The Guilt Trip Review

Rated PG-13 (Language and Some Risqué Material)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 35 Minutes

Cast-

Seth Rogen-Andrew 'Andy' Brewster

Barbra Streisand-Joyce Brewster

Yvonne Strahovski-Jessica

Colin Hanks-Rob

Brett Cullen-Ben

Adam Scott-Andrew Margolis Jr.

Casey Wilson-Amanda

Nora Dunn-Gayle

Directed by Anne Fletcher

Seth Rogen and Barbra Streisand star in Anne Fletcher's latest film, "The Guilt Trip."

Mothers make it a habit of smothering their children with love; that's what makes them mothers! Since my mom was always working, much of that smothering came from my grandmother, whose insistence on accompanying me to school every morning persisted until I was age fourteen due to some irrational fear that I might get kidnapped. Yea, like anyone is going to kidnap a ninety-pound Chinese kid. The idea of an overbearing mother forms the basic premise of "The Guilt Trip" from director Anne Fletcher. Despite its mixed reviews (43% on Rotten Tomatoes), I enjoyed her previous film, 2009's "The Proposal," thanks to the fun chemistry between Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. Unfortunately, Fletcher's body of work, which includes the original "Step Up," does not inspire much confidence as none of her films have managed to break out of the 40% range. I don't imagine her latest film will do much to buck that trend. "The Guilt Trip" may offer a relatable premise and some endearing moments but fails to make much of an impression with its formulaic and predictable story, not to mention that Barbra Streisand's character just gets shriller and more annoying as the film wears on. 

Andrew 'Andy' Brewster (Seth Rogen), a graduate of the University of California in Los Angeles, has invented a revolutionary organic cleaning solution called 'ScieoClean' (I bet writer Dan Fogelman thought he was real clever when he made that up) that is composed of coconuts, palm oil, and soy beans. Unfortunately, he's had little success with selling the product to various marketing outlets. Visiting his overbearing mother Joyce (Barbra Streisand) in New Jersey, Andy learns that before she married his father, she was passionately in love with another man named Andrew Margolis. Joyce's feelings were so strong that she even named her son after him. Andy prepares for a 3000-mile, cross-country road trip where he will try and sell his product to a number of big chain stores like Costco. He decides to invite his mother along for the ride, which she enthusiastically accepts believing it's a chance to bond with her only son but unbeknownst to her, Andy is actually planning to reunite Joyce with Margolis, who now resides in San Francisco. 

Although I can relate to having a mother who frets and worries, it doesn't change the fact that "The Guilt Trip" is a thoroughly predictable affair, with many of its plot points already telegraphed well in advance in the trailer. Dan Fogelman's script feels as if it was written by a committee as it makes no effort to deviate from the road trip formula, pitting two mismatched personalities (a mother and her son) in the hopes of garnering some laughs. I'll admit that it's a somewhat novel premise but the problem is that it's simply not funny…at all. Joyce is meant to be endearing but instead comes off as loud and obnoxious, frequently prying into Andy's life when it's not her business. When you embarrass your son in front of his ex-girlfriend with a barrage of questions, it's a no-brainer that he'll choose to bottle up his feelings. The two get into a number of outlandish situations during their trip which includes a visit to a seedy strip club (Joyce misreads 'topless' as 'tapas') where the only joke that Fogelman can come up with involves a purple penis. Later in the film, Joyce enters a steak-eating contest to get a free meal and as ridiculous as it sounds, it's one of the few moments where I felt Andy and his mother were truly bonding. The central drama revolves around Joyce's belief that her son does not want to spend time with her but when he's willing to put up with her crazy behavior for eight straight days just to reunite her with someone that made her happy at one point, isn't that proof of a son's love? Instead, Joyce reacts with anger and views it as an attempt to get rid of her. Of course, all is resolved by the end (that's not even a spoiler) with a trite happy ending that ties everything up in a neat little bow. That's really "The Guilt Trip" in a nutshell: it's all just one giant ball of cliché. 

Seth Rogen is cast against type, leaving his slacker self behind and exhibits a boyish charm as Andy Brewster. It's not a role that requires any heavy-lifting but he handles it well, sharing a great rapport with Barbra Streisand despite her character's grating behavior. Streisand is little more than a caricature as she runs around the film like a hyperactive child hopped up on sugar. It's shocking to see a singer of her caliber reduced to starring in tripe like this. Then again, she was also in "Little Fockers" so why am I surprised? The rest of the supporting cast, which includes Yvonne Strahovski, Colin Hanks, Adam Scott, and Brett Cullen, add nothing to the film. Each of them pop in for a glorified cameo and pick up their paychecks in what amounts to a day's work. 

To be released on December 19, 2012, there are currently no reviews for "The Guilt Trip" but it'll most likely top out at around 40% on Rotten Tomatoes going by Fletcher's previous films. The audience at the advance screening on Sunday enjoyed the film and laughed at every joke as if on cue. Again, this shouldn't be a real surprise to anyone. There was also a live streaming question-and-answer session with Rogan and Streisand but I didn't even bother staying. I didn't outright hate "The Guilt Trip;" it has its heart in the right place but the film is just so bland and forgettable. This is nothing more than a generic, feel-good holiday movie that Hollywood sees fit to dump into theaters year after year.

Final Rating: 2 out of 5

"My penis could literally grow an eyeball and I wouldn't tell you!" (The only funny line in the entire film)