 Rated: R
Ever since his wife’s death, Lawrence Wetherhold (Quaid) has become a bitter, narcissistic middle-aged man whose life itself has become perfunctory. This exceptionally bright professor can lecture on Hemmingway in his sleep, but when it comes down to love, family, and relationships, he is at a loss for words.
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Starring: Dennis Quaid, Thomas Haden Church, Sarah Jessica Parker, Ellen Page, Ashton Holmes
Directed by: Noam Murrow
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As a father, he has inadvertently turned his back on his son, James (Holmes), and mirrored his unhappiness through his overachieving, teenage daughter Vanessa (Page), who hides behind a veil of acerb remarks and sardonic humor.
As a fastidious Victorian literature expert, Lawrence would have anyone change their major to anything but English. He doesn’t bother to remember any names or interact with colleagues, but such actions are not without consequences. Little does he know, a series of former students he failed to recognize would have a bigger impact on his life than expected, and pretty soon he’ll end up with a suspended license and accidental love.
The catalyst to this brilliant equation is Lawrence’s never-up-to-any-good adopted brother, Chuck (Church), who drops by out of the blue and volunteers to be his chauffeur, as long as he can crash at his place. Although Chuck has a knack for irritating his brother, Lawrence soon learns that he needs him around.
When Uncle Chuck comes to save the day—he won’t make you a sandwich or remember to pick you up from school—but he’ll teach how to make friends, talk to women, and enjoy the simplest things in life -- like when he uses the photocopy machine to creatively display his most intimate parts.
It isn’t until Chuck and Lawrence’s ER doctor, Janet Hartigan (Parker), stumble into the home of the Wetherholds, that a renascence for happiness is triggered in them all. Only when they stick together and work out their problems as a family can there be any hope for change.
With such a delicate family as this one, it’s no surprise that you’ll come to understand why even the smartest people have problems too.
There are plenty of surprises that change every circumstance for this family that will keep you amused. I think incorporating the campus of Carnegie Mellon University gave the story a genuine feel -- like watching a slice of life from a real family in Pittsburgh.
Final Analysis: If you’re looking for a dramedy with levity where brilliant people are put to the test with life's antics poking on their miserable shoulders, then this is the film for you. The main character that will keep you laughing out loud is Chuck (played wonderfully by Thomas Haden Church). He'll have you smiling all the way through the film.
This Reviewer's Rating:    3.5 / 5
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