Another Happy Day

Lynn (Ellen Barkin) is coming back to the family home with his sons Elliot (Ezra Miller) and Ben (Daniel Yelsky) Her eldest son Dylan (Michael Nardelli) is getting married. Her daughter Alice (Kate Bosworth) is also coming. She's a fragile mess. Elliot is a cynical trouble maker who causes havoc. Lynn struggles with her parents (Ellen Burstyn, George Kennedy), her sisters (Siobhan Fallon, Diana Scarwid), her ex-husband (Thomas Haden Church) and his second wife Patty (Demi Moore).

This is Sam Levinson's directorial debut and a writer as well. The cast list is very impressive. That may have something to do with the fact that Sam is the son of Barry Levinson. The great actors do some big performances here. Besides the big names, Ezra Miller also gives a good performance. However the whole movie is a chaotic mess of excessive drama with too many characters. More is not always better. The amateur directions never really allow the film to settle down and find a member of this family that we can root for.

I was surprised to see this film didn't score that highly! I happened to catch this showing on SKY recently, and almost switched channels thinking it could be another slow-moving, half-hearted drama starting! I missed the very start and caught it at the bit where Ellen Barkin (Lynn) was driving with her two sons to the families house; to stay to attend her eldest son, Dylans wedding. I am so glad I continued to watch! I found this a very moving, poignant film in which I felt many people could deeply relate to. I found the characters very defined and very easy to like and sympathise with.

Not many films make me feel a lump in my throat and make me feel as though I am really there with them and feeling their grief, and day-to- day issues... this definitely did this for me! The strained relationship (amongst many within this family) between Doris and Lynn, was portrayed amazingly, as was the tension between Lynn and Patty (Demi Moore). Demi Moore (Patty)really played a harsh bitch and it was very raw! The most moving parts for me were, where Ben said he had overheard the family, and what they had said about his condition (I won't spoil that part, you will have to watch). Also the part where Lynn shouted abuse at her son, Elliott, calling him a M*****F*****! That was pretty harrowing and shocking, and some thing I could NEVER imagine, or contemplate saying to my son,whatever the circumstances! But it shows how far angst and despair can really push you, and how it can change ones self! That part really did make me choke! The scene where Alice enters the room at the dinner-party get together was very moving; and I felt her discomfort when walking in to the room full of family that all knew of her issues and past...she was very convincing to watch. Bonnie was my least favourite to watch, I felt she was a little over-powering, but then I guess there are people as outspoken and outrageous as she, within family's! But still, my partner and I found her quite out of place in this film. Not an actress I enjoy watching.

In my opinion, Ellen Barkin (Lynn) and Ezra Miller (Elliott) outshone all the rest of the cast, I felt they really stole the show! That isn't to say the rest weren't good - they really were! Ezra Miller is one to watch out for in the future, he was so absorbing to watch! Having seen him recently in "We need to talk about Kevin, he is, in my eyes, a real inspiration to up and coming young actors, and really intriguing to watch!

This is a movie that I am sure hits home to a lot of people, as I felt it was very real and very impacting! George Kennedy (Joe) certainly reflected the cruel harsh end to old-age. The moment where Doris opens her heart to her daughter Lynn over her fears of losing him, really hit me. This is areal tragedy for most couples to face in later life, and it was a very moving moment...which made you feel for Doris, despite her aloof mothering skills towards Lynn.

This is a film to make you feel the awkwardness and the anxiety's of peoples lives, with moments where you really do cringe. You really can feel the similarities of this families moments of pain and suffering within your own life. Yet this film also has many warming and loving moments throughout. A good master-piece of love, hurt and despair. I would love to see many more films directed in this way, as for someone as me, who holds a very short attention-span with the majority of films, this captivated me and had me on the edge of my seat throughout! Very gripping and a must-see! I applaud you Sam Levinson!

Definitely worth seeing. Watched it tonight, bottle of wine, low expectations, as I hadn't heard of the film at all....full of great acting, good script, believable characters, some fine comedic moments and very touching at times. Mind you, with Ellens Barkin and Burstyn in it, it must have something going for it, don't you think? Both wonderful, and also great to see George Kennedy, too. The young actor playing Elliot is definitely one to watch, too. I can't believe that this film is rated a 5 out of 10, given some of the garbage I've seen lately. Watch this - you wont be disappointed. I hope. Some comments say the characters aren't believable. I beg to differ.

I confess to having seen this film twice, the second time just to see if knowing the ending made any difference to the way the script plays out. It didn't. I was just as embroiled in the detail of a family showing their affection for each other in so many different ways but none of them pleasant. And yet the love was and is there for the whole of the family, it just isn't the kind of fluff or gush that Hollywood is famed for heaping upon its audiences. This is tough love for tough lives, not in the physical sense but in the mental veneers families sometimes play with.

If this were a book you would probably put it down and find a lighter read but as a film it provokes you to look away in the full knowledge you won't because you are already gripped. You just want to know how long it will take before the sparring turns into real bare knuckle fights. The cast perform their tasks wonderfully well, so well that they seem real and that is another reason you cannot turn your head. It is not a film for those who love action or movement in a film because this dwells and draws maximum coverage from each scene. And yet it isn't slow. It is deeply layered and textured with such a diverse range of characters each vying for your affection. And you will love them all for their many faults but mostly for their ability to survive.

If you are not into intelligent drama then you'd best give this a mess, but if you like a really good tour around human beings attempting to live together if only for a day or so, then try it. You may enjoy it as much as I did.

This is a wonderfully powerful film that manages to seriously portray family drama in a believable way - so much so that I could match situations in the film to similar situations that have happened at my own family gatherings. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, hence the lower rating, but for me it was a great snapshot into a family's life and all the issues that get dragged up when so many people come together with a lot of emotional baggage.

Others have mentioned the amazing acting performances and they really do bring the characters and thus the story to life. You can't help but feel for Ellen Barkin's Lynn as she's getting picked at from all sides, both from judgement and disdain from outside her immediate family and from within with Ezra Miller's Elliot acting up the entire time.

However, this film tends highly towards the drama end of comedy-drama, so much so that it contains very little comedy at all in my opinion so I feel the genre categorising is a little disingenuous.