Alice Kinney (Reese Witherspoon), recently separated from her husband Austen (Michael Sheen), moves from New York to Los Angeles with her two daughters, into her deceased film director father’s old house. On a drunken night celebrating her 40th birthday, Alice meets three young film makers and ends up inviting them to stay in her guest house and starting a relationship with one of them – Harry (Pico Alexander).
If I was being curmudgeonly, I could write a negative review of Home Again just based on the trailer and the people behind the camera. A privileged white rich woman, with a job that seems to involve no work, has emotional problems whilst living in a huge house with two loving daughters.
With the story brought to us by Hallie Meyers-Sheyer, the daughter of Nancy Myers, famous for comedies about privileged white rich people… However, I can’t bring myself to do that because there is so much to enjoy with this film. Witherspoon is great in the lead role, funny and warm and convincing as the older object of desire. Although her choice of Harry seems a little odd to start with, it does make sense by the end of the film. Sheen brings some laughs to the role of her ex and features in most of the best scenes.
Totally predictable maybe, but it is the sort of film to give you a warm glow whilst watching it.
Rating: 8 out of 10