HOME AGAIN (2017)

Taps forehead, “It can’t be Daddy issues if he’s younger than you!” A movie that proves screenwriting cannot be genetically passed down, because oof. 

Reese Witherspoon plays a 40 year old woman who has recently separated from her husband in NY and moved back home to her late big-time filmmaker father’s house in LA. She goes out for her birthday, lets loose, and brings 3 20-something “aspiring filmmakers” back to the home; one of whom she hooks up with. The next morning, her mother implores her to let the guys stay with her in the pool house. Reese’s character, Alice, has two young daughters, but sure, let the 3 randoms stay in the house. This movie implies that if you compliment an older woman enough they will literally give you anything. In defense of the 3 guys, they are taking general meetings with actual agencies and production companies, none of this “I’m writing the next big movie” BS. Alice seems aimless in a scary way. What experience do you have, Alice? She’s 40, why is she getting caught up in petty bullshit with a “socialite” who keeps playing mind games with her? I don’t mean to harp on this again, but she’s 40, so why is she so okay with 1) 3 random guys living in her house 2) letting any of these randoms drive her kids around 3) any of these guys texting her kid? I know the movie does so much work to try and convince you that these are the nicest, gentlest, sweetest, cutest puppy-dog-eyed wittle innocent baby boys, but lady, come on. She just met them like 2 days ago and she goes “Yeah, sure, take my kid to her music lesson, young male I met at a bar 2 days ago. This will end well for everyone and is never the way a Dateline episode starts.” It’s a reverse New Girl without any of the charm. It’s alarming that Alice’s not-yet-ex Austen (Michael Sheen) is the only character in the entire movie who expresses concern over this living arrangement. He’s right! It is weird! 

Alice’s main squeeze of the trio, Harry (Pico Alexander), is a tyrant of a friend. He has the gall to be upset when George (John Rudnitsky) takes another job, or when his brother Teddy (Nat Wolff) starts auditioning for a role. His frustration of being left out feels at odds with the knowledge every aspiring filmmaker has - take the fucking job when you get it, because you never know! I’m not saying every young filmmaker should take on every project and every job, don’t be obtuse. But if it’s a good opportunity, why be such a terrible friend that your friends would hide good news from you? That’s gross. I guess being a little too big for your britches runs in the family, because my jaw completely dislocated when Teddy told Austen that (paraphrased) “it was time for him to leave.” Excuse me? And then Teddy punches Austen? How did he think this was going to play out? 

This movie is bananas, from start to finish. Especially when the boys leave their big producer meeting to try and make it to Alice’s daughter’s play. Oh, right, the play the daughter specifically requested that one of the guys to be backstage during to support her. What? Is it cute or is it creepy? I feel like that should have just been the title of the movie. Let me tell you right now. It’s creepy, it has always been creepy, and it will always be creepy. Ew. You’re an adult man, set some fucking boundaries, especially with your weird Oedipal-complex-mom-figure-landlord. 

Food Recommendation: Bacari on Third. It should be good; the ambience is nice, cute lights, etc. But it's not. The food is fucking terrible. Godawful trash with worse service. Enjoy hell, idiots.