The Guilt Trip + This is 40

The Guilt Trip

Mini review by Lauren

IMDB Summary: As inventor Andy Brewster is about to embark on the road trip of a lifetime, a quick stop at his mom’s house turns into an unexpected cross-country voyage with her along for the ride.

At some point in the movie, this song entered my head, so I feel like you should listen to it while reading the review. It’s called “Barbra Streisand” by Duck Sauce (if you’re a Glee fan, you might recognize it from that!)

Review: My family almost always sees a movie on Christmas Day, so this year we figured The Guilt Trip would be a good pick, mainly because we can all usually agree on seeing a comedy. But this wasn’t that much of a comedy. Yes, there were some funny moments, but I would call it more of a drama with comedy elements.

That said, I didn’t hate it. It’s not a bad movie and I did like the actors. I wish some of them had a larger role (like Colin Hanks, who appears for one scene) but as a road trip movie, it makes sense that you see someone for a bit and then they’re gone.

It was nice to see Seth Rogen in something a bit more serious, and you could really tell he loved his mom, even when she is butting into his life. So that was sweet.

The end was also a nice surprise. I kept expecting certain things to happen and then when they didn’t, it’s kind of a let down, but it’s also something I appreciated. I feel like so many movies (and even certain books) are too predictable about where they are leading, and this one wasn’t. At least not overall.

All in all, not a bad film. Not quite what I was expecting, so I’d say rent it!

This is 40

Mini Review by Lauren

IMDB Summary: A look at the lives of Pete and Debbie a few years after the events of Knocked Up.

Review: To be honest, I’ve never seen the entirety of Knocked Up, but I still wanted to see this one because of the people in it (I’m a big fan of Paul Rudd and I really like Leslie Mann). Plus, it looked to be more of a comedy…so I went and saw it late last night. And it was funny, and funny throughout. I had heard it was a bit boring and long, but I didn’t really find that. Yes, it was kind of long…and it might be too long for some, but I found it enjoyable and engaging the whole time.

I think everyone did a great job and I loved that they gave a real look at marriage once the couple are older, with children. They argue, they don’t always like each other, but they do care about each other and ultimately don’t want to let the other down.

I love that this was written/directed by Judd Apatow, Leslie Mann is his wife, and the two daughers in the film are their children. Some might find it weird or even wrong that the parents would allow their kids to be in such a movie, but I don’t really mind it. It adds a sense of realism, even though I don’t think it’s meant to be autobiographical in any way.

Overall, I’m glad I saw this one. I think it was worth seeing in theaters and I liked the random cameo from Billie Joe Armstrong (singer of Green Day) that was actually more than a passing moment (he has some lines)!!