Having never heard of this movie and deciding to tape it and watch later because Geena Davis was in the cast, I was quite happy with the pick.Here's why this is a good movie - I actually rewound this movie several times so that I could write down a quote from it: "I could have prevented it, but more to the point you couldn't have. Nor could you have saved him. Some things are just meant to be, sad as they are. We all pay for our mistakes Billy. You paid for yours long before you made them. Now you gotta stop paying. See what the world has to offer. What am I gonna do with it? " When you write down a quote from a movie so you can reread it, you have a winner.If it's not for you, some things are meant to be, sad as they are. What are you gonna do with this movie?

Call me abnormal, but a movie based around families loved ones all dying in random car crashes, is nothing I can digest as a comedy. This movie seemed like it was going for a Indie feel, but didn't have any real edge to it. It was a bunch of tragedies after another, but they weren't really funny or ironic. Even the moments that were supposed to be emotional, were awkward or set up poorly. This movie just couldn't pull things together to connect emotionally with the viewer. That said, one thing this movie did do a good job at was with making the set look like things from the 80s. It looked like it could have been the set from E.T..

Yes, there is some irony in the tragedies that the Conway family undergoes, and I can understand Geena Davis's dark character of Gloria Conway amusement at finding out that her one-time date Bob's wife was electrocuted while using the dishwasher. It's tragedy upon tragedy that makes this odd demise of a character we never meet a bit humorous in an off-beat sort of way. But this is a family that is really hard to watch at times, because they just don't seem all that real to me. Gloria isn't the most likable mom out there (even Kathleen Turner's Beverly in "Serial Mom" was surpringly likable, even knowing that she was a psychopathic killer), and the break-up of her marriage to husband Ray (Joel Tobeck) isn't explored enough to be believable. I actually understood the kids more than the parents, identified with their childish pranks (the scene at the drive-in theatre was quite amusing), and really felt bad for the poor son Gene who ends up in a nursing home after a car accident that killed his sister, Linda. As for son Billy (outstandingly portrayed by Harrison Gilbertson), I felt his pain as well, feeling that he knew that everybody wished it was him, not his twin Gene, who ended up basically a vegetable. Even the drunken brother Larry I could identify with, knowing how deep the pain of loss and not understanding why everything so bad keeps happening. This is a family that needed major therapy, and unfortunately, the poor kids (minus Gene and their late sister, Linda) had to deal with parents that were too selfish to see how their behaviors were destroying the entire family.This was a courageous role for Geena Davis to take on, much more challenging dramatically than even her role in "Thelma and Louise", and she is excellent. The problem is that from the beginning (when we see the Conway's neighbor killed in a fire caused by an exploding BBQ) there is such a negativity surrounding this family, and the mother is at the forefront of it. Their interaction with the Post family (their other next-door neighbors) is deeply explored, and when tragedy strikes that family (thanks to an intended harmless prank), the two are drawn together. I would have liked to have seen more development of the relationship between the two mothers as they struggled to deal with their grief, anger, and subsequent forgiveness. A powerful moment comes when Mrs. Post (Sarah Woods in a very good understated performance) whispers "thank you" to Gloria after the truth comes out about her husband's death.I found this hard to give a high rating to, but since I obviously found myself drawn in emotionally and was extremely touched by the ending (concerning the widow of the elderly man killed at the beginning), I ranked this higher than I originally intended. I can only suggest watching this movie with an open mind and open heart because it really is difficult to embrace this family unless you try and understand each character for their own individual pains, which are many.

This movie hooks you in with the promise of quirky indie cinema and lovable characters, but what you're left with is a pointless, sappy crap.Awful acting. Awful script. Geena Davis is a saving grace in the film, with barely anything but hokey phrasings and maudlin tone shifts to work with.The images and music were fantastic, but in between beautiful shots and gorgeous sounds there is nothing but exposition in dialogue, crappy narration at points, and seemingly mindless character motivations.This is the product of a confused script. It takes from the writer's own childhood, so I can get how it's probably catered towards some sort of reality in the past. But there is no embellishment that makes it into a good story, simply coincidence and misfortune, most of which happens because of the actions of the characters - who contrary to what the movie states, are largely responsible. I mean, the kid throws a bowling ball down the street in the middle of the night and has the balls to say "It wasn't anyone's fault" when a car gets run off the road. Misguided adolescence, maybe. Good filmmaking and relatable themes? Not a chance.I will concede that the climax of the film, where Davis finally visits her son, is very well done, and probably renders any audience speechless. But this does not save the film, nor does it seem to change where this trainwreck was heading.I could complain more about the content of this illogical sap-fest, but I urge those of you looking for a quirky indie experience to look elsewhere. There are many better indie films that need supporting.