bettycjung 3/23/18. Yay! Finally, a dysfunctional family you can love! I was truly surprised that I enjoyed this movie so much! Pine is Sam, and he is one messed up dude who has a girlfriend (Wilde) who has almost given up on him for being selfish and self-serving. He learns, after his father died, that he actually has a half sister, who has a son. He reaches out, but in a very roundabout way, to learn more about Frankie (Banks). Eventually they must come to terms that they are family. Definitely catch this. Pine shows his acting chops in this one, and Banks is wonderful as well as the rest of the supporting cast.

leroyacurso I think the domestic violence in this movie completely overshadows any positive content. Both the mother and half sister of the main character, Sam, perpetrated domestic violence in an alarming manner. Upon becoming angry with Sam, the two female characters struck him rapidly, multiple times. It's not okay, even if women are the perpetrators. The danger of making light of such behavior in a movie is many viewers may think it is a social norm. People may think that such acts are domestic violence only when committed by men. Violence breeds violence. I would not have given the movie such a low rating if in some way it sent a message saying the acts were not socially acceptable.

Springdivine I was pleasantly surprised when I finally committed to sitting down and watching this movie. I'm a huge fan of Michelle so naturally I knew I would get around to it, though the premise made me uneasy. The story essentially revolves around Sam (Chris pine) who learns his father has died and left him a shaving case filled with money to give to his half sister, Frankie (elizabeth banks) that he never knew existed. During this journey we learn all about what in his eyes was a very unhappy childhood, the estrangement with his parents (Michelle Pfeiffer is his mother), some obvious relationship issues he has with his current girlfriend (Olivia Wilde), and the difficult issues Frankie and her son have. I felt the acting was top notch for the most part. Loved Michelle as I always do. The only issue I had with the film were some of the unanswered questions and certain aspects that seemed less believable. Where was Frankie's mom in all this? Why would Jerry (Sam's dad) be so detached with him yet make the effort to reunite the kids on Sundays? Why would that detachment between Sam and his father mean distance between Sam and his mother? What the hell ended up happening with everyone trying to arrest Sam at the end? There is this shift where you get some insight that Sam may not be all that great of a guy... The argument he has with his girlfriend, troubles at work, yet it was never really addressed... Just he made up with everyone and yeah, happy ever after getting to know his sister. They delved a bit into Lillian's heart condition yet didn't fully explore why she wasn't seeking treatment and why she finally agreed to it, that convo even after she was back home never happened.Despite all that, the movie was enjoyable and thought provoking - which are movies that are rarely made these days. So if you can forgive the questions that arise once it's finished and enjoy it for what it is, it's worth it.

SnoopyStyle Sam (Chris Pine) is long estranged from his record producer deceased father. He is left with a shaving kit bag. In it he finds $150k and a note telling him to take care of Josh Davis. Josh is a smart-mouthed little boy who constantly gets into trouble and his single mother Frankie (Elizabeth Banks) has to deal with the results. She's in AA and Sam's secret half sister. He's conflicted and wants to keep the money. He has a fight with his girlfriend Hannah (Olivia Wilde) and he can't stand his mother Lillian (Michelle Pfeiffer).The kid is not adorable. He's a bitter smart aleck little brat. That takes most of the fun out of it. Then again neither is Sam a likable guy. It's hard to watch these unlikeable characters sometimes. It makes the jokes not as funny. At least, Elizabeth Banks is as charming as ever. But the movie is way too long and long sections of it dragged. There is the totally awkward relationship, but there is also a pretty good family dysfunction. It's very much a mix bag.