graydon james

A competent film with Zach Galifianakis as a bi-polar son who inherits too much from his dad, much to the consternation of his bitter sister (excellently played by Amy Poehler), and Owen Wilson as the superficial friend who loses himself in all forms of excess. Some reviews I have seen question the characters' choices, but they do seem consistent throughout and most of the change they experience is earned, though much of it leaves them worse off. This movie has the spirit of -- and rolls along like -- a breezy lift-you-up rom-com, but ultimately the third act (mild spoilers...) shows how every change has a consequence that actually pulls all the characters down. There's something to think about for each character, except one, and the sometimes quietly devastating effects of getting what you wish for. Spoilers ahead! I like to indulge in the game of "what one thing would you change to make this movie better?" And for this film, there is an unfortunate Hollywood ending for Owen Wilson that feels unearned and it would have been a stronger, bittersweet ending if he did not get the girl. Wilson is a likeable actor but his character has such vast levels of entitlement (he's entitled to some reward for being a "good friend", he's entitled to the love interest because he likes her, he's entitled to the good job even though he is mostly terrible at it) that the mild reversal at the end that brings him some level of remorse is not enough to wash away all that entitlement. He needed to show up at the farm, see her getting ready to go, and she should have said, "no". This would have dove-tailed with Galifianakis' character's ending as well. When he sees the real horse, and then he sees the fake horsey-ride horse in front of the supermarket, and he realizes that he has become like the fake horse -- smaller, less interesting; a colourful and sanitized version that has all the power and natural magic removed. The end of this film is meant to be thoughtfully depressing (for lack of a better term), and I think they gave Owen Wilson the Hollywood ending because it tested better with audiences, or something.