After the Reality

This is a great watch. A moving story with honest portrayals of grief and a tribute to those who have to each find their own different way forward. We laughed out loud. Wish I could melt into the family's cabin in northern Minnesota. The commentary on the soullessness of the reality competition world is right on. Loved it.

Was so delighted to stumble upon this heartwarming, yet hilarious, independent film from first-time director David Anderson. I was frankly drawn in by names like Matthew Morrison and Jane Lynch, but left excited to see more from Anderson, who demonstrates an intriguing ability to defy genre.

The trailer cherry picks "deliciously pitch-perfect" when that quote applies only to the reenactments of YOUNG BUCKS, the Bachelorette-style reality TV show. Frankly, they were pushing the age of the male suitors. Top billed Matthew Morrison is 38 and his face looks every bit of it.

Less successful is the family drama that isn't very interesting and reeks of "prodigal son" shtick. Morrison isn't very spontaneous and doesn't really create and inhabit characters. He brings his set repertoire to the role and takes on the character's name. That's it.

The script suffers from absence of subtlety. EVERYTHING the characters are thinking comes out of their mouths. The expository dialogue reveals that the writer/director doesn't trust the audience to perceive anything. Thus we end up with emotions by braille.

This would do better on Lifetime TV than the big screen.

I found myself totally engaged in the story and cared about the characters. It has a good balance of humor and engaging drama to propel it forward and make it a totally great viewing experience. I loved the acting; Jane Lynch and John Heard round out a sold cast. I liked Matthew Morrison on Glee, but here he gets to show a wider range of his talents. I also thought the cinematography was great. Being from the Midwest I so enjoyed the landscape and wanted to be on that lake!!

I've lost some dear friends and family and have never seen a film about grief that captures the reality of it like AFTER THE REALITY... oh... And it's an uplifting film! I laughed and cried. The Young Bucks (the reality show contestants) are so spot on funny and real to those shows. Sarah Chalke delivers a performance of a lifetime and Matthew Morrison is right there with her. I just wish there was little more Jane Lynch. She and Matthew are such a fun on screen duo. Some people might not get the shifting realities but it's a complicated emotional film Definitely gong to watch again.