The plan to make a trip back home as short as possible begins to unravel as Eric finds himself balancing the challenging relationship with his two sisters and his addiction to a local poker game.
Pam says:
Dustin Guy Defa writes and directs this oddball story about siblings and their relationships after their mom, the last adult to tie them together, has passed away. Their issues are myriad with one another, but when Eric (Michael Cera) returns home, the three, Maggie (Sophia Lillis), Rachel (Hannah Gross), and Eric appear to teeter between functioning in the past as children and actually growing up to have better, more stable and adult-like relationships.
“The Adults” has a fly-on-the-wall feel to it as we witness everything that occurs among the siblings; no matter how minuscule or grand. This is to its detriment as it bogs down the pace of the film. Yes, it feels real and it feels as if it’s happening in real time, but that’s not the story we want or need. Additionally, Eric’s character finds himself reeled back into gambling in a hometown poker game which, with his apparent addiction, keeps him in town for a longer period of time. This element really doesn’t unfold and is used only as a device to give him reason to stay in town longer.
Eric, Rachel, and Maggie all have their place in the family and typify the eldest, middle, and baby of the family. They flounder now that no one’s there to lead the pack and are unsure of how to take the next step into having a new type of relationship with one another. Those issues and feelings are ones we can easily relate to for anyone who has moved away only to come home and feel like a teen again and not in the good way. Together, Cera, Gross, and Lillis create this comfortable familiarity that has a long and complicated history.
Beautifully set in the Hudson Valley of New York, the three work out their issues in an attempt to grow up. It’s rather messy and disjointed at times, but the connection and dialogue they have rings true. “The Adults” has potential, but just doesn’t quite live up to it.
2 Stars
