I adored this movie! It enriched my evening last night. I didn't have any expectations going into it. I figured I'd like it because of the great cast--and that is a small part of the reason why I enjoyed it so much.I enjoyed how the characters never took themselves too seriously-- and the message behind this movie for me is you really shouldn't take yourself and life too seriously because then it's too heavy to carry around all the time. The movie was endearing to me because Sally and Don remind me so much of my grandparents whom I admire greatly. Don calling Sally "chief," is much like one of several nicknames my grandaddy called my mama (What I've always referred to them as). Their playful and joking personalities are similar to my grandparents too, so I really felt like I was with both of them again.This is great family viewing for the reasons I've mentioned. I think adults and kids will both get some enjoyment out of this film. Plus, Charlie Day is Charlie Day in it--and everything you'd expect from John Krasinski is delivered. Watch it please!!!

Directed by and starring John Krasinski this family comedy with a few tears hits all the right marks.From family fisticuffs in the hospital room to indulging mom's sweet tooth for dipping pretzels into ice cream for breakfast - this family has got a lot of heart.The family rallies when Sally Hollar begins having seizures and needs brain surgery. What follows is a family coming back together and smoothing out misunderstandings. There are zany madcap moments that will make you laugh and cry. Worth a view.

I could nitpick and find a trillion faults with this movie. The direction lacks any sort of inspiration, letting the viewer actually "feel" the passive way Krasinski chooses to go about treating the all-star cast. Thankfully, most of the actors seem to know what they're doing so, albeit lukewarm directorially, the performances somewhat save the day.My opinion, unless he seriously ups his game, JC really needs to keep his front-of-camera day job and leave the technicalities to those with a more creative eye. Onwards.The writing is inconsistent, varying from incoherent to brilliant which, let's just say is not good for those with short attention spans. Like a screenwriter's hoarding wasteland, the plot is crammed with all sorts of random subplots that add nothing to the story, ultimately resulting in frustrating loose ends - so be prepared to invest and be disappointed.Now, for the surprise. I actually enjoyed this movie. Emotional manipulation, forced drama and all, on the back of the magnificent chemistry between Martindale and Jenkings, Krasinski's dead-pan despondence, Day's irrational wit, and Kendrick's refreshingly grounded performance, I was thoroughly entertained. The movie offers quite a few pieces of quotable dialogue and peppered with humorous lacings, certain melodramatic sequences that border on the twee never quite tip over to the cringe-inducing side, keeping the drama basic but real.All said and done, this would have been a two-star, forgettable annoyance, yet it somehow succeeded in gripping my attention enough for me to enjoy the otherwise menial material.From me, three stars and never forget that Margo Martindale is one of the great ones.

"The Hollars" is a film I had heard about for a while mainly because of the actors, particularly Krasinski, Kendrick and Martindale. When I finally got around to watching it, it was exactly what I expected and also nothing like I expected at the same time. And here's why: The plot has been done many times before. Dysfunctional family is brought together by an illness or some kind of conflict. Each has their own personal struggles which run under the surface of the main plot. Family realises that the true happiness in life is each other. "The Hollars" manages to do that a little differently, although that's not necessarily a good thing...The movie simply has too much going on to ever really focus on one storyline in enough depth to make it succeed. The main plot that is detailed in the summary regarding Sally Hollar's illness almost seems like a subplot at sometimes, taking the backseat to John's drama or Ron's drama or Don's drama. Yes, those are their names. I like that each character is complex with their own personal lives outside of the story arc, but too many things are focused on when more time could have been spent with Margo Martindale's terrific performance than with Josh Groban. I was also particularly confused at the brevity of some of the story lines that ran throughout. Once it was introduced, I expected the storyline with Mary Elizabeth Winstead's unhappy Gwen and her husband, Jason who also happens to be Sally's nurse and John's old classmate. Oh yeah, Gwen is also John's ex girlfriend. But John is now dating and having a baby with Rebecca. You can read how 'Gossip Girl' it all sounds. Thankfully, there are some strong points. The soundtrack was lovely, highlighting some really poignant moments that needed no dialogue. I don't think any dialogue would have made them work but the music was really lovely. Krasinski seems to know what he's doing in terms of direction and his performance was good, too. Not exceptional, but it was a lead performance. Though it's the supporting actors that take the spotlight this time around. Anna Kendrick spent the first half of the movie trying to find out who her character actually was and then redeemed herself in the second half. Richard Jenkins had a strong outing as Don Hollar, though the bouts of crying were a tad excessive and over-dramatised at points. Sharlto Copley was good, too, standing out as a true supporting actor. Others such as Charlie Day and the aforementioned Mary Elizabeth Winstead were convincing in their small roles. But really it's Martindale who steals the show. Predictably. It's a role she could really nail. I'm proclaiming her the queen of supporting roles, for she always make them more like a lead. She always brings a certain charm to her roles that make you want more of her. Having seen her shine in "The Americans" and "The Good Wife", I was excited to see her performance. And what a turn it is. Martindale does what she does best. Acts the hell out of any character. If the awards season wasn't plagued with outstanding acting performances all around, Martindale could potentially have been a contender with the right voters.