I loved this movie. It showed the inherent goodness of people even when things go wrong in their lives & they have cause to be angry/depressed/sad etc & act out. The character of Bette is such a breath of fresh air. As another reviewer wrote, she isn't afraid to be herself nor does she let the others' behaviour affect her desire to love them & be of service...& she's very funny & fresh, a joy to behold! She was also incredibly wise (i.e being aware of allowing the devastation of divorce to floor you in the moment rather than suppressing & holding onto resentment forever etc)without trying & just didn't get drawn into the darkness that was visiting the mother & sons. We need more examples of this in movies, more inspiration to do good in the world & to stay buoyant even when things appear 'bad'. She is an advert for resilience & strength.I was waiting for formulaic moments to pop up but they didn't. I was continually surprised by where conversations/scenes went & that 'messy' was allowed to be messy without having to tidy it all up & make a pretty-looking package, yet at the same time, it didn't descend into huge amounts of drama & cruelty as is often the way. The ultimate package is pretty anyway, cute, brave, sexy, endearing & very real. I didn't want it to end! Sit back & enjoy my friend :))

After watching this movie, I went and checked that it had a female director as I suspected, and I was right. I then discovered that the writers were female as well.I then imagined all the parts in the movie played by a character of the opposite sex, and considered what the public reaction would be.It was interesting to note that even the male lead in the movie could not redeem himself.It is a superficially pleasant story, but deeply misandrist in its message and were the sexes reversed, would be considered offensive or blatantly silly.I'm not sure if the director or the writers even intended it as such, but it does show how the public attitudes toward women and men differ, almost to a complete reversal from fifty years ago.Perhaps someday someone can make a movie about an likable male hero, and the public would believe it?

A simple, charming film that deals with psychological and societal issues close to home that continue to plague families and their members. It stays at the surface of these issues-- divorce, young love, depression, fear of intimacy--and chooses to frame the drama in comic lines, which was an inspired perspective. The actors are superb, each playing his or her role in an authentic manner and letting the lines and the situations generate the laughs, smiles, and grins. The film belongs to the two young lead actors and their chemistry is delightful. The older brother's character grows on you, initially not in step with the other cast mates, but he finds his footing early enough in the film. The theme and plot are predictable enough, but there's not that much new in terms of story lines. The manner in which theme and plot were packaged produced a small but elegant jewel of a film that is enjoyable and emotionally satisfying.

Valiant effort. But NO! I was feeling down and wanted to believe in love again, but I found myself yelling at the screen saying NO! at all the unwanted awkward moments & direction flaws! and some script flaws.What got me thru this movie was the cast. And all the other elements of a good film are there, like the soundtrack, great lighting & cinematography etc.Never a dull moment of course with the lovely Virginia Madsen. And Graham Rogers is so cute. Showing great potential. It even managed to capture a bit of an irresistible feeling with Amanda Crew, But her character does many things in the film that make you root against her. Zach Gilford is the cutest nerd ever. The actors just felt misdirected.