Adult Beginners (2014)

A bankrupt businessman tries to restore good relations with his sister and her family.

Director:

Ross Katz

Writers:

Nick Kroll (story by), Jeff Cox (story by)

Stars:

Nick Kroll, Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rose Byrne	...	Justine
Nick Kroll	...	Jake
Bobby Cannavale	...	Danny
Matthew Paddock	...	Teddy
Caleb Paddock	...	Teddy
Paula Garcés	...	Blanca
Joel McHale	...	Hudson
Caitlin FitzGerald	...	Kat
Jane Krakowski	...	Miss Jenn
Mike Birbiglia	...	Braden
Greg Johnson	...	Business Dude
Bobby Moynihan	...	Paul
Seth Barrish	...	Doctor
Jason Mantzoukas	...	Herman
Cara Cooper	...	Real Estate Agent

Storyline

A young, narcissistic entrepreneur crashes and burns on the eve of his company's big launch. With his entire life in total disarray, he leaves Manhattan to move in with his estranged pregnant sister, brother-in-law and 3-year-old nephew in the suburbs - only to become their nanny.

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Plot Keywords:

brother sister relationship | bare chested male | party | voicemail | vomiting | 

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Taglines:

Some people just can't handle growing up

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some drug use.

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is the 3rd collaboration between real life couple Rose Byrne & Bobby Cannavale. The First ones were Annie (2014) and Spy (2015)

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Goofs

When Jake and Justine take Teddy for swimming classes the first time, Miss Jenn (swimming instructor) throws a blue colored toy float towards Jake as a sarcasm for his fear of cold water. In the next scene we see that toy float between open arms of Jenn instead of being near Jake or Teddy.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Jake: Hi, I'm Jake Winton. If you're receiving this video, it means that you have invested in "MINDS i". It also means that we have raised $2.5 million to start production on the sickest piece of wearable technology on the market today.

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Connections

References The Princess Bride (1987)

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Soundtracks

NEW CONSTELLATION
Written by Glen Phillips
Performed by Toad the Wet Sprocket
Courtesy of Toad the Wet Sprocket

User Reviews

Well-acted and thoughtful storytelling, but a lazy third act that leaves you feeling hollow.

I really enjoyed Adult Beginners for about the first hour. I was surprised at its score and reception because it was one of the more realistic dramedies about family life and adulthood I've seen in recent memory. The characters felt real, the chemistry was phenomenal, I cared about what was happening, and it was nice to see Nick Kroll playing the straight everyman for once. As great as Kroll was, he didn't quite carry the movie as much as the supporting cast did. Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale are fantastic as Kroll's sister and her husband (and their chemistry is palpable, given they're a couple in real life), and they play off Kroll's deadpan humor with sincerity and ease. It was great to see Kroll's character having to redo his entire life, then crashing his sister's place and having to adjust to this family-centered lifestyle. It was honest and heartfelt, and there are moments between Kroll and Cannavale (who plays the brother-in-law) that are genuinely deep and thought provoking. I wanted more of that.

The humor is intermittent. It's not really a laugh-out-loud comedy despite what you might think with this cast. It's far more subdued and dramatic than a typical Nick Kroll vehicle, and it worked. For a while, anyway. The last 30 minutes of this movie felt like the writers tried to tie the movie up in a pretty pink bow as quickly as possible and call it a day. It was so rushed and half-hearted, leaving interesting subplots by the wayside and throwing this faux happily-ever-after ending that completely detracts from the overall tone. Everything is well-paced and subtle before then, taking you along for the ride and keeping you strapped in for every awkward situation or heartfelt moment, but the ending makes it all for nothing. It's like, "That's it? What happened to everything else I just saw?" The authenticity went out the window.

Having said that, Adult Beginners is very relatable. These feel like real people going through real life crises, and each of the main characters have depth and character flaws that you want to be explored. Some of them are, some aren't. Overall though, I enjoyed this movie for what it was, and if you don't mind a lame ending, I think it's definitely worth a watch.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 April 2015 (USA)

Also Known As:

Adult Beginners

Filming Locations:

New York, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$36,657, 26 April 2015

Gross USA:

$108,808

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$108,808

Company Credits

Production Co:

Burn Later Productions, Duplass Brothers Productions, Through Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1