Certain movies have an amazing way of working through a simple plot on the strength of well-acted, complex characters. Kudos to Mayim Bialik in her movie directorial debut. The movie was equal parts riveting and frustrating, as I pleaded for the son and daughter of an emotionally and physically abusive household to overcome that upbringing in different ways. I liked it and I hope you give it a chance, even though there isn't a vast amount of action, comedy, or special plot devices.

The good stuff:
** I was so happy to see Simon Helberg again after not seeing him since the Big Bang Theory. I don't have to be an acting coach to appreciate how he approached the nuances of his character. It was certainly different than TBBT for him.
** The primary lead Dianna Agron was new to me because I never watched Glee, but I was very happy with her performance as well. An emotionally defeated product of a long history of abuse is hard to portray, and I seemed to read all of her thoughts as I watched this.
** At first, the ending didn't seem strong, but then I realized that no one event is necessarily going to change the way a family works. I ended up appreciating the simple nature of the last few minutes.

The bummers:
-- It was hard to figure out the gardener. Is he interested in the lead or not? Does he mind the complications or not? You can't just quit when it's hard, unless you're actually quitting. Then I saw him again later. What now?
-- Nothing wrong with the movie, but it is tough to watch without cussing.