Review of Home Again (2017) by Mary H — 20 Oct 2017

"Hallie Meyers-Shyer's filmmaking debut is the cinematic equivalent of rotten cinnamon buns".

Movie Review: Home Again.

Date Viewed: September 13 2017.

Written and Directed By Hallie Meyers-Shyer.

Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Nat Wolff, Pico Alexander, Jon Rudnitsky, Candice Bergen, Michael Sheen, Lake Bell, Reid Scott, Lola Flanery and Eden Grace Redfield.

"The Big Sick" was the funniest romantic comedy I have seen in years, it was heartwarming, funny and terrific all around. It became the perfect definition on what a romantic comedy should be and now we have a movie that plans to derail the entire genre again. "Home Again" is a blippity-bland romantic comedy that contains no sparks, no charm and worst of all, no laughs. If you thought Nancy Meyers' films were annoyingly bland, get a load of Hallie Meyers-Shyer's filmmaking skills.

It's always good to see Reese Witherspoon doing rom-coms, even when they're mediocre or out-right terrible, she always manages to stay charming on screen. But "Home Again" is a different case, she's so plucky and superficial in this I just felt sorry for her. "Home Again" is mostly set in Los Angeles in the Hollywood scene and Witherspoon plays a newly separated single mom who meets three aspiring filmmakers. Witherspoon's character is also the daughter of a very famous big-shot Hollywood screenwriter. For anyone who doesn't know, Hallie Meyers-Shyer is the daughter of filmmakers of Nancy Meyers and Charles Shyer. Since she grew up knowing about movies, screenwriting, rom-coms, L.A. and the Hollywood scene, you would think that Hallie Meyers-Shyer would seem capable of making smart and funny movies but surprisingly she failed spectacularly with "Home Again". The film centers around filmmaking, the Hollywood scene and the daughter of a big-shot, Oscar-winning filmmaker, how can "Home Again" be so bland and have the same rom-com formula and cliches we've seen so many times before? It seems like that Hallie Meyers-Shyer has no idea what to do as a filmmaker.

Witherspoon plays Alice Kinney, a newly single mother who's now living in Los Angeles with her two daughters, Isabel (Lola Flanery) and Rosie (Eden Grace Redfield). Alice recently separated from her music honcho husband, Austen (Michael Sheen) and she's looking to retool her life by becoming an interior designer. During a night out with friends on her 40th birthday, she meets three young men at a club. Harry (Pico Alexander), Teddy (Nat Wolff) and George (Jon Rudnitsky) are three aspiring filmmakers and they're looking to seal the deal with a pair of hot-shot Hollywood producers in the hopes of financing their movie but first they need a script. Harry, Teddy and George currently have no place to live but everything changes when they meet Alice.

One hungover night later, Alice slept with Harry and Teddy and George slept in her living room. Soon, the three aspiring filmmakers become a huge dilemma for Alice because they admire and love her father's treasured work and they ask her if they can stay at her place for a while. Alice doesn't think it's a good idea but her ex-actress mother, Lillian (Candice Bergen) thinks so because they're likeable and friendly. Harry, George and Teddy move into Alice's guest house and what a surprise they instantly bond with Alice's two daughters. Alice has a functional and working relationship with Harry but their chemistry seems non-existent. Alice's new and unlikely phase in her life immediately turns sour when her ex-husband shows up and Austen becomes disturbed by the fact that three young men are living in Alice's guest house.

Nothing in this film rings true and I thought I will never have to see this again, "Home Again" is another movie that has an ending revolving around a guy (one of the bores who Alice is attached with) and it all boils down to this guy seeing if he can make it to her kid's talent show or school play on time. People! This cliche has been done to death already! Two really bad movies from earlier this year had this uninspired plot device, "Fist Fight" and "The Comedian". "Home Again" is nowhere near as bad as those movies but it's still the cinematic equivalent of rotten cinnamon buns. Reese Witherspoon's character is nothing more than a blank slate and the three aspiring filmmakers she gets attached to are complete bores.

For a rom-com that centers around moviemaking, Hollywood and the daughter of a famous big-shot screenwriter, it should've been more sharper and funnier than this. "Home Again" is a shallow and empty rom-com. Please skip this one!