Review: Home Again

Director: Hallie Meyers-ShyerWriter: Hallie Meyers-ShyerStarring: Reese Witherspoon, Jon Rudnitsky, Pico Alexander, Nat Wolff and Michael SheenRelease Date: 29th SeptemberSometimes we want to go to the cinema to escape the real world and not be reminded of its hardships. That is what Home Again is for. This mom-com about the trials and tribulations of starting over offers audiences an escape via aspirational fantasy.Reese Witherspoon stars as the likeable Alice Kinney. Alice and her two daughters have moved from NYC back to her hometown, LA, after the breakdown of her marriage to music exec Austen (Michael Sheen). Alice must start over not only as a single mother but professionally as an interior designer, a career she’s always liked but has no experience in. She is the creative type, has dabbled in a few professions and is the daughter of a director and an actress (Candice Bergen).The film’s other protagonists, George (Jon Rudnitsky), best friend Harry (Pico Alexander) and little brother Teddy (Nat Wolff), must start over too as they make the move to LA to follow their filmmaking dreams. Their lives follow the same path as the guys from Entourage although they are more wholesome characters.
Their lives follow the same path as the guys from Entourage.
Alice’s familial life is upended when she meets the young filmmakers and after a messy night out celebrating her 40th birthday they end up living at her house, the beautiful LA mansion her father bought at the height of his career. This leads to many complications explored throughout the rest of the film.The film is not trying to make an impact on the way we think which makes for easy viewing. It is well edited and moves along at a steady pace. Each of the main characters is likeable and without their charm, the movie wouldn’t work. Alice’s two young daughters, Isabel (Lola Flanery) and Rosie (Eden Grace Redfield), are a highlight of the film providing the audience with some of its best one-liners.
The message seems to be that single mothers can be happy in their independence despite what life and love throw at them.
Where the film is let down, however, is its trite dialogue and unbelievability. The writer/director, Hallie Meyers-Shyer, is the daughter of two Hollywood filmmakers (both worked on this movie with her) and so maybe this is relatable for her but others may struggle to believe.The message seems to be that single mothers can be happy in their independence despite what life and love throw at them. The average single mother without the Californian mansion and three young father figures in their daughters’ lives may miss this takeaway though. Nevertheless, they’ll hopefully enjoy the 90 minutes of escapism.In a nutshell: An easy to watch, hard to relate to Mom-Com.