8.5/10 It has been a full seven years since Alexander Payne blessed us with one of the best films of the last decade, Sideways. While this offering may not quite be up to that hallowed level, it is a very fine film indeed. George Clooney plays a self-absorbed Hawaiian lawyer whose life is left in shambles after a boating accident leaves his wife in a coma. But things aren't always what they seem, are they? Is the lawyer self-absorbed or just living an empty life? Was his marriage finished and he just didn't know it? Can he and his kids provide each other with the necessary support in this, their time of need? While this movie sounds like a stone cold Hallmark-style drama, it is anything but. There are myriad nuggets of humanistic comedy gold to be mined form this material, as well as an uncompromising look at contemporary family dynamics, that we can all relate to. The character development is particularly rich in this dramedy, especially considering this plot in a film hack's hands could have turned this into a piece of tripe. As it is in Payne's skilled hands, it turns into one of the most realistic and empathetic of family films. The MPAA should be ashamed of themselves for rating movies like this R simply for a smattering of "bad" language. This move is perfect for thoughtful teenagers. Highly recommended.
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