People Like Us

This is a tear jerker. For those of you who don't read the summaries online or in the paper, here's one: Sam (Chris Pine) a barter salesman must deal with the death of his estranged father, his estate, and the skeletons in his closet. One of the skeletons turns out to be a daughter, and Sam's dad asks him to take care of her. Single mom Frankie (Elizabeth Banks) must deal with the death of her estranged father and her son's misbehavior at school.

This film is very much character driven. It examines the emotions that link family together, no matter how thick or thin the blood is. It is also a journey of self rediscovery (Sam) and self discovery (Frankie). The film also looks at how difficult it is to be a single mom with no one to help in a time of need.

Chris Pine, who is famous for playing the new James T. Kirk in Star Trek (2009) and the upcoming sequel, is wonderful as the conflicted Sam and plays the awkwardness of the situation well. Because Sam and his family are not close (that's an understatement), he has become cold due to his work and need to persuade people to see things his way. He has an entire character arch throughout the film, and the change is miraculous.

Elizabeth Banks, famous for playing Effie Trinket in The Hunger Games, plays Frankie. As a single mom, she tries to juggle her job as a bartender and her son's life in and out of school. Just like her son, Frankie has many problems, but she is trying to better herself for the sake of her child. Unfortunately, she does not have much money and can barely scrape by on her salary. Through the movie, Frankie discovers that she can stand up for herself and move forward, and Sam and her son are instrumental in this journey.

This is the first time I have seen Michael Hall D'Addario, and he did wonderfully as Frankie's son Josh. The movie even gives the audience a peek into the bullying in school and how some children act out to either be cool or stave off the more belligerent kids. He unfortunately doesn't get much dynamic and can seem to be a bit of a one tone character for most of the film, but that changes once Sam reveals his relation to Frankie.

Michelle Pfeiffer, who has been in many films but is probably most remembered for her role as Catwoman in Batman Returns (1992), plays Sam's mother, Lillian. Although this is a smaller part, Pfeiffer shows the grief of a widow in emotional pain, along with her character's own issues that need to be worked out through the course of the movie.

The film shows a lot of heart and drew a lot of sniffles and even some tears from the audience. It touches the hearts and souls of anyone who has unexpectedly lost or found a loved one. If you enjoy films that make you smile while you cry, this film is for you.

Rating: 4/5