If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

David (Jesse Plemons) is a gay NY TV writer. His pilot gets cancelled and he moves back home to Sacramento to care for his mother (Molly Shannon) with terminal cancer. His father (Bradley Whitford) is the only one in the family refusing to accept his homosexuality. There are his two younger sisters. It's a tough year as his mother slowly deteriorates.There is a sense of easy quiet improvisation about the movie. It could laud one to sleep until it reveals its devastating heart. There are some real heart-breaking scenes. It's hard not to feel for this family. I do wish for more of David's relationship and not have the breakup. The dating scene feels like forced comedy. I just want Zach Woods to come out to California to meet his dad. I want more heart and less forced comedy. There is that super sad scene with David's friends in New York. There are some really great real scenes. There are lots of familiar faces doing small roles. It's a solid indie.

I made the decision to watch this because of the hype and talk of Molly Shannon's performance. She was undeniably powerful. However, Jesse Plemons also surprised me in his best performance yet. Incredibly authentic, heartfelt, and lived-in, it's him showing the kinds of dramatic chops that he has and he more than delivers. It's been great to see his transformation from his earlier roles and to see him gaining more and more prestige with the types of smart choices he has made in terms of roles. I cannot wait to see more from him. Overall, the film was very effective. It's simple, but its themes are timely and they hit really chose to home. Not as raw as last year's James White, but instead it has something else to offer.

Other People (2016/I) was written and directed by Chris Kelly. It stars Jesse Plemons as David, a young, gay, NYC comedy writer who is having the worst year imaginable. His mother is dying from a rare cancer, and he has broken up with his gay partner of five years. (Plemons is an very talented actor, who acts his role well.) David moves back home to Sacramento, to be with his family and help care for his mother. Molly Shannon portrays David's mother, Joanne. Joanne is clearly a wonderful person, attacked by a cruel illness that is taking her life rapidly and inexorably.David is an immense help to his mother as she moves back and forth between fighting the disease and giving in to the disease. Unfortunately, she loses either way. Joanne's struggle with cancer is really the core plot of the movie.The scene in which Joanne goes back to the elementary school where she was a teacher, and meets with her old friends, and with her replacement, is superb. It's worth watching the film for that scene alone. An important additional plot of the movie is that David's father will not accept the fact that his son is gay. He is willing to "debate it" with David. However, as David points out, there's really nothing to debate. He's gay, and that's the way it is.We saw this film at Rochester's excellent Little Theatre as an opening night selection of Image Out, the outstanding 24th Annual LGBT festival. It will work well on the small screen. It's definitely worth seeking out and seeing.This film carries a terrible 6.1 rating from IMDb reviewers. This is a case where I say, "Did anyone else see the same movie that I saw?" Ignore the rating, see Other People, and judge for yourself.

It's OK as a drama, but really. I think most all the reviewers are fan boys now these days or peeps paid to write a good review just to get us to watch what ever.Everything this movie has has been done over many a time in other movies. Though not so subtle, and yet blatant with a slap of humour as other similar movies. The real side of life or dying is independence.Not to be confined by who thinks best for you. Nor give in to what you do or say may be judged.With too many DC and Marvel Comic movies about, it is nice to see something else for a change. So just because it ain't no Pieces of April, does not mean you won't enjoy it.