Frank’s home is quite since the death of his wife, and he is looking forward to his children coming home and all sitting around the same table. When they all cancel Frank decides that he will drop in on each to surprise them and check on how their lives are going. As he travels Frank discovers that his children’s lives are not what he was lead to believe. He will learn something about his kids, the choices he made as a parent, and his options of how to be there for his family in the future.

There is a good message hidden deep in the story. Not one that requires you to look hard for it, but one that is barely touched on except when it is convenient and often abandoned in attempts to put more focus on the how quirky and odd they made these characters. The adult children are spoiled and damaged by their childhood; Frank is so set on how he did everything right as a father that he is unwilling to see past his flaws. Even when the ending comes you get the feeling that he learned nothing and the few small changes that he made were more out of proving that he was still a great parent instead of trying to make things right.

As Frank’s journey progressed I found myself actually growing angry at his character. He talks everyone’s ear off about his life, his kids, what he did for a living but if anyone else begins to speak he doesn’t even feign interest. He complains to his children that they are keeping things from him and that he wants the truth but if they bring up the fact that he pushed too hard or is unwilling to listen to any of their less than stellar accomplishments he shuts down and well doesn’t listen. Even come the end of the movie he is still lecturing, pushing, and unwilling to just be happy with how people are.

For the caliber of actors involved the acting is not outstanding. It is pretty basic, hardly creating any emotional attachment to them or the events occurring. A good bit of the story is depressing and drags along and then the end comes and it becomes predictable, all wrapped up nicely in fluff that I have seen time and time again. Average movie that should have been so much more considering the cast alone.