This Is Where I Leave You

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This Is Where I Leave You
This Is Where I Leave You poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Shawn Levy
Screenplay by Jonathan Tropper
Based onThis Is Where I Leave You
by Jonathan Tropper
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Terry Stacey
Edited by Dean Zimmerman
Music by Michael Giacchino
Production
companies
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date
  • September 19, 2014 (2014-09-19)
Running time
103 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$19.8 million [2]
Box office$41.3 million [2]

This Is Where I Leave You is a 2014 American comedy drama film directed by Shawn Levy, and starring Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Adam Driver, Rose Byrne, Corey Stoll, Kathryn Hahn, Connie Britton, Timothy Olyphant, Dax Shepard and Jane Fonda. It is based on the 2009 novel of the same title by Jonathan Tropper, who also wrote the film's screenplay. [3] This Is Where I Leave You tells the story of four grown siblings who are forced to return to their childhood home after their father's death and live under the same roof for seven days, along with their over-sharing mother and an assortment of spouses, exes, and might-have-beens. The film was released on September 19, 2014, and grossed $41.3 million against a $19.8 million production budget. [4] [5]

Contents

Plot

New York City radio producer Judd Altman discovers his wife Quinn has been having an affair with his boss, shock jock Wade Beaufort. Preparing for divorce, Judd learns that his father Mort has died and returns to Upstate New York for the funeral, reuniting with his family: his sister Wendy and her children are neglected by her workaholic husband Barry; his older brother Paul is struggling to conceive with his wife Annie, Judd's high school girlfriend; his younger brother Phillip introduces his older-therapist-turned-girlfriend Tracy; and their mother Hilary explains that Mort wanted them all to sit shiva, forcing the family together for the next seven days.

Staying in his childhood basement, Judd lies to everyone but Wendy about Quinn's absence, but admits the truth to his old classmate Penny Moore. He reconnects with Wendy's ex-boyfriend Horry Callen, who suffered a brain injury years before and lives with his mother Linda, Hilary's neighbor and closest friend. An argument about Phillip joining Paul in running their father's sporting goods business dissolves into a fistfight. Phillip flirts with an ex-girlfriend in front of Tracy, and Wendy drunkenly badgers Judd into blurting out the truth about his wife's affair.

Quinn arrives to inform Judd that she is pregnant with his child, and he visits Penny, spending the night together. Wendy reaches out to Horry, regretting the car accident that led to his injury and the end of their relationship. Phillip reveals Quinn's pregnancy to the family and Hilary brings them to temple, presided over by their classmate Rabbi Charles "Boner" Grodner, and the brothers sneak away to smoke marijuana found in their father's suit jacket. Desperate to have a baby, Annie tries to seduce Judd, and Wendy later confides in him that she is still in love with Horry.

Judd's time with Penny is interrupted by a call from Quinn, who fears she is having a miscarriage. He races to the hospital, where Quinn and their baby are fine, but Wade appears, leading to a confrontation in the waiting room. Wendy arrives and punches Wade, while Judd convinces a group of young men to flip Wade’s Jaguar E-Type. Wade admits that he cannot be there for Quinn, and Judd assures her that they will raise their daughter together, even though their marriage is over.

After an honest conversation with Judd, Tracy decides to break up with Phillip, and Penny refuses to let Judd explain himself. While the house is full of mourners, Judd comforts an apologetic Annie, but Paul assumes he is hitting on her and chases him outside, just as Tracy leaves Phillip. As the three brothers fight, Hilary shocks everyone into silence by kissing Linda. They reveal that they fell in love while caring for Mort, who gave them his blessing. Hilary admits that the shiva was her idea, allowing her to come out to her children while forcing them to reconnect.

When the power goes out in the basement, Judd attempts to fix the fuse box and is shocked unconscious. He relives a childhood memory of falling off his bicycle and being comforted by his father, and wakes up in his mother's arms. Inspired by Hilary and Linda, Judd apologizes to Penny, and they agree to reconnect after he has figured things out for himself, sharing a kiss. Wendy departs with her children, tearing up as she waves goodbye to Horry, while the brothers reconcile and Paul offers Phillip a job. Judd slips away, stealing Phillip's Porsche and driving to Maine, where he had always dreamed of going.

Cast

Production

This is Where I Leave You began principal photography on May 13, 2013 in New York City. [6] The home is located in Munsey Park on Long Island. The skating rink was in The Bellmores, New York. The synagogue interior and exterior scenes were actually shot at Congregation Kneses Tifereth Israel in Port Chester, New York. [7] [8] Approximately 40 members of the congregation played extras in the scenes. [9]

Music

On October 9, 2013, Michael Giacchino was hired to score the film. [10] On August 25, 2014, it was announced that WaterTower Music would release a soundtrack album for the film on September 16, 2014. [11]

Track listing

This Is Where I Leave You: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
No.TitleLength
1."Fall at Your Feet" (Performed by Saint Raymond)4:03
2."Blue Mind" (Performed by Alexi Murdoch)5:43
3."Never Tear Us Apart" (Performed by INXS)3:02
4."Time After Time" (Performed by Cyndi Lauper)4:01
5."Reign of Love" (Performed by Coldplay)2:54
6."The Ghost in You" (Performed by The Psychedelic Furs)4:17
7."Through the Dark" (Performed by Alexi Murdoch)5:30
8."Are You Ready (On Your Own)" (Performed by Distant Cousins)3:27

Additional music

Marketing

On May 15, 2014 Entertainment Weekly revealed a still from the film featuring the whole cast. On May 28, 2014 the first trailer was released. [12]

Release

This Is Where I Leave You grossed $34.3 million in North America and $6.7 million in other territories for a total gross of $41 million, against its budget of about $20 million. [13]

In its opening weekend, the film grossed $11.6 million, finishing 3rd at the box office behind fellow new releases The Maze Runner ($32.5 million) and A Walk Among the Tombstones ($12.8 million).

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, This Is Where I Leave You holds a rating of 44%, based on 167 reviews, with an average rating of 5.47/10. The site's consensus reads, "This Is Where I Leave You has its moments, but given the amount of talent assembled onscreen, the rather pedestrian results can't help but feel like a letdown." [14] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 44 out of 100, based on 39 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [15] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale. [16]

Home media

The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on December 16, 2014 by Warner Home Video.

References

  1. "THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU (15)". Warner Bros. British Board of Film Classification. April 9, 2014. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
  2. 1 2 "This is Where I Leave You (2014) - Box Office Mojo". September 19, 2014. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
  3. Breznican, Anthony (April 11, 2013). "Connie Britton to romance Adam Driver in all-star 'This Is Where I Leave You' -- EXCLUSIVE". Entertainment Weekly . New York City: Meredith Corporation . Retrieved December 28, 2018.
  4. McNary, Dave (November 26, 2013). "Jason Bateman, Tina Fey Comedy 'This Is Where I Leave You' Finds a Home". Variety . Los Angeles, California: Penske Media Corporation . Retrieved November 27, 2013.
  5. "Charts". IMDb. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
  6. "'This Is Where I Leave You', starring Tina Fey & Jason Bateman, begins filming in NYC". OnlineVacations.com. May 13, 2013.
  7. Guzmán, Rafer. "This Is Where I Leave You (2014)". IMDb. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
  8. "How Tina Fey and 'This Is Where I Leave You' cast bonded while filming on Long Island". Newsday . Melville, New York: Tribune Media. September 17, 2014. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
  9. Racine, Claire K. "Hollywood is coming to Congregation KTI". Westmore News. Port Chester, New York. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
  10. "Michael Giacchino to Score Shawn Levy's 'This Is Where I Leave You'". filmmusicreporter.com. October 9, 2013. Retrieved August 31, 2014.
  11. "'This Is Where I Leave You' Soundtrack Details". filmmusicreporter.com. August 25, 2014. Retrieved August 31, 2014.
  12. Breznican, Anthony (May 15, 2014). "'This Is Where I Leave You': FIRST LOOK at Tina Fey, Jason Bateman's emotional family funeral comedy". Entertainment Weekly . New York city: Meredith Corporation . Retrieved May 16, 2014.
  13. "This is Where I Leave You (2014) - Box Office Mojo" . Retrieved May 10, 2016.
  14. "This Is Where I Leave You". Rotten Tomatoes . Los Angeles, California: Fandango Media. September 19, 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  15. "This Is Where I Leave You Reviews". Metacritic . San Francisco, California: CBS Interactive . Retrieved October 22, 2014.
  16. "Home". CinemaScore. Retrieved November 30, 2022.