes in the form of a complete stranger who's half her age. Immediately, they can say anything to each other and walking through vacant suburbia is their therapy of choice.
Once again, here we have two people, one at the beginning of life and the other nearing the end. With these two women, he seeks inspiration, not only to start his book but his life. But it seems the only way he can figure out how either ends, is if he meets someone who hasn't begun their life either. And that's when her daughter Lucy (Kristen Stewart from The Messengers) comes into the picture. While he's toiling away in the trenches of heartbreak, she's learning about teenage boys--which ones to trust and which ones are worthy of that legendary kiss that weakens knees and gets repeatedly described to best friends, daughters, and on deathbeds.
So it's through these four relationships that we are introduced to the cycle of life: the grandmother unwittingly and subconsciously imparting knowledge to Adam and Sarah painstakingly representing a reason to seize life for Adam, and Adam himself bestowing insight to Lucy about how life will be and how she can make the most of it. It's scripts like these that make me wonder if any of this is at all autobiographical. To speak so truly about terminal illnesses or writer's block or anything that concerns stunted progress is a talent not honed by many.
Aside from the oddity of seeing Brody kiss not only the mother but the daughter, the film was just the right mix of humor and sadness. I'm actually eager to see more from this writer. As for Ryan and her muted comeback, she appeared to be like no Ryan I've ever seen. Yes, her new plastic surgery was a little distracting, but it didn't stop her from delivering the best performance I've seen her give. Brody was his usual sarcastic and lovable self, and although he's good at it, there's something in me that wishes he'd play against type.
Rating: ***1/2
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