The Altman family patriarch has died and this most secular of Jews desired that the family come together and sit Shiva. For those of you gentiles out there a Shiva is a Jewish wake, but it happens after the funeral which is done as quickly as possible. So his children who include Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Corey Stoll and Adam Driver gather at the family home where Jane Fonda their mother still lives. Fonda insists that these very secular kids observe the custom as a matter of respect for their dad.
Father had a sporting goods business he ran and he made some very specific bequests in his will about the division of the business. That is only one bone of contention. In fact me telling any more will ruin the story. I will say this though that after a lot of revelations about the children and their lives, Fonda provides the biggest revelation of all at the end and kind of brings them all to an understanding.
This Is Where I Leave You is one of those films short on plot, but long and deep in character development. Jason Bateman as per his status as the lead is the sibling who never really went anywhere, the one with the most ability, but the one who always played it safe. His character is the most fully formed, the other siblings have their moments, but in the end function as reflections of sides of Bateman.
No one is all warm and fuzzy as This Is Where I Leave You ends. But they all come away with a better understanding of themselves and the family dynamic.
And isn't that what families are all about?