A.C.O.D.

As I started watching this movie, it became very obvious that this was a very personal, cathartic movie. I have no problem with that, it's done all the time--but what's important, interesting, funny, and meaningful to the writer/director, doesn't always translate into something meaningful to the viewer unless there is far more skill in the storytelling. And that is what I think this movie lacked.

The plot simply covers the story of a a kid named Carter (and his younger brother Trey) who's father was a philanderer as a husband, as well as fairly cold and distant as a father. The father and mother haven't spoken for 20 years and the father has gone through several other step moms over those years.

I'm sure the "seminal" moment of Carter's 9th birthday was a huge deal to writer, but it was thrust at us so quickly at the beginning of the movie that we didn't have time for any background/setup to even know or care what was going on. To me, that scene which was apparently so pivotal ended up a throwaway scene because the writer seemed so eager to tell it that he told it too soon without any context whatsoever.

So we fast forward to Carter's now-successful (at least career-wise) life. There are a lot of funny moments here, but nothing we couldn't see in a half-hour sitcom. But the road the movie takes us down is a bit meandering and it seems very clear that we're going to have some sort of too-neatly wrapped up happy ending designed to close every loose end with a perfect situation and end all the pain of all the children who've gone through this situation.

To me, it just smacked too much of someone dumping his messed-up life on us and his wish of what could have been. It didn't make for an entertaining movie. Maybe a half-hour episode of Trophy Wife or something would have been a better venue for this story. Jimo

"Them together is bad for everyone, especially me." Carter (Scott) has settled into his life as an Adult Child Of Divorce. He has a girlfriend he likes and a restaurant he owns. When his brother Trey (Duke) informs him of his engagement things begin to fall apart for Carter. First he has to try and get his parents to talk to each other so the wedding won't be ruined. Then he must keep them from getting back together for his sake. Going in with that cast I was expecting a hilarious comedy that I would be laughing at the whole time. While this was a good movie and I did like it it wasn't nearly as funny as I was expecting. There are some funny parts in this but it wasn't the laugh riot I was expecting. This is more about the selfishness of one person and how he messes with everyone's life to make him more comfortable. There is some very funny moments in this but hard to make that plot hilarious. Again though this is a good movie and worth seeing but do not expect the laugh-out-loud comedy I did. Overall, good and worth seeing but not super funny. I give it a B.

I liked the movie, I think I would have liked it better if I hadn't understood it so well. And yes people, some of our parents did behave this way. The fighting in public, ruining weddings, burnt pictures...the list goes on. I think I didn't care for it as much as I could have because Carter, gets crapped on. He is the victim. The parents are selfish a-holes. But if you can't laugh at your misfortune, you just have misfortune. Accurate picture of a dysfunctional divorced family, obviously not all families are like this. Loved all the actors, Jane lynch is one of my favs. Makes you want to be a better parent...and spouse.

Think the reviews are unfair - it's a well made film, it's different and the cast are great.

No, it's not perfect. It's the not the best film ever made - but it is a good film, it's not the same story line that's been churned out a million and one times. Its definitely worth a watch, and the cast is great.

I love the multiple genres included in the film, it created a real life feel to it. Adam Scott is a great lead with a great cast around him. This is a great film to just chill out and watch without to much thinking that be enjoyed by all.

Grade: C+

A.C.O.D. is a completely mixed bag. The film centers around Carter (Adam Scott), who has spent 15 years dealing with the feud between his divorced parents (Richard Jenkins and Catherine O'Hara). When Carter's younger brother Trey (Clark Duke) Decides to get married, Carter must confront the feud and convince his parents to go to the wedding together.

Like I said earlier, this film is a mixed bag. Adam Scott is the best one in the film. He is able to convey sympathy for his parents while also trying to keep everything in an orderly fashion. His parents on the other hand? Well… They are crap. They were always bickering at each other and causing a big scene, which I understand is the point of their characters, but I never felt any authenticity in their performance. Catherine O'Hara really got on my nerves.

The ending felt very rushed. It's almost like the film was originally shot to be two hours long but during editing, the director decided to cut out a 30-minute chunk of the final act. At only one hour and 27 minutes, A.C.O.D. leaves a lot more to be desired. If you are a massive fan of Adam Scott and you have to see all his work then check it out, otherwise this is one you can probably skip.