Many years after starring in the hit film “Mr. Mom” Michael Keaton returns to the screen to give us another rendition of a life as a father. Now with a more modern twist, this father is sixty and starting to discover he has lost so much time with the people he loves. Discovering the comedic charm Keaton performed in the early days of his career, along with his dramatic presence over the last few decades, he is still the perfect catch for this wonderful adventure.
Andy Goodrich (Michael Keaton) is beginning to realize that he has neglected his family due to his full involvement with his first love, his career as an art gallery owner, and it has taken so much of his time that he actually has missed all of the good things in life. His first wife and eldest daughter and now his second wife and twins have been strangers to him. He begins to discover that he is missing every signal from his family, so much that he is surprised to find out that his wife, Naomi (Laura Benanti), checked herself into rehab.
Needing to figure out how to find time to keep working and to include his family, Andy, now a single dad, gets placed on him at full speed, his new and unfamiliar responsibilities. Having to care for every need that his nine-year-old twins, Billie (Vivien Lyra Blair), and Mose (Jacob Kopera), require and be there for his eldest daughter, Grace Goodrich (Mila Kunis), who is 8 months pregnant, becomes a true test for him. Along with those many challenges Andy has to try and save his Gallery that has now started to fall on hard times and possibly destroy his one true passion. 
Director and writer Hallie Meyers-Shyer does a fantastic job presenting the life struggles that her main character is now discovering. Presenting this through an older male makes you think where life has gone and the regrets you begin to comprehend. Michael Keaton is the perfect actor for this part, and he develops his character wonderfully, presenting the difficult understanding that he has not been present for his family. His believable performance makes you think how important your loved ones are. When the rollercoaster of life starts making things hard, Keaton hits it right on the nose when he explains that “If life isn’t kicking your ass, it’s not doing its job”.
Hallie delivers more lifetime struggles by including Andy’s older daughter who represents the beginning stages of a new family. Mila Kunis has a spectacular performance as a future new mother and reveals the grief she endured from the loss of her father during most of her childhood. Mila exhibits flawlessly the many years Grace lost and now finally gets the time back as her father confronts his mistakes. 
Meyers-Shyer includes Andy’s younger children, twins, a boy and girl. Here she can show the new struggles Andy must persevere to understand what he has actually missed. Vivien Lyra Blair does an impressive job as one of Andy’s twins and fills her part thoroughly as she helps her father understand his new role.
The entire cast does a marvelous job bringing this story to life, including the needed details that help you feel the realism that comes from this account. Many of us can relate to how fast life can go by and the understanding that we discover the many things that we let slip by. This film shows us just that and goes even further as our main character tries to fix the things he once neglected. A remarkable tale that will definitely grab your attention and surely entertain.
Final Comment: I based my grade on the outstanding performance by the cast and the narrative that gets it right.
Stars 4.5 out of 5
Additional Film Information
Cast: Michael Keaton, Mila Kunis, Vivien Lyra Blair, Carmen Ejogo, Michael Urie, Kevin Pollak, Nico Hiraga, Danny Deferrari, Laura Benanti, and Andie MacDowell.
Directed and written by: Hallie Meyers-Shyer
Genre: Comedy, Drama
MPAA Rating: Rated R for some language.
Running Time: 1 hour and 51 minutes.
Release Date: October 18, 2024
Distributed By: Ketchup Entertainment
Release In: Standard