The Oranges (2011) User Reviews

Rules, Happiness and Selfishness

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 6 January 2014]

In the conservative West Orange, New Jersey, the Ostroff and Walling families are very close to each other. David Walling (Hugh Laurie) and Terry Ostroff (Oliver Platt) are inseparable best friends and they use to run together everyday. David has problems with his wife Paige (Catherine Keener) and he frequently sleeps alone in the office. Their daughter Vanessa (Alia Shawkat) is a frustrated young woman since she was not well succeeded in her career of designer and their son Toby (Adam Brody) is moving to China in a temporary assignment. Terry's wife Cathy (Allison Janney) ignores him and their daughter Nina (Leighton Meester) moved to San Francisco five years ago.

Near the Thanksgiving, Nina's boyfriend Ethan (Sam Rosen) betrays her in her birthday party and Nina returns to the house of her parents. Nina has frictions with her mother and she stays close to David. Soon they have an affair and fall in love with each other, turning the lives of people close to them upside-down.

"The Oranges" is an original movie about rules, happiness and selfishness. The story shows how selfish people are in an unusual situation that does not follow the establishment. Paige is estranged from David and they are living in separate beds, keeping up appearances. But when David finds a young woman that brings happiness to his life, she has very selfish attitudes instead of divorcing him. Vanessa is a frustrated woman and when she sees the happiness of her father, she never tries to understand and supports him. Ethan is a complete douchebag and Leighton Meester is an adorable young woman. The reaction of Nina's parents is what the viewer would expect from the parents. The conclusion is decent and well resolved. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "A Filha do Meu Melhor Amigo" ("The Daughter of My Best Friend")

A plethora of actors show how to make a dysfunctional family dramedy funny

[napierslogs · 7/10 · 13 May 2013]

"The Oranges" centers on two families, each with mom and dad and former teenage daughter (now a twenty-something daughter), living across the street from each other in West Orange, New Jersey. It's kind of like a dysfunctional family dramedy except the families really do function normal enough and well enough prior to the beginning of the plot. And also it's a comedy. It poses some fairly serious questions but presents them all in a light-hearted, humorous fashion.

Paige Walling (Catherine Keener) and David Walling (Hugh Laurie) still have their adult daughter Vanessa (Alia Shawkat) living at home, unable to let go of some hostilities from her teenage years. Carol Ostroff (Allison Janney) and Terry Ostroff (Oliver Platt) are trying to control their daughter Nina (Leighton Meester) but she's off on the other side of the country still acting like a teenager. But after a perceived personal tragedy, Nina comes home. And then comes home Paige and David's successful son Toby (Adam Brody) who's in love with Nina.

Two individuals choose to commit, or almost commit, a morally repugnant act. The good thing is, everything is still funny. In the aftermath though, they decide that they're adults, and choose to question the line of morality. Not only is the audience not expecting that, and thus we're forced to start questioning, or stop judging, but the other characters definitely weren't prepared for it, and they start questioning the directions of their own lives. While of course keeping it funny.

Another interesting choice the film made was to make Vanessa (Shawkat) the narrator. She is not directly involved in the action, she's only involved in the repercussions, but she's also the type of character that we normally don't think about how she would be affected, but now we're forced to. The character that we would normally associate with in the aftermath is Paige (Keener) but here she puts herself on the sidelines.

The highlight of the film, of course, is the incredible cast. The reading of the credits goes something like this: Alia Shawkat – oh, yeah, the girl from Arrested Development, she has some decent comedy skills; Leighton Meester – a new Hollywood "it" girl, let's she what she's got; Hugh Laurie – he's always fun and straight from a string of well-deserved Emmy nominations; Allison Janney – awesome (!); Catherine Keener – awesome (!); Oliver Platt – really?! He's a comic genius, this is doubly awesome (!!); and Adam Brody – well, now we've just topped off a dream come true.

The best news is that the cast completely delivers. Meester and Laurie are expected to carry the majority of the film, and both do it by playing characters that they've never really played before. Laurie pulls of sympathetic so well and Meester goes a little more subtle to be able to show us what her character is thinking and show us what her character wants people to see. Janney is her usual funny self, so is Brody, while Platt is again at top form delivering some hilariously subtle facial reactions and some comic gold physical comedy.

The least famous actor of all of them, Sam Rosen, threatens to steal the whole show as Ethan, Nina's hilariously sympathetic fiancé turned ex-fiancé turned super-apologetic-ex-fiancé. He's relegated to a pretty small role, otherwise the movie would have been about Ethan. And it's not supposed to be.

Now that the highlights are all uncovered, it's time for some warnings. The plot is exceedingly simple and we have to wait for each character to catch up to it before the next turn can proceed. For those that are completely invested in each character, this won't be a problem. For those that like fewer characters, this will be a problem. Also depending on where your moral center lies, you could have a conflict with the film's decidedly ambiguous morality. For all the lines the film attempted to cross they went for a much simpler, more dramatic ending, never crossing into the dark comedy territory. That might stop it from reaching more brilliant heights, but it also keeps "The Oranges" more consistently enjoyable.

Who Might Like This: People who like dysfunctional family dramedies; anybody looking for a comedy that questions some of society's morals; fans of anybody in the main cast.

Not as bad as the reviews make it seem

[katemiller-18083 · 6/10 · 17 July 2016]

I'm not giving The Oranges an amazing rating out of 10, but it was fine for a Sunday afternoon movie binge. A lot of people are bagging out the premise, but I actually consider it to be a new take on the usual Hollywood BS of an older guy and a younger girl in a relationship. The story typically goes "Older guy falls in love with younger woman and vice versa, and no one really seems to give a crap about the age difference and they live happily ever after". Fortunately, this one is a little more realistic - "Older guy falls in love with younger woman and vice versa, and everyone reacts as you would expect them to - i.e. they freak the s*** out".

It's an enjoyable film that is worth the hour and a half.

It's not that long from May to December

[david-157-486681 · 11 September 2011]

So a guy whose marriage is on the rocks gets together with a girl who has just broken up with her fiancée after she catches him cheating. Yawn? Oh, wait, did I forget to mention that the guy David (Hugh Laurie) is twice as old as the girl Nina (Leighton Meester), who happens to be the daughter of David's best friend Terry (Oliver Platt), and that the two families live across the street from each other? And it gets better: David's daughter Vanessa (Alia Shawkat ) used to be best friends with Nina, and his son Toby (Adam Brodie) is romantically interested in Nina.

Now you have the premise of "The Oranges". But is this just another movie about naughty May-December relationships (of which the best-in-class is undoubtedly "The Graduate")? Not really. The relationship itself is basically a given. It happens quickly at the beginning of the movie, and is almost immediately discovered by Nina's meddling mother (Allison Janney). But rather than ending with this discovery, the film really begins here, exploring the conflicted views of society (or at least of American society) toward such relationships through the lens of the tragicomic reactions of the two families and a few friends. These reactions, which range from awkward to furious, form the heart of the warm, funny, and occasionally touching screenplay by Ian Helfer and Jay Reiss.

Some viewers may be dismayed by the moral neutrality of the film. But since when did an intimate relationship between consenting adults, one of whom happens to be unhappily married, require the Hollywood plot line to issue a strong moral condemnation? In general, not since the 1950's, but should there be an exception in this case? What about the May- December thing? And the other lives that were changed -- were they changed for better or worse?

Whatever you think about all the questions it raises, I hope you appreciate the spot-on performances by the entire cast, and that you find The Oranges to be as enjoyable and thought-provoking as I did.

Decent

[crazykittieboy · 7/10 · 4 November 2013]

The Oranges gives the viewer a light hearted look at what is traditionally considered very taboo. A middle aged man whose daughter still lives at home falls in love with his best friends daughter, who happens to be the same age as his daughter. Factor in that he is still married, and she as of last week was engaged, and all the makings of a dark depressing midlife crisis come to a head in tragic and heartbreaking ways in what could only be an indie drama... Except that it isn't a drama, it is a lighthearted family comedy.

Such taboo subjects, under a different light with different music, could easily have found itself in contention for being quite the drama, but alas, the whole film is flipped upside down with a plot that feels so unauthentic and ridiculous that I often had to stop myself and say "no way his friend would be feeling okay with this." It felt like these families were alien, living in a different soda-pop world than the one I have seen of the suburbs. If this didn't make me cringe enough, the music would pop in and make me feel like for some reason I'm supposed to be okay with throwing your wife away for a newer model.

However, oddly enough, at the end of the day the complete and total disregard for all things righteous actually won me over. I won't by any means label this as anything worthwhile to filmmaking, which it wasn't, but the absurdness of all of this (especially the music) piling up somehow worked, and the film mainly works because the acting really makes the ridiculous believable. Catherine Keener gives an awesome performance, as well as Oliver Platt, who sells the most unrealistic character ever devised like he is more real than Shakespeare (yes Shakespeare is real.)

This film at several moments felt like by all means it should fail miserably, but thanks to the talent involved, it manages to be saved. One can tell that the screenplay just wasn't very good, but at the end of the day, somehow this film works. It is far from a great film, by any means, but it works. 7 out of 10.

Perception

[kosmasp · 7/10 · 22 July 2013]

What you have to be clear about, is that this movie is about perception. How do people perceive things, how does society judge and how do we know what is wrong and right? While I admit that especially later on, this movie lacks a bit of attachment to some of the characters, in never feels like they are cardboard cut outs. And while it might seem that passion is missing, just acting wild is not the definition of going through things. Sometimes a more subtle approach can work better.

If you feel, the movie should have been more aggressive in that case, that is a fair point, but you either accept that it didn't take that route or you are condemning it to lose from the start. The actors are incredible, but reading their names alone should tell you that. Their interactions and connections seem to work perfectly. Even the ending is nicely done, although as always it won't satisfy everybody of course. A family drama/comedy that is by definition not a family film, but a look into guilt, responsibilities, growing up and (as mentioned above) perception

I would prefer lemons over oranges

[estebangonzalez10 · 4/10 · 27 May 2013]

¨I'm your ex girlfriend's boyfriend's wife.¨

I'd rather sit through an hour long episode of Dr. House, The OC, or Gossip Girl rather than watch this film starring some of the actors from the above mentioned series. The Oranges was directed by Julian Farino, who I had never heard of before this film. I actually went to see this film because I thought it had an interesting cast. The biggest flaw of The Oranges was its screenplay; written by Ian Helfer and Jay Reiss. The dramedy never quite manages to feel authentic and everything felt like a complete farce. The dialogue in this film felt very light considering the subject matter and the comedic moments weren't effective. The relationships didn't feel real either, although I must admit that the friendship between Laurie's character and Platt's was probably the strongest thing about this movie. Beside the three TV stars: Hugh Laurie, Leighton Meester, and Adam Brody, the film also stars Allison Janney and Catherine Keener whom I always thought looked very much alike. These are all very likable actors, but they were given some really underdeveloped characters and the film never really rang true to me. Other films have tackled this subject matter in much better ways. Examples that come to mind for me are The Graduate and American Beauty, but this movie doesn't even come close to what those films achieved. Despite how much I wanted to like this movie because of the actors, I had a hard time watching this. I would pick any of their television series over this film anytime.

The film focuses on the relationship between two Jersey families. On the one hand, we have David (Hugh Laurie) and Paige Walling (Catherine Keener) who have two children: Vanessa (Alia Shawkat) and Toby (Adam Brody), and then we are introduced to their neighbors, the Ostroff's, consisting of Terry (Oliver Platt) and Carol (Allison Janney). Terry and David have been best friends for a long time, and their families get together often. The Ostroff's have a daughter named Nina (Leighton Meester) who decides to return home after five years for the Holidays. Her presence will change things when she falls in love with David. The two begin seeing each other and it has a tremendous effect on both families. Nina convinces David that there are no rules to happiness, but at the same time his decision affects everyone around him. When Paige finds out about this relationship she confronts David and soon everyone's life is affected by this relationship.

The film doesn't seem to take sides on the moral issue, but it doesn't ever feel like it takes things seriously either. The entire film felt like a complete waste of time. The relationship between David and Nina never felt authentic and there was no chemistry whatsoever between them. The film really suffers from a poor script and the likable actors aren't enough to save this film. The narration of the film didn't work for me either and I felt like it was simply used to simplify things. The question the film seems to be raising is whether it is really worth doing whatever makes you happy without measuring the consequences and how it can affect the rest of the people around you. At first it seems as if it agrees with this premise, but later their consequences catch up with them. Some characters seem to be better off, but things never remain the same. I think I am getting a little too philosophical for a film that really didn't take itself too seriously, but I definitely felt that something was completely off with The Oranges. It is an awkward film and one I wouldn't recommend.

http://estebueno10.blogspot.com/

5 Star Cast and Performances in Light Entertainment

[amyrourke56 · 7/10 · 11 February 2013]

I was keen to view this picture after seeing the trailer as I've seen all these actors in various roles over the years. There is such a great range of talent here and they all looked like they were having fun in a comedy with darker moments. This is a film about consequences after all and is not really a romcom romp nor a morality tale. It reminds me of a suburban memoir and the writing reflects this. The short season between Thanksgiving and Christmas has been done to death in American cinema, with all of the inherent conflicts, compulsory traditions and conspicuous consumption. The writers have used this backdrop to do something ever-so-slightly subversive.

Leighton Meester and Alia Shawkat are wonderful in their respective roles as the lifelong neighbours/friends who are further entangled in a world they really want to leave behind. I hope this becomes a Christmas classic. Hugh Laurie, Allison Janney, Catherine Keener & Oliver Platt - who could ask for anything more?

Save your time and money

[regcon72 · 2/10 · 22 March 2012]

I saw The Oranges last night and I must say I expected so much more that what I saw. The movie panders to one of men's ultimate fantasies; that being that cheating is okay if everything, in bizarro world, works out in the end. I will say that the acting was very good but I think that the performances are wasted on a screenplay that is too contrived. This story has been done to death and it has been done better. I did enjoy the soundtrack. I thought there were numerous continuity issues that should have been picked up prior to this showing. Does no one in Hollywood know what New Jersey would look like in late November and December? Trust me – there would be no leaves on the trees or emerald green lawns. There were some very funny scenes but I wasted two hours of my life that I will never get back. I have visions of seeing this movie be released in time for Christmas based on Hollywood's warped view as to what most people go through during the holidays.

Inappropriate and Interesting

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 3 September 2013]

Hugh Laurie, and Catherine Keener are the Wallings. Their daughter Vanessa (Alia Shawkat) is too scare to go after her dream. She has retreated back home with a dead-end job.

Oliver Platt, and Allison Janney are the Ostroffs. Their daughter is the often-absentee hard-partying Nina (Leighton Meester), and she's running home after she catches her boyfriend Ethan cheating. Both families would like her to get involved with the Walling son Toby (Adam Brody).

The whole thing blows up when Nina has inappropriate relations. It is inappropriate on so many levels. Almost everybody feels betrayed. The subject matter really prevents any of jokes to be funny. In fact, the quirky tone constantly conflicts.

The best line happens when Hugh Laurie and Leighton Meester are in a coffee shop discussing their affair. He is trying desperately to put into words how inappropriate this all was. And she says "There is no rules!" That seems to be the ultimate message of this movie. It's a very uncomfortable message. No matter what the accepted convention is. Love is a game where truly "There is no rule!"

Great study for cinephiles

[eastbayus · 3/10 · 11 June 2016]

This movie is one of the best examples of,"If it's not on the page... it's not on the stage."

Kudos to the casting director to be able to collect such a strong cast. The script is weak, at best, and it is no less than miraculous it was sufficient to get "yeses". Either a large number of favors were pulled in, or perhaps a truly brilliant strategy of leveraging the first to get the second and third etc.

However, despite the skills and experience of the cast (at least the elder statesman) watching the film is an endless series of cringing, from one awkward and unfunny sentence to the next.

I consider the film unwatchable, but gave it 3 out of 10 because it has value as a teaching film because the script is so many levels beneath the cast.

Amusing

[markmcardle-588-885815 · 9/10 · 30 April 2013]

Although this film does not have a complicated plot or much depth, I thought it was fun and found myself smiling all the way through. If you are looking for a simple and amusing film this is the one for you.

The story observes many real life feelings and situations even if it does cross over into the surreal sometimes. It doesn't have the scripted feeling that so many comedies seem to fall into and keeps a jovial feeling without leaving you cringing.

I thought Hugh Laurie was brilliant as House and I have wanted to see him in other things but was put off by the rating on this film. It is never going to be an epic but it is fantastic for what it is. A true feel good movie if you are in the mood for a dose of reality and can put aside some scepticism.

I Don't Know

[itsjuliana · 6/10 · 2 October 2020]

Not my favourite film, but I was expecting something worse, to be honest. What I saw:

An enjoyable Hugh Laurie, as usual (yet not exceptional). Funny moments, at times. Some cringe-worthy dialogues. Nice directing. Impressively realistic. Thoughtprovoking, which certainly is its strongest feature.

I guess one of the main goals of a filmmaker is to make their audience FEEL things. Well, I honestly can say they did it. Most of them were awkward and negative feelings towards the relationship between these two, but they were there. Is that what they were aiming at? I don't know. I was disgusted by them, and angry. How can you so selfishly base your every decision on whatever seems to make you happy? And by the way, what's with the meddlesome mother? Your daughter's 24 not 18. Anyway, it's only 90 minutes long. Watch it if you have some free time and nothing else worth pressing play on.

Unripe and Bitter

[mcsunny · 1/10 · 20 August 2013]

I wouldn't call the cast "star studded" but they have all been in enough good movies that I figured this one would be a hit. It was not. It's too depressing to be funny and too funny to be interpreted as realistic. The characters all lack depth which makes them seem reactionary and narcissistic. The chemistry between the Laurie and Meester is awkward at best and completely non-captivating. The humor at times is played out which includes many of the "shockingly crass" barbs that the characters throw at one another. Of course there is a giggle here and there and a clever scene or two but not enough to make it worth watching. Maybe there was too much faith put in the cast to carry the film or too much movie left on the cutting room floor but whatever the problem is this movie doesn't have IT.

Funny at times and explores interesting situations

[srdjan_veljkovic · 6/10 · 24 January 2021]

Mind you, it's not deep, the exploration is pretty shallow. But, still, it's there, quite enough for a comedy.

It's also quite nice that the relationship between an older man and a younger woman is not being trashed upon by the movie. Sure, it's being trashed upon by many people in the movie, but, that's to be expected. Their frustrations are nicely played out, but, for the movie to also trash on it, we would see Hugh Laurie suffer a terrible fate and something similar (though not so bad) for Leighton Meester.

There are not that many funny moments. But, there's quite a few and they pick up near the end, as it should be. Too many modern comedies try to start early, only to dissolve near the end. Also, the moments are funny in mostly unexpected ways which are relevant to the story.

Thus the script, while not great, is good. I guess the worst part is that we don't really see why does Leighton Meester leave Hugh Laurie at the end. Sure, something like that was to be expected, but, it was too abrupt and unwarranted. Had she stayed for a something like a year, only to realize that she can't stay in New Jersey, yet he won't travel the world with her, that would make sense.

There are quite a few good actors here, but, only Hugh Laurie does a really good job. The rest are OK, but, could have been better. Leighton Meester is _very_ cute in this movie and she tries, but, most of the time she's not getting it right. But, to be frank, hers is the most difficult part, so one should not hold this against her.

So, yes, this is a comedy worth watching.

Awkward, quirky little indie comedy that mostly works

[Robert_duder · 7/10 · 7 May 2013]

I remember seeing the trailer for this film a long time ago and thinking it looked sort of fun. I do love Hugh Laurie and my wife loves Leighton Meester so we were both excited to watch it. I love a good indie film and this is certainly "good." It doesn't go much beyond mediocre-ville but that's okay. In some aspects it tries to do much and then at the same time doesn't do enough. It's a "Graduate" type May-December romance, a story about best friends and family and a coming of age story all rolled into one. The film perhaps doesn't do quite enough to explore each facet of this concept but it still does it well. In a real-life situation like this, it would be incredibly awkward for everyone and guess what? The film perfectly captures that family and friendship tension and awkwardness. There are certain scenes where you're almost squeamish feeling how these characters must feel. That being said I wasn't the least bit awkward over the romance between Meester and Laurie. I actually thought they were pretty good together and while the film NEVER implies their romance is right, it does explore the feelings and the concept of what makes a person happy.

The ensemble cast is very good. I will start with Hugh Laurie because I've liked him for a very long time since House. Laurie in this film plays a softer, likable, misunderstood guy trying desperately to hang on to his family while doing what makes him happy. They could portray Laurie as a jerk but you never feel that way about him. Mostly you feel sorry for him and wonder what he will do and what is right for him. He proves he can star in a film for sure. Leighton Meester gives an intelligent and provocative performance as Nina, the object of Laurie's affections. As I said before her chemistry with Laurie is actually very good and unlike most "other women" in films she isn't someone you hate. It actually feels like just a bad situation that they've dug themselves into. Catherine Keener is someone I usually find very dry and in this film she is appropriately dry right up until her melt down on the front lawn in her car (which is one of the best scenes in the film.) Kenner works for this role because of her ability to seem a little rigid. That is a backhanded compliment I suppose. Oliver Platt is great as he almost always is...I wish he did more. He is a fun, lovable, misunderstood guy who has lost his best friend and daughter and is trying to hold his life together and his family. I think they really under-explore his character and his relationship with Laurie but he still does a great job. Alia Shawkat is the daughter of Laurie and Keener and former best friend of Meester who is truly caught in the middle of this. She does an okay job but sort of falls in the shadow of better performers like Meester and Laurie and Platt. Her character could have been far more explored too but she serves her purpose. She is best when trading jabs with Meester physically or verbally. Adam Brody is featured as main cast but he is really hardly in the movie. He comes and goes as almost a cameo and I can't say much to his performance because outside of a few good lines he doesn't have much.

Shakespearean family dynamics. That's what this movie is. Its like when you're spying on a couple arguing because you want the real life drama...well this is non-stop drama and its fun to watch because its so awkward. Its well performed, a decent script and good direction by Julian Farino who comes mostly from Television but good Television so that's something. Honestly, by the end of the film I almost hoped Laurie and Meester would stay together but you know throughout the movie that it literally just can't happen. Still their relationship shakes up their entire lives and turns everything on end. Somehow everyone learns something and finds their "coming-of-age." The film's real feat is not making you feel angry at any of the characters but actually root for them and want to see everyone get what makes them happy. The film is in some ways a Christmas film but the most bizarre one in many aspects. The ending is almost too cut and dry and yet perfect also. I can't even call the film a dark comedy but it certainly has its moments for laughing and moments for being serious. All in all, very entertaining and while it doesn't knock anything out of the ballpark, it is absolutely worth seeing. 7.5/10

Terrible and ridiculous

[derdriui · 3/10 · 27 April 2013]

Ridiculous, bland and terrible. There was no weight to any of the relationships. When the young girl tells her uncle that there are "no rules", she reveals the ENTIRE motivation of both characters.

There are no rules! So lets go to Atlantic City! And hey, if your partner of over twenty years walks out on you because you're sleeping with the child of her (and your!) best friends, well that's just a thing that happens!

The scenes between Laurie and Meester are quite bland, though they get more nauseating as their systematic destruction of their family relationships continue.

It just makes no sense.

'Sex. Betrayal. Scandal. Make yourself at home. It's about to get juicy'

[gradyharp · 7/10 · 6 November 2013]

A bit of fluff…or is it? This smart script written by Ian Helfer and Jay Reiss explores the conflicted views of society toward off kilter relationships through the tragicomic reactions of the two families and a few friends. These reactions, which range from awkward to furious, form the heart of the warm, funny, and occasionally touching movie. Some viewers may be distraught by the moral neutrality of the film, but since when did an intimate relationship between consenting adults, one of whom happens to be unhappily married, require censors to issue a strong moral condemnation? Not since the 1950's, yet we still talk about (and film) May- December coupling and other aspects of relationships that are far more detrimental to Good Housekeeping mentality than this story.

David (Hugh Laurie) and Paige (Catherine Keener) have a flat-line marriage and a handsome young son Toby (Adam Brody) and funky daughter Vanessa (Alia Shawkat). They live across the street from best friends Terry (Oliver Platt) and Cathy (Allison Janney) whose wayward daughter Nina (Leighton Meester) has returned home from San Francisco for the holidays after breaking up with her fiancée Ethan (Sam Rosen) after she catches him cheating. Cathy sees the perfect timing for Nina to re-connect with the very eligible Toby, tries all tricks to make this happens, but Nina will not be told how to respond. Instead Nina and David become entangled in an affair, which cause all manner of alterations in the 'friendship' between the two families and the relationship between the parents of each.

In the hands of other actors this would just be a silly, flippant Rom-com, but given the cast and direction by Julian Farino it is a fine examination of human foibles.

Grady Harp

Boring plot and overacting

[crossfittervictoria · 2/10 · 23 February 2014]

Such a bad movie and so disappointed in Hugh Laurie's choice in this role. Dumb plot, overacting, and boring.I only watched it because Hugh Laurie is in it. I love his face; but he made a bad choice here.

None of the characters seemed real - it's difficult to care about any of them. Shallow, self-centered and bland. This movie is pure crap.Another bad Hollywood show - meaningless and not in the least entertaining, insightful, or interesting. Wasted two hours of my life watching it.

Not sure why this review needs 10 lines before it can be submitted. How many ways can I say this was a bad show with unbelievable characters and a bad plot?

The Big Pict

[windaandinisugianto · 7/10 · 10 December 2013]

Some people might find this movie tasteless. Probably because the tag line is "SEX. BETRAYAL. SCANDAL" which was kinda misleading people to see the movie through that glasses. only to find that they felt uncomfortable watching the romance between a 24 years old girl and a man which was her father's best friend. the movie is more than that, it's actually about two family dealing with this kind of conflict and finding happiness. it's about what you really wanted in life that will makes you happy. only they put it in a more complex situation.

and i don't like the jokes (on/from?) Ethan's part. it felt kinda dry. he shouldn't even bother to come.

Omg horrible

[andrealee-697-634398 · 1/10 · 27 May 2013]

I can't say I ever reviewed a movie as a zero it this one gets it. A disgrace in morals terrible acting and a story line that is not convincing. On a whim one night a father decides to build a relationship with the vapid friend ofhis daughter. What a terrible example of poor cinema and story. There was actually a line where the mom of the loose daughter asks are you OK sucking David's old balls?

I don't want to stop I want to be happy the dad says. This is. bad writing acting art u name it. Total trash. Don't believe any rating above a 2. This is the worst of the worst. Hard to believe these actors agreed to b in this. Disgrace.

No lemon

[Karl Self · 8/10 · 7 March 2013]

I saw this movie with zero previous knowledge and it really impressed me. Two neighbouring families in New Jersey (in an area known as The Oranges because the cities there all have the term Orange in their names -- hence the title of the movie) live harmonically next to each other. The children have grown up together, the men go jogging together, they celebrate the holidays together. They have normal problems -- one daughter doesn't seem to get on with her life, the other plans to marry a deadbeat, then breaks up with him because she caught him cheating on her. Her meddling mother wants to hook her up with their neighbour's A-student son, but the wayward daughter opts for his dad (played by Hugh Laurie) instead. Actually, a plausible choice at that point. She's fed up with college boys, needs stability, and they do care for each other. Her new manfriend feels rejuvenated since his marriage has been in the doldrums for some time. After the unlikely lovebirds have kissed, and even before their first date in a no-tell-motel, their budding affair is exposed. And a lot of hell breaks loose.

The movie plays out a conundrum scenario. On the one hand, there's nothing wrong with an loving relationship between two consenting adults, right? Nina, the girl hooking up with her family guy neighbour, says it herself in one scene: "But what if there was no wrong? ... There is no wrong." On the other hand, the very proximity between all persons involved turns against the love affair between Nina and David (family guy). David's daughter feels this most acutely: she doesn't want to become a nagging moralizer for family values. On the other hand, she doesn't want her former schoolmate Nina to become her new stepmom either.

I find this a great movie about an interesting moral dilemma.

... just warmhearted fun ... not-reality

[bjarias · 7/10 · 1 May 2021]

... casting by Jeanne McCarthy help-make this film... every role perfectly assigned (&-acted)... can be watched again & again to similar enjoyment.

Embarrassing

[terencecarson · 5/10 · 15 January 2016]

This movie is categorized as comedy, drama and romance and fails in all three IMHO. Let's start with the tag lines: there's no sex whatsoever and it's about to get juicy but it never does, reckon that according to your preferences. As a comedy it delivers few smiles and even less laughs. The drama side goes a bit better if nothing else for the ever worried look of David (Laurie), a middle aged husband who could be attractive only to girls in desperate need of a father figure.Unfortunately the drama part is also predictable and without sparkles.Finally the romance: very little dwelled upon and without any surprise. If i haven't been harsher in voting it's because of the actors' effort, in particular Alia Shawkat (perfect in the role of the incredibly obnoxious Vanessa) and Adam Brody (my favorite scene is when he's back from China and discovers the "scandal")

Adequate

[SanteeFats · 6/10 · 15 October 2014]

Suppose to be a comedy-drama but there sure isn't much comedy. Kind of a downer movie in my opinion. Two families who are best friends but the parents have all fallen into the middle age I am not in love with you rut. One father whose wife admits she just ignores him is now sleeping in the den. They have a daughter and a son. The daughter is kind of a slug the son is in China for awhile. So any way the other family has a daughter (go figure) and ignored dad hooks up with her. His wife leaves, finds a calling in giving livestock to foreigners, and still ignores those she shouldn't. The dad's daughter has tremendous anger over the hook up and since she lives at home still this leads to some tenses scenes since the other daughter and her were best friends for years. Any way the movie ends with the girl cutting ties with everyone and going to Europe, her parents have gotten much closer during this crisis, slugo finally moves out of the house, which actually brings her and daddy closer,and the son, well not much is really done with his character.