Shawn Levy’s This Is Where I Leave You initially sparks anticipation purely based on its impressive cast. However, considering Levy’s filmography, known for light-hearted fare, one might approach this family dramedy with cautious optimism. Surprisingly, This Is Where I Leave You transcends expectations, emerging as a witty, insightful, and genuinely touching film. Adapted by Jonathan Tropper from his own acclaimed novel, the movie, while occasionally faltering in narrative pace and character depth for some, stands as Levy’s most mature and compelling work to date. It’s a rich, bittersweet, and quirky exploration of love and familial bonds, skillfully balancing the delicate line between life’s comedic and tragic moments.
The film centers around Judd Altman (Jason Bateman), enduring what seems like the year from hell. Discovering his wife Quinn’s (Malin Akerman) affair with his radio personality boss (Dax Shepard) is only the prelude to further upheaval. The sudden passing of his father forces Judd to return home, a place he’s emotionally ill-equipped to face. Back in the family fold, Judd reunites with his siblings: Wendy (Tina Fey), the driven older sister; Paul (Corey Stoll), the responsible and stern brother; and Phillip (Adam Driver), the charmingly irresponsible youngest sibling. Their mother, Hilary (Jane Fonda), delivers their father’s unconventional last wish: the Altman family must observe Shiva for seven days. This week-long forced proximity becomes a catalyst for buried secrets to surface, simmering tensions to erupt, and unexpected connections to form amidst grief and loss.
The premise of This Is Where I Leave You is ripe with dramatic potential, teetering between intense melodrama and outright farce. Levy and Tropper skillfully navigate this tightrope, crafting a narrative that is both humorous and deeply moving. In one instance, Judd grapples with his father’s death and the disintegration of his marriage, while simultaneously the audience is privy to Paul and his wife Annie’s (Kathryn Hahn) hilariously awkward attempts to conceive, inadvertently broadcast throughout the house via a baby monitor. Wendy reconnects with Horry (Timothy Olyphant), her childhood sweetheart whose life took a different turn after an accident, while navigating her own loveless marriage to Barry (Ben Lazar). Adding to the comedic chaos, the brothers seek refuge from a synagogue service by sneaking off to get high. This blend of dark humor and poignant tragedy becomes the film’s signature, mirroring the chaotic and bittersweet tapestry of real life.
What prevents This Is Where I Leave You from descending into mere sitcom territory is the genuine depth and relatability of its characters. The Altman family dynamic is palpable, showcasing the complex layers of love and resentment that bind them together. They engage in sibling rivalries, bickering over mundane matters like inheriting their father’s sporting goods store and teasing each other with the sharp-edged humor born from years of shared history. Yet, beneath the surface, a profound affection exists. Judd confides in Wendy about his marital woes on a rooftop, and despite their shared annoyance at their mother’s tell-all book about their childhood, they instinctively turn to her for comfort in their grief. Wendy’s exasperated declaration to her brothers, “You’re idiots, but you’re my idiots,” encapsulates the universal sentiment of siblinghood.
Even the supporting characters in This Is Where I Leave You cast are richly developed. Linda (Abigail Monk), the widowed neighbor and Horry’s mother, carries a secret that adds another layer of complexity to the Altman family’s already turbulent week. Phillip’s fiancée, Tracy (Connie Britton), a sharp and insightful therapist, begins to question her life choices as she gets drawn into the Altman family’s vortex of dysfunction. Notably, Quinn, Judd’s adulterous wife, is not portrayed as a caricature of infidelity. Instead, she’s depicted as a flawed individual whose actions, while hurtful, stem from her own pain and unhappiness, adding nuance to her character.
However, not every character in This Is Where I Leave You cast resonates equally. While Judd grapples with Quinn’s betrayal and her unexpected reappearance at the Altman home, he also finds himself drawn to Penny (Rose Byrne), a woman who has harbored feelings for him since high school. In a film populated with quirky yet grounded characters, Penny feels somewhat underdeveloped. She embodies the cliché of the manic pixie dream girl, delivering supposedly profound but awkwardly delivered lines like, “I’ve always seen you, Judd Altman.” Despite Byrne’s charming performance and chemistry with Bateman, Penny feels more like a plot device, a writer’s idealized romantic interest, rather than a fully realized character like the rest of the This Is Where I Leave You cast.
The strength of This Is Where I Leave You undeniably lies in its ensemble cast. Jason Bateman delivers a nuanced and sensitive performance as Judd, grounding the film amidst the family chaos. Tina Fey shines as Wendy, injecting emotional depth into her character’s rekindled romance with Horry. Corey Stoll and Adam Driver provide solid performances as Paul and Phillip, respectively, completing the Altman siblings with distinct personalities. Jane Fonda is luminous as Hilary, balancing the comedic aspects of the role, including the prosthetic breasts, with a portrayal of a strong, sexually liberated woman who deeply loves her children. The This Is Where I Leave You cast works together seamlessly, elevating the film beyond its occasional narrative shortcomings.
Like the imperfect family it portrays, This Is Where I Leave You is not without its flaws. It can occasionally feel insular, and some lines of dialogue, while witty, sometimes sound too polished for genuine conversation. Nevertheless, Levy’s film is a tender, funny, profound, intelligent, and at times absurdly relatable portrayal of a family navigating grief. It unearths the hidden moments of joy and awkwardness within a group of people who, despite their differences and conflicts, share an unbreakable bond. Ultimately, This Is Where I Leave You serves as a poignant reminder that life, with its mix of happiness, tragedy, and everything in between, continues to unfold, often when we least expect it, and that family, in all its messy glory, is where we find our anchor.
