Excellent but underrated film

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

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

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Jake (Nick Kroll) a guy who's been living the bachelor start up life but finds himself without money or friends after his tech investment start up project goes belly up. He goes back to his childhood home where his older sister, Justine (Rose Byrne), lives with her husband and 3 year old son. She's pregnant, trying to sell her house, discontent with her job, and isn't particularly happy to see her brother who only shows up when he needs something. Nevertheless, she lets him stay and he takes over as nanny to her 3 year old son. This set up had some really good potential. It could have been a good story about a guy who finds himself at a loss without a job, living in his hometown, and not knowing what to do with his life but the movie falls flat at really exploring the themes it sets up. It splits its focus between Jake and his sister without really fleshing out either of them enough. Too many elements are introduced (learning to take care of his nephew, Justine's dissatisfaction with her job, the marriage issues, Justine feeling betrayed by her brother for not being around, Jake's lonliness) that it all gets lost. If the writers had focused on just one or two of these things, the movie would have been stronger.The ending is so rushed and the stakes so low, that I felt kind of cheated.I also have to mention that I have a huge pet peeve about the fact that Justine was pregnant, but barely looked pregnant throughout the movie.Kroll and Byrne do a good job with the script they are given which left me feeling again like this movie could have been so much better. I found Kroll amazingly likable and sweet and for me, that made this movie worth watching.

This film's surface is good enough to make it entirely watchable and even enjoyable, which is why it just sneaks into a 7 for me, rather than getting a 6. And I recall thinking that there was one smart move by the filmmakers, where they made a choice that wasn't the obvious one.However, not only can I not remember what that was (six months after seeing the film), I can barely remember the story. There are some movies that start evaporating from your brain the moment the credits start to roll, and this movie is pretty much the archetype. Nevertheless, if you're easy to please, you will be entertained.

This film tells the story of a high flying entrepreneur who lost everything on the night of his company launch. With nothing under his belt, he goes unannounced to his sister's home to stay a few months. The problem is, he and his sister aren't even close."Adult Beginners" is a fun film. It tells the way Jake slowly reconnects with his sister Justina, who haven't seen each other for a year. In the three months they stay together, they grow closer to each other and even make amends of the troubled past. The topic is dealt with in a light hearted manner so that it's not grim at all, but still provides the emotional roller-coaster amidst the laughters. It highlights the divide between work and family, and makes people reflect on the importance of connecting with your family. It's a nice film to watch.

After watching this flick I kept trying to figure out its message ... because it came across to me as a message type story. Well I came up with many messages. The main message being - "family first" - maybe?The script is first class, the acting is just fine, the music, sets, editing is wonderful. But at movies end you feel a bit lost. The only weak point in the story is when Jake tells his sister about her husbands secret, it seemed a bit forced and contrived. The argument just doesn't hold up to support Jake spilling the beans!And what about Justine's job? That issue just fades away when Jake moves back into the city for his new job. There just isn't enough foundation on each character to hold the story together.Jake and Justine are victims of loosing something that they held dear in their lives. Plus Jake looses out professionally and Justine looses her image of her husband. And at end it just doesn't come together. But it's not a bad movie.