In the opening scenes of the movie we see Rashida Jones' Laura welcoming one and then two children into the world. We see her spending large chunks of her life shuttling her kids around town and doing all of the jobs that a mother does throughout the day while struggling to do the job that pays the bills. Her husband Dean seems to be a bit of an absent father and husband as he has launched a new company and travels quite a bit. Early in the movie we learn that Laura suspects that Dean might be having an affair.

Enter her father Felix, played by Bill Murray. Murray plays a role - the extremely flawed man - that we've seen him play before but never quite like this. Felix left his young family for another woman and then another one after that and another one after that. He has little regard for women and isn't afraid to say as much. This is easily one of my favorite roles of his as I think that he is an excellent dramatic actor but there is still a touch of comedy that is bubbling below the surface. His character in this movie reminds me a bit of the character he played in the fantastic Broken Flowers, although in that role he played a broken man that knew he was broken and was trying to salvage a life lived poorly.

If you pay attention in the middle scenes you can see how this is all going to play out but it matters not. The best scenes in the movie are the ones where Laura and Felix interact on screen. Despite being abandoned by her father as a child Laura does not seem to harbor any ill will towards him. Despite his misogyny Felix seems to deeply care for his daughter. As they traverse around New York Felix seems almost giddy to show off his daughter to the people that he knows well (although never missing a chance to hit on a woman). Needless to say they are perfectly cast. I've been waiting to see Jones in a role like this for a long time as I feel that she has the charisma and chops to pull off this kind of role.

I believe that the film is ultimately about motherhood and all of the challenges that come with it. Dean is allowed to come in and out of the movie. At times he is allowed to change his costume into a father and at other times he is a well-dressed businessman. But in every scene Laura has on her mother suit. In the few times that she is out on the town she always looks nice but is often a tad underdressed for the occasion. Unlike other movies where you see the mother in curlers and in the middle of a nervous breakdown (Tully comes to mind) Laura is - other than the little thing with her husband - in a good place in her life. While she may feel lesser than the younger and very attractive women in Dean's orbit there is a sparkle that only a mother pushing forty will have. Her conversations with her misogynistic father show us how some men will appreciate this kind of woman while others will not.

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