Not a comedy at all, and for that, the cast is so weird: Great comedy actors altogether and I didnt laugh not even once. The story is weak, even though it is tried to have a deep meaning... failed.

Steve Dallas (Owen Wilson) is a shallow weather man for an Annapolis, Md. station. He is the best friend of Ben Baker (Zach Galifianakis) a scruffy bipolar paranoid pot smoker, i.e. Zach Galifianakis type cast. He is also a "yellow belt" and is writing a book in a spiral notebook. When Ben's father passes away, Steve returns with him to Lancaster, Pa. where we meet Ben's unlikeable sister Terri (Amy Poehler), and his young "back to nature" step-mom Angela (Laura Ramsey).The story goes off in different directions. There is a sibling estate fight. We have shallow Steve falling for the step-mom who sees through him. Then there is Ben's mental health and desire to create a utopian society starting with his farm.The film had some good scenes as one might expect in a Zach Galifianakis film. Owen Wilson, or at least his character put a dampener on the whole film whose theme was...friendship? The ending really didn't tie things together and Steve was such a plastic character, you never wish for any success for him.Okay as a Red Box rental- Magnolia film substitute.Parental Guide: F-bomb. Nudity (Melanie Ratcliff, Alana De La Garza-TV actress, Laura Ramsey-brief nudity)

Thing is, this is not comedy, definitely not a classic romance story. The message it delivers is a hint of a more deep line. The false reality of things we are teach to want... Sure the story has a couple problems whit internal integrity and coherence, but the characters feel real !! real people... not some cartoon sister craving for the gold or a "hippie" against the system. Its truly remarkable the work the actors did to (at least in my case)make me forget it was a Hollywood movie. And i believe that the same thing i found so amazing is why is underrated. Its really not commercial. Most of todays indie films are gross commercials productions (all comedies sure are), the only thing that changes is the public, a more refined public or a less one. Doesn't matter... Profit does. "Are you here" doesn't try to be more that what it is.. and that is refreshingP.S The physical change of Galifianakis is comparable to that of Christian Bale in "the machinist"

Let me start by saying that had the film ended with Steve's final reunion with Ben, I would probably have bumped my rating to a 7, feeling it might even have deserved an 8.Sadly, it seems as though the writers were forced to obviate pretty much all the clever characterisation of the first 100 minutes by contriving an ending that might keep the gum-chewing knuckle-draggers happy as they left the cinema chuckling over the treatment of trees and chickens.And just in case you were at all uncomfortable with the serious undertones on which these moments were predicated, here's some cheap 'comedy' music to accompany the 'funny' bits.On a positive note, I found the writing - where it seemed true to the spirit of the story - to be intelligent, witty and occasionally very moving.Zach Galifianakis and Amy Poehler were both excellent, Laura Ramsay was angelic, and while Owen Wilson was inanely typecast as Steve Dallas, he had the odd moment of depth, too.In the end though, I suspect "Are You Here?" was first written for a smart audience but ultimately needed to sell to a dumb one, then failed to entirely satisfy either.