A.C.O.D.

Carter (Adam Scott) is the long suffering son of divorced parents Hugh (Richard Jenkins) and Melissa (Catherine O'Hara) since he was 9. His slacker brother Trey (Clark Duke) is marrying Keiko (Valerie Tian). Sondra (Amy Poehler) is Hugh's latest wife and the landlord to Carter's restaurant. Gary (Ken Howard) is Melissa's latest husband. Neither Melissa nor Hugh are willing to go to the same wedding for Trey. Lauren (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is Carter's girlfriend of four years. He finds out that his childhood counseling with Dr. Lorraine Judith (Jane Lynch) was actually a case study for her successful book "Children of Divorce". It leads him to reconsider his life and Dr. Judith wants to write a sequel "Adult Children of Divorce". Then he finds his father cheating with his mother. Michelle (Jessica Alba) and Mark (Adam Pally) are two of Dr. Judith's subjects. I wonder where the good jokes are. The great cast gets into some off-kilter situations. Some of it is cute and chuckle-worthy. I think it's due mostly to the expert cast. O'Hara and Jenkins get in some good fun. The movie is slightly interesting but not so insightful to be actually compelling. We know that Adam Scott is good in an ensemble but the jury is still out for him to be the outright lead. There is too much comedic talent for it to be OK for so few laughs.

The movie has its moments…just not as many as I hoped there would have been. The cast of "A.C.O.D." is filled with funny-makers that I am quite the fan of but I was surprised to find this film wasn't as funny as the cast involved would suggest. While the movie does have its moments—especially any scene that involves Richard Jenkins and Catherine O'Hara together—there just didn't seem to be enough of them. While the film wants to be both a drama and a comedy (a dramedy, if you will), the script and story doesn't really feel like it wants to get up and get moving so it can go out and accomplish both. The cast does what they can with what they are given and, while I wasn't completely disappointed with the film, I wasn't blown away either. Hi! My name is Rev. Ron and I love movies! So much so that I write a blog where I review whatever film I am currently watching (Old or new!). You can read a more in-depth review of this film (and others) at revronmovies.blogspot.com.

Grade: C+ A.C.O.D. is a completely mixed bag. The film centers around Carter (Adam Scott), who has spent 15 years dealing with the feud between his divorced parents (Richard Jenkins and Catherine O'Hara). When Carter's younger brother Trey (Clark Duke) Decides to get married, Carter must confront the feud and convince his parents to go to the wedding together. Like I said earlier, this film is a mixed bag. Adam Scott is the best one in the film. He is able to convey sympathy for his parents while also trying to keep everything in an orderly fashion. His parents on the other hand? Well… They are crap. They were always bickering at each other and causing a big scene, which I understand is the point of their characters, but I never felt any authenticity in their performance. Catherine O'Hara really got on my nerves. The ending felt very rushed. It's almost like the film was originally shot to be two hours long but during editing, the director decided to cut out a 30-minute chunk of the final act. At only one hour and 27 minutes, A.C.O.D. leaves a lot more to be desired. If you are a massive fan of Adam Scott and you have to see all his work then check it out, otherwise this is one you can probably skip.

I was flicking through the menu for movies last night and came across A.C.O.D. I'm glad that I did. I wasn't expecting much since I had never heard of it. My preference is action and some comedies so this did not appear to be my normal type of movie and I had my finger on the remote ready to change it. Before I knew it, I got caught up in the movie and when it was over, I can honestly say that I had a few laughs and enjoyed the storyline. Jane Lynch is 'echoing' herself by listening to people on couches and she is great at it. All actors were good and if you want to watch a movie that has gravity with some comedy, then go for it.

This film surprised me a lot. Looking at the main poster and advertisements for this, I thought this would be more of an in-your-face, laugh out loud funny movie. But it takes a different turn, being more of a drama than comedy. That being said, I think that it balances the two genres very well. The humor, more subtle and realistic, adds just the right amount of lightheartedness to the relatable subject matter. Casting was pretty on the dot too. Only thing that kept me from giving it a higher rating are the few scenes in the film that didn't really seem necessary. Overall though, it was really enjoyable and entertaining. I would definitely watch it again.

The story touches on a pseudo-science of the all too common syndrome of the American culture of having dysfunctional families. The assumption on top of this wreckage of a family culture also turns out to be non of a comedy deserving any praise. With the story offering many twists and surprises, the movie still is not a good entertainment. The story build up takes too long. The humor often is too corny. Also the drama side often lacks strength. The acting overall is also not a good job. Adam Scott seems to forget that this movie is meant to be a comedy, delving too deep at the drama side. Richard Jenkins and Catherine O'Hara tried their best and played their parts at a standard quality for a comedy. Having Mary Elizabeth Winstead really did nothing to help the acting overall.

I liked the movie, I think I would have liked it better if I hadn't understood it so well. And yes people, some of our parents did behave this way. The fighting in public, ruining weddings, burnt pictures...the list goes on. I think I didn't care for it as much as I could have because Carter, gets crapped on. He is the victim. The parents are selfish a-holes. But if you can't laugh at your misfortune, you just have misfortune. Accurate picture of a dysfunctional divorced family, obviously not all families are like this. Loved all the actors, Jane lynch is one of my favs. Makes you want to be a better parent...and spouse.

My boyfriend and I had been looking forward to seeing this movie since it came out on DVD. After reading the synopsis and watching the trailer, we diligently watched our local Redboxes until it became available so we could enjoy a movie night of laughter. But, sadly, we were let down. There didn't seem to be one single spot where we actually laughed out loud, and actually was more of a drama than a comedy. I felt bad for the character more than I laughed. It was like a series of unfortunate events, none of which get resolved. The movie ended and I felt confused. All this bad stuff happens to the guy (I just watched the movie not more than 10 minutes ago and I've already forgotten the character's names- that's how bad it was) and then all of a sudden its a year later and its the day of a wedding but they don't tell your whose. I assumed it was the dad remarrying the mom, but honestly it could have been the younger brothers wedding to the Japanese chick or it could have been the guys wedding go the yoga girl. They just leave you wondering, cuz the whole reason that this guys life gets crazy again is for his little brothers wedding that you end up NEVER SEEING. At best it could be compared to a coming of age movie, except that he's already a man and there is no huge revelation scene where he realizes what he really needs. At worst, it was a pointless dollar and change and two or so hours wasted. I have to blame the writers on this. With all the decent names involved on screen - people I've have found quite humorous in the others character they've portrayed, the only explanation for the lols (lack of laughs) is that the writers didn't write a funny story. I gave the movie 4 stars. One for the argument between the parents in the opening scene. While I feel the writers were stupid for setting it at the kids birthday, the words they were yelling at each other would have been perfect for a different setting. Another star was for the younger brother telling the Japanese girl to dial 611 instead of 911 in the fire scene. The third star was also for the younger brother, and the reason he gave for deciding to marry the Japanese girl. And lastly, the forth star is for whoever convinced the cast to act in this movie, cuz I doubt they all read it and said OMG I have to do this its so funny; it must have taken either a lot of arm twisting or a big budget for their salaries.

Think the reviews are unfair - it's a well made film, it's different and the cast are great. No, it's not perfect. It's the not the best film ever made - but it is a good film, it's not the same story line that's been churned out a million and one times. Its definitely worth a watch, and the cast is great. I love the multiple genres included in the film, it created a real life feel to it. Adam Scott is a great lead with a great cast around him. This is a great film to just chill out and watch without to much thinking that be enjoyed by all.

A nice to surprise to find this. Well-crafted, a really original story (worth points just for that), with one of the best casts you could ask for. I'll watch anything with Catherine O'Hara. I could say the same thing about Amy Poehler, or Adam Scott. Or Jane Lynch. And here they are, all in the same picture, along with the always, always reliable Richard Jenkins. I'm also surprised to find how polarizing this movie is. People seem to ether hate it or love it. I can't quite understand the haters, except that maybe they wanted something more obvious. I wouldn't call this movie subtle, but it's perhaps a little too worldly and knowing for some. Not for me. I loved it.