Did anyone else think this was just plain terrible?

You're right, Atlas_shrugged, the basis of this movie is quite good; everything in the story, all the turmoil between characters, the questions it raises, the themes, feelings, it's all there. The real problem lies in the awkward way the movie goes about executing everything. The writing is quite bad at times. I don't mean to sound like some screenwriting *beep* a professor of scripts, but it's a shame to see a movie with such humane meaning, having been written as a melodrama, especially as a movie like this relies very heavily on the emotional peaks. But most of those fell flat for me due to such a lack of foreshadowing, build-ups, or transitioning, in other words, a classic melodrama - it just jumps into the emotions. "You have no idea, do you? *pause* Dad, mom was cheating on you."

Perhaps these sort of shocking announcements were done without any build-up cause we, like the character, are also supposed to feel the shock? That could be an interesting way of looking at it, and in a certain amount I think it could work like this, but since the movie has so much of it, there's this very noticeable feeling I had that my heartstrings were just being dicked around, especially since there are countless scenes of probably every single character in the movie crying at some point. Yes, crying's a part of life, but on screen it can be nauseating to watch repeatedly and from every angle, especially from people we barely care about (the wife's girlfriend, balling her eyes).

And come on, the wife lying in a coma looked ridiculous, mouth hanging open, face all discolored, yet there were so many cuts to it during scenes which were obviously supposed to be tear-jerking, but seeing the wife just made it feel awkward, like a horror film almost. It's not as if the movie was going for ultra-realism. It's a half-drama, half-quirky comedy, quirky because for nearly every dramatic moment, there HAD to be some comedic relief to follow it up, like when Alex is confessing her feeling to mom at her bedside, then gets too carried away and her dad smacks her, I admit, it was a genuinely dramatic moment and it indeed provoked feelings, but then there goes lil sis - "you just got served!" Lines like this completely undermined the drama everytime, the movie simply didn't know what it wanted to be more, dramatic or funny or touching.

The connivery is also evident in the use of music. I hated those Hawaiian jingles ALWAYS being there. I admit, when Matt is on the beach jogging and then begins stalking Bryan, the peacefulness of it was great, just the sound of the ocean waves as he stalked, it was actually very suspenseful, but then the closer he got to the house, here comes the jingly music, completely ruining the suspense, Matt peaking his head up over the bush, bug-eyed, here we go with the unnecessary laughter again... Good grief.

I just thought the direction was very sloppy and unimaginative, the movie feeling like it was tailor made to please audiences, therefore to me it just lost any credibility as being genuine. There were a few genuine, nice moments, like Matt telling the mom's girlfriend she was "putting lipstick on a corpse," and him talking to Bryan in the house and then kissing the wife upon his exit, but these are only small moments. My god, Bryan's wife, don't get me started, when she came into the hospital at the end - was that supposed to be funny? I mean, was Matt straight up kicking her out of the hospital room cause he was annoyed? I sure was. Judy Greer is a comedy actress, you can't expect me to take her seriously in that moment. Too many familiar faces. Laird Hamilton?

You know I could just go on for days about this movie

atlas that shrugged(or something) said the below...

"So, this is a film of subtle nuance and singular experiences that is about change and our decisions. So, you find out that the person you are with has *beep* another guy and is in love with that person. And, your kids are messes and you are left with those messes your wife left you with. And, your wife was a mess who wanted to divorce you, so all of the anger and *beep* you are mad about you can't say because she's in a coma isn't being heard.

And, you want to confront the guy who never loved your wife and maybe led her on for a real-estate deal. And, you have greedy, planning-to-spend-the-money-already cousins, nephews, etc. all waiting for you to decide upon the mother-lode.

Then, there are moments of truth about who you are, who your kids are, and who everyone thinks you are and you are telling me this film had nothing to say? Really...? YAFKM. Right... That's the best you have?

Please go out and live life and experience pain, or maybe it will eventually come to you. This is a film for life's warriors, not Puss'n Boots types.

Cheers."

Amen to that... very well put...

Not sure what people want if this story doesn't have a plot... seems many people accuse films of not being about anything when it wasn't about anything for THEM. If you go to see a Payne film you know it's going to be about ordinary people fighting extraordinary circumstances in a nuanced, honest way. His best one so far I reckon...


Cheers to you too...