The Rest of Us

This movie was better than I expected. While I'm a fan of Heather Graham movies, ordinarily they are rather quirky. This time the story contained well hidden twists which gave it a deeper resonance. Everyone was excellent and the two young actresses both stood out as well.

A man dies, leaving behind his wife, ex-wife, and a daughter from each of them. Circumstances force the two women (Heather Graham and Jodi Balfour) and their daughters together, where they sift through their feelings and try to cope with changes in their life. In the case of what was his current family, they're now homeless, and his older daughter is considering dropping out of college.

There's enough here to spend 80 minutes of your time, but I have to say, I was disappointed in how little the film explored the emotions of these characters. There are a couple of moments that felt raw and real, but in aggregate it felt pretty shallow and sugar-coated. I liked the quiet tone of it and the casting choices, but the character motivations didn't ring true. As for the ending, perhaps if the film had been fleshed out and I had been taken on a darker journey along the way I might have gone for it, but as it was, it just seemed too simple and easy.

I didn't think I'd enjoy The Rest of Us but I decided to take a chance on it. I love how the film evolved and how in such a short amount of time (90 minutes) the four characters connected. Several times I reflected on how I would handle a situation like this. I'd like to believe I'd handle it with the same grace as Cami but I don't know.

Cami (Heather Graham) and her daughter Aster (Sophie Nélisse) receive news of the death of her ex-husband and Aster's father. The new wife Rachel (Jodi Balfour) with her daughter Talulah get evicted and she reluctantly accepts Cami's offer to stay at her home.

It is a family drama of a different kind. It's a shorter Canadian indie. The story is intriguing with all kinds of cross currents. The overall theme of cheating is fascinating since the Craig is not there. These women have to deal with the aftermath and with each other. The writing could do with more humor and it could add some more drama for the third act. Maybe the daughters run off and the mothers can bond over the search. Nevertheless, this is an interesting little film with some interesting actresses.

I just finished watching The Rest of Us (2019). Directed by Aisling Chin-Yee, this Canadian drama stars Heather Graham, Sophie Nélisse, Jodi Balfour, and Abigail Pniowsky. When her ex-husband dies suddenly, Cami (Graham) invites his second wife (Balfour) and daughter (Pniowsky) to stay with her and her teenaged daughter (Nélisse). The four women deal with their grief, while trying to navigate their complicated relationship and history. I was very invested in all four main characters and their journey. The film was well written and I thought all four lead actors did a good job. I would definitely recommend this film to anyone who appreciates an intelligent, engaging female driven drama. My rating is an 8/10.