Wonderful character development!

Simply Perfect

I wanted to but couldn't!

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

So much of this movie was horrendous. Owen Wilson's character Steve, our protagonist, is an unlikeable peeping-tom whose cliche playboy persona is so tired I almost fell asleep every time he was on screen. His character arc is meant to be about him growing up and learning responsibility. But, these changes are only motivated by the desire to have sex with his best friend's step-mom, Angela. His subsequent tantrum that she sleeps with his friend and not him reminded me of a child screaming "that's MY toy!" on the playground. Steve is certainly no Don Draper. Amy Poehler's character is portrayed as a total stick in the mud, even though her dad's just died and she's going through hormone treatments and her behaviours were pretty understandable. Who wouldn't be mad that their step-mom showed up to their father's funeral in a see-through dress? Who wouldn't be pissed that their dad left their sibling WAY more money and assets in the will? Who in their right mind would want their brother's high as the stratosphere, dead-beat friend interjecting in private discussions about her father's will? Suuuuuch a buzzkill. The real treat of this movie though is Angela, the aforementioned step-mother. She is meant to be seen as this earthy, loving woman who heals the men around her. But she only seems to do this with sex. And baking pies. Maybe Matthew Weiner should stick to directing shows about the 60s cause that time is a lot more in tune with his views on women. Owen Wilson yells at her toward the end of the movie that she has no responsibilities and just gets everything she wants because she's hot. This line is meant to be taken as super mean and uncalled for-but it's true. Maybe I'm a prude, but banging your step-son SHOULD be frowned upon. More than that, the idea that having sex with his stepmom would help Ben's mental-health is absurd. And, the suggestion that once you start to take medication you can instantly get better and change your whole outlook and lifestyle is ridiculous. And, in almost every scene something weird and unrealistic happened that pulled me out of the story. Examples: A prostitute calls and leaves a voicemail to confirm an appointment just like the dentist. Owen Wilson, a 50 year old man gets caught spying on his 20 something neighbour changing and she smiles and waves at him instead of calling the cops on this perv. Ben bites a child's cookie and the mother isn't weirded out. This movie failed to make me care about a single character, failed to make me laugh a single time, failed to adequately use Jenna Fischer, and failed to leave any kind of impact other than disappointment.

You' ll understand the name of the title by the end of the movie. Cheesy and cliche' at times but brings clearity to what we call life."Life is not meant for thinking"

I wanted to hate this so much. I'm so sick of Godless Hollywood types telling stories about the meaninglessness of life. But then I remembered a few things. First, of course movies are going to reflect the real life values, experience, and conflicts of the people who make them, and they are a certain type. Second, I have to judge a film based on what it is, not on whether I personally like the message or the ethos.Having said all that, here it is: Yes the makers tried to throw in a lot of different philosophical elements, to the point where you weren't sure what the message was. But perhaps that actually is part of the message. Life is messy and complicated. Many of us have toyed with both Liberal and Conservative approaches to life.Anyways, there were a number of good, memorable elements. All three free spirits accuse each other of shallowness and immaturity at some point and grow into better souls. In the early parts, you may get the impression that the film is glorifying hedonism, and amorality. But it isn't. It's doing just the opposite. In that sense, it is actually close to being a conservative movie.The most poignant moment is when one former hippie cleans up, moves into a condo, and realizes that this is all there is. We may do small things to help the world, but for the most part life is a routine, and that is o.k. It's immature to crave some exalted mission all the time and swear allegiance to it, while shirking responsibility.An even greater conservative scene is when our hippie imagines a bar patron telling him what a worthless dreamer and charlatan he actually is.There's a sort of "flower child" character here who helps men reach their potential. But instead of trying to make them better hippies, she tries to make them better, more enlightened and responsible men. That's a nice twist.There is an unspoken, yet underlying current that suggests that the Amish people of the surrounding area live a more authentically pure lifestyle, because they make things from scratch and have few wants or needs. It makes sense that free spirits might admire the Amish, because they usually crave a less materialistic, naturalistic, nature-based life. Meanwhile we see an Amish boy visiting a Psychiatrist. Perhaps to suggest that we all have problems.The cinematography is terrific. There are beautiful green spaces and some nude work. For the most part there is not much actual sex or even a lot of profanity.Sure the Zach G. actor guy has done variations of this role before. But this one was his best. Because you really felt his pain. It wasn't meant to be humorous. Wilson played his usual self, but once again did it beautifully. The woman who played the free spirit did so with just the right amount of emotion and detachment.What a sad shame that so many people spend a lifetime being immature, only to wake up middle aged with nothing to show for it. Better late than never. I think that was the ultimate message.

I do not understand that all movies by Zach Galifianakis or Owen Wilson (and Amy Poehler) automatically get the stamp "comedy". This is not a comedy, this is a very good movie. About friendship, about the hardships in life, about running away from your feelings and about trying to solve someone else's problems so that you do not have to deal with your own. Pair this with beautiful shots of green countryside and an actual dramatic role of Amy Poehler, great acting and a sturdy script, and you have a good movie. I love that taking drugs or drinking alcohol is not glorified, but shown for what it is to most people: a way to escape life, pain, feelings, the hard reality.Favorite lines: "See, nobody believes in friendship. People talk about it; you see it on TV, people drop by, you go to the doctor together, no one eats alone... But most people are alone. That's the thing about friendship: it's a lot rarer than love, because there's is nothing in it for anybody." Though the whole idea of the movie actually counters this quote, it shows brilliantly how people can deceive themselves.