#thomas lennon

Meredith Laupin, and the former Mrs. Laupin

⭐️6/10: relatable concepts, but awkwardly executed

What’s it all about?

This movie follows our main character, Ann, as she tries to break her cycle of bad boyfriends, while dealing with her chaotic family. The opening scene sees a montage of terrible relationships before she picks her sister up from rehab and brings her back to her parents house where we meet her ultra religious father and deeply regretful mother.

She escapes the dysfunction and goes to have dinner with her friends who are getting ready to open a restaurant. They tell her that they’re intervening and she needs to break her habit of horrible boyfriends. She doesn’t argue but agrees that she needs something to change. They coincidentally meet Steve, who is working as a contractor on the restaurant. He is in the middle of a divorce and has a young daughter but is incredibly handsome and charming. They begin a romance and she immediately senses that things with Steve are too good to be true. As their relationship blossoms Ann wrestles with being a people pleaser versus trying to stand up for herself and say what’s on her mind.

Standout Moments

Heather Graham wrote, produced and directed this piece and stars as Ann. The movie as a whole is a little campy. I wanted to like this piece as I generally enjoy several other movies and shows she’s starred in. While the concepts were relatable, they felt awkwardly executed. The friends were mostly gentle and supportive with her which was a highlight. Her family was dysfunctional but to an almost comical point that felt contrived. I also appreciated the concept of the relaxing yoga sessions but the dialogue in these moments felt forced.

Steve’s gentle parenting is borderline too gentle and as Ann gets to know his daughter Lily she realizes she’s competing with a 7 year old. I’m not sure why her friends decided that after a cycle of bad boyfriends it was a good idea for her to date someone with a child going through a divorce. Lily is played for laughs in a manipulative way, sitting between Ann and Steve and getting nasty with Ann, however she is a 7 year old who’s parents are getting divorced. I think the storyline has its heart in a strange place. There is a very funny dance scene where Lily and Ann are competing for Steve’s attention and while it was comical, I think it got borderline weird for me as Ann started dancing sexy and Lily started trying to mimic those dances while Steve looked torn between aroused and aghast.

Ann’s dysfunctional family expects her to fix everything and handle all of their family problems. She is expected to accept responsibility for her sister's sobriety, and her mom’s failed music career. She allows her family to step on and ruin special moments in her career. They allude throughout the movie that something bad happened in their childhood to her drug addicted sister but never really nail it down and keep things purposefully vague. I think this is another moment that could have been strong but didn’t quite work for me- her sister is blaming Ann for her trauma but we really don’t even know what happened.

Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005)

My rating: 5/10

Chris: Weekend at the End of the World is a cosmic horror / comedy film with Thomas Lennon about two friends staying at a remote home who bring up a cosmic power, summoning an ancestor who sends them through a cosmic gate on a mission, funny, good effects, better than most, Watch: Rent.

Richie: Half of the comedy in the film was a little off for me but it was still amusing, Watch: Rent.