STARS: 3/5
Director Hallie Meyers-Shyer’s directorial debut, “Home Again” delivers a light-hearted romantic comedy with a nontraditional look at single motherhood.
Reese Witherspoon stars as main character Alice Kinney, a 40-year-old mother of two who is recently separated from her music-industry husband. Alice’s parents are divorced Hollywood legends. Her mother, played by Candice Bergen, was an actress in her father’s films.
The plot centers around Witherspoon and three men she meets at a bar on her birthday. She uses alcohol and her birthday as an excuse to take one of them, Harry, (played by Pico Alexander) home, but the night doesn’t go how the pair expects. This unorthodox interaction sets the tone for the duration of the film.
The trio of men played by Alexander, Nat Wolff and Jon Rudnitsky are aspiring actors in their twenties. They stay at Alice’s home after an invitation from her mother, whom they adore.
The film feels familiar to the classic boy-meets-girl in a bar trope and then their relationship buds out of that. In this film, the ending is left open to interpretation. The way that Witherspoon portrays Alice asserts a certain dominance, presumably from her age, but it is refreshing.
In films past, a single mother looking for someone else could be controlled by the man, but Alice takes control in her relationship with Harry. She sets ground rules and makes him understand how a good relationship should work. For instance, he stands her up on a date due to a movie meeting and Alice puts her foot down to let him know that is not acceptable.
In addition, the age dynamic of an older woman and younger man is not usually explored, serving as an alternative take on the romantic comedy we know and love.
The plot is thin, but it does enough to explore Alice’s experience as a single mother in a non-victimizing way. She doesn’t ask for help taking her children to guitar lessons, to school or simply taking care of them at home. She forms a romantic relationship with one of the men in the house, which is the film’s only talking point, but keeps herself in check when it comes to her daughters.
Alice’s ex-husband shows up later on in the film, but he only serves as a device to help her explore the fact that she is ready to move on with her life so she can finally leave him behind.
Over all, it is an average film. The use of music over conversations at dinner happens at least three times in the film and that is too much, especially when you can learn about the characters through their dinner conversations.
However, the film can be considered a classic romantic comedy. It is better than its 35 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but it’s also not award-worthy. It is a new take on the topic of single motherhood and has a few funny moments for the audience.
Fans of Witherspoon can expect a solid performance from her and the supporting cast with “Home Again.”
