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The people in People Like Us don’t sport Spandex or dodge explosions. They don’t spew profanities (much) or take pratfalls. In a summer packed with blockbusters and broad comedies, it can be a treat to watch a less bombastic film about screwed up people trying to make their lives just a little bit better. Alex Kurtzman, the Transformers co-writer who knows a thing or two about going over the top, turns in an enjoyable comedy/drama that overcomes some scattered plotting with two enjoyable lead performances from Chris Pine and Elizabeth Banks.
Pine stars as Sam, a big-business barter specialist facing financial and legal trouble who must suddenly return to L.A. for his estranged father’s funeral. Sam’s kind of a jerk, and it’s a testament to Pine’s natural charisma that he still manages to be likeable enough that audiences will want to spend the next hour and a half with him. His father’s will provides an opportunity for redemption in the form of $150,000 in cash, to be delivered to the half-sister and nephew that Sam never knew he had.
Frankie (Banks), the one their father abandoned, is a single mother, recovering alcoholic, and all-around survivor, whose son, Josh (Michael Hall D’Addario), is turning out to be the kind of pre-teen who’s a little too smart for his own good.. As much as he needs the money, Sam can’t resist finding out more about this suddenly-revealed sibling, and he slowly begins to work himself into their lives.
There’s a bit too much going on here for a movie that’s essentially about rediscovering family. The subplot about Sam’s ill-defined trading business (one that seems to exist for the sake of a few not-so-clever quips) disappears for long stretches, and, when it comes back, it’s an unwelcome distraction. Additional subplots involving Sam’s mother, Lillian (Michelle Pfeiffer), and his remarkably patient girlfriend, Hannah (Olivia Wilde), could have both benefited from a little more development instead.
Sam and Frankie are the focus and soul of the movie, though, and Pine and Banks have charm to spare. The banter flows easily between them, and each gets a few nice dramatic moments for balance. They’re so good together that, from time to time, you’ll have to remind yourself of what their relationship actually is: a tension that the movie wisely chooses not to ignore.
The plot, reportedly based on an incident in Kurtzman’s own life, requires one to make some big leaps, but there’s enough heart on display in the guarded Frankie and self-absorbed but not entirely unaware Sam that it’s easy to cut it some slack. It’s just believable enough to invest in—and developed enough to be rewarding when you do.
Despite a few missteps, People Like Us provides a welcome alternative to the blockbuster parade. They might not slay vampires or have radioactive mutant powers, but there’s a lot about these people to like.
Blu-ray Review:
The Blu-ray edition of People Like Us packages the film with a fairly standard set of special features, including two commentary tracks, a making-of featurette, and a handful of deleted and alternate-take scenes.
The commentaries—one with Alex Kurtzman, Chris Pine, and Elizabeth Banks and the other with Kurtzman and co-writer Jody Lambert—overlap a bit in content, but each offers insights into the film’s development and background. The deleted scenes are given context by Kurtzman’s introductions, and the featurette rounds out the set nicely by going more in-depth into the inspiration for the entire project.
The best part of the package is getting the story of Kurtzman meeting his own half-sister for the first time—the kind of oddly serendipitous event that simply begs to be made into a movie. The featurette covers the basics of that rather seismic personal event, while he goes into greater detail in the commentaries. No matter which you check out, it’s a fascinating piece of background material.
