Rated
PG-13 (Language, Some Drug Use and Brief Sexuality)
Running
Time: 1 Hour & 55 Minutes
Cast-
Chris
Pine-Sam Harper
Elizabeth
Banks-Frankie Davis
Michelle
Pfeiffer-Lillian Harper
Michael
Hall D'Addario-Josh Davis
Olivia
Wilde-Hannah
Jon
Favreau-James Richards
Philip
Baker Hall-Ike Rafferty
Mark
Duplass-Ted
Directed
by Alex Kurtzman
 |
| Elizabeth Banks cannot believe that Chris Pine is the captain of the starship USS Enterprise. |
I
used to work at the reception desk of the Psychology department during my
breaks from class at Long Island University (Brooklyn Campus if you were
wondering) and I remember my supervisor (a kindly old woman) making a rather
curious joke when I told her that I was an only child. With a soft chuckle, she said that children
who lack siblings often end up getting spoiled by their parents (what Asians
call ‘Little Emperor’ Syndrome), prompting me to silently wonder how different my
life would’ve been if I had a brother and/or sister. You often hear stories
about people reuniting with a long-lost sibling but I cannot imagine how I
would react to such news since I’ve never experienced it for myself. This is
the central premise for “People Like Us,” a drama from first-time director Alex
Kurtzman. While it may seem unusual, drama films have always been a mainstay during
the summer movie season and appeals to audiences who want to avoid the latest
big-budget blockbuster. There’s a bit of irony in this because Kurtzman, along
with his frequent writing partner Roberto Orci, have been responsible for a
number of summer blockbusters including but not limited to the first two “Transformers”
films and the 2009 “Star Trek” reboot that also stars Chris Pine. The two also
share co-creator status with fan-favorite J.J. Abrams for science fiction
television series “Fringe,” which will end with a truncated fifth season later
this year. Kurtzman makes a solid directorial debut with “People Like Us” and
while many of its conflicts and themes lack originality, the film makes up for
it with sincere performances from Chris Pine and Elizabeth Banks.
Sam Harper
(Chris Pine) is a fast-talking young businessman who works as a barter system
trader, a job that he is incredibly skilled at as he successfully negotiates
several contracts with various companies, earning a big $84,000 commission and
allowing him to pay off his outstanding debts. However, his supervisor James
Richards (Jon Favreau) reveals that one of the higher-ups is threatening to go
to the Federal Trade Commission over Sam’s failure to follow safety regulations
for a shipment of canned tomatoes and has blackmailed the company into paying
to build a new room for his mansion in return for his silence. His commission
withheld by Richards, Sam returns home to learn from his girlfriend Hannah (Olivia
Wilde) that his father has passed away after a long battle with cancer but he
barely reacts to the news. He reluctantly flies to Los Angeles to attend his
father’s funeral but arrives late, angering his grieving mother Lillian (Michelle
Pfeiffer). Sam and his father, a former record producer, had an estranged
relationship and failed to connect on an emotional level. Family lawyer and old
friend Ike Rafferty (Philip Baker Hall) gives Sam a satchel containing $150,000
in bills and a short note written by his father asking him to deliver it to
someone named Josh Davis (Michael Hall D'Addario). Driving to the address on
the note, Sam learns that Josh is the twelve-year-old son of a thirty-year-old
recovering alcoholic named Frankie (Elizabeth Banks) and that she is his half-sister. Buried under a mountain of
debt and with the Federal Trade Commission breathing down on his neck, Sam is
tempted to take the money but is conflicted once he meets his sister and forms
an instant connection with her, leading to an awkward and ambiguous
relationship.
Honestly, I was surprised to find Alex Kurtzman as the director
of “People Like Us” given his previous work but a film of this type allows him
to flex his dramatic muscles and show that his talents aren’t limited to mindless
blockbuster fare. The film’s opening title card reveals that it was ‘inspired
by true events’ and a little research online reveals that Kurtzman finally met
his half-sister and half-brother eight years ago at age 30. Although it was
never kept a secret like in the film, the writer remarked that ‘meeting my
half-sister was a life-changing experience’ and that it continues to be due to
the lost time they could’ve spent trying to get to know each other. The script
is a heavily fictionalized version of Kurtzman’s personal story with writers
Roberto Orci and Jody Lambert contributing from their own life experiences.
“People Like Us” does not buck convention with its themes and conflicts but the
film benefits from its sincere and grounded tone. The character of Sam mines
well-worn territory, a man who has buried himself in his work in order to avoid
confronting his own flaws because of the cold and distant relationship he
shared with his father. This extends to his mother Lillian as well with her
insistence on Sam being an only child and refusing to own up to the fact that
her husband was not the ideal man she fell in love with. Much of the film
revolves around the growing relationship between Sam and Frankie, which has a
pseudo-romantic component to it which may make certain audience members feel
uncomfortable (nothing happens between them if you were wondering). Both
characters are only able to move past their personal demons once they
acknowledge that they cannot continue to be trapped in the past and blame their
father for their own shortcomings. This journey is handled well by Kurtzman because
he is writing from a personal place but while the character drama is
compelling, the overall script remains fairly predictable even without seeing
the initial previews, which reveal too much about the film already. A few
comedic scenes are also included to balance out the dour mood with Michael Hall
D'Addario’s Josh providing quite a few laughs with his penchant for blurting
out whatever is on his mind without caring whether it’s appropriate or not. The
film also uses a number of licensed music tracks (understandable given that the
main character’s father was a record producer) but I felt their inclusion added
a layer of schmaltz that was unnecessary, in addition to all the perpetual
sunsets. “People Like Us” won’t win any
awards for Kurtzman but it serves as proof that he’s a stronger writer than he
initially appears to be.
Perhaps the strongest element in the film is the
performances and although Sam is written as a smooth-talking jerk, he’s
instantly likable thanks to Chris Pine and his winning smile. Most of the
dramatic lifting comes from Elizabeth Banks as her character Frankie has been
through hell and back. Without spoiling the scene, she and Pine share a
powerful moment late in the film that cuts emotionally deep. Although they are
not playing a couple per se, the two have such a good chemistry that they might
as well be. Playing Frankie’s son is Michael Hall D'Addario and while he’s the
typical kid with a smart-mouth, he’s not as annoying as I expected him to be. Michelle
Pfeiffer is also great in a supporting role as Sam’s mother and I must say that
she still looks attractive even though she’s 54. Olivia Wilde also stars but
her character could’ve been played by any other female actress while Jon
Favreau has little more than a cameo despite his name being prominently
displayed on the poster.
“People Like Us” will be released on June 29, 2012 and
while it won’t be doing blockbuster numbers at the box office, it should garner
at least a positive reaction from critics. “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” was
originally set to release on that day and would’ve dominated that weekend but
Paramount made the uncharacteristic decision to delay the film until March 29, 2013 in order to do a
post-conversion to 3D and add new scenes. The only competition to Kurtzman’s
film is Steven Soderbergh’s “Magic Mike,” Seth MacFarlane also making his
directorial debut with R-rated comedy “Ted,” and Tyler Perry’s “Madea's Witness
Protection.” Given the popularity of Perry among African American audiences,
his film stands the best chance of hitting number one at the box office.
Although the release of “People Like Us” is still a month away, I managed to
attend a special advance screening used to gauge the audience’s (which leaned
heavily toward female) reaction, which was largely positive but one person
whispered rather loudly that it was ‘so weird’ when Frankie began to have
romantic feelings for Sam. Boosting sincere performances from Chris Pine and
Elizabeth Banks, “People Like Us” is a solid drama film that is worth a look
but first-time director Alex Kurtzman ultimately plays it too safe by sticking
to tried-and-true themes, preventing it from truly standing out.
Final
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
“My
father, he always said lean into it. It means that the outcome doesn't matter.
What matters is that you are there
for it, whatever it is…good or bad.
Kinda like right now.”
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