When his off-the-grid best buddy Ben Baker (Zach Galifianakis) inherits his estranged father’s fortune, womanizing local weatherman Steve Dallas (Owen Wilson) joins forces with him to battle the legal challenge brought by Ben’s formidable sister (Amy Poehler), in the hilarious big-screen directorial debut from Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner.
Among the virtues of the hit AMC series Mad Men is its rich tapestry of flawed and fascinating characters. Mad Men's creator Matthew Weiner applies that same impeccable feeling for the compelling complexities of human nature in his first feature film, the character-driven comedy You Are Here.
When bipolar, deadbeat stoner Ben (Zach Galifianakis) learns of his father's death, he heads back to the ranch — literally. With his best friend, the womanizing weatherman Steve (Owen Wilson), in tow, Ben arrives at his father's farm for an uneasy reunion with a family he had all but forgotten. It's bad enough that he can't seem to connect with his New Age stepmother (Laura Ramsey), but, to make matters worse, his workaholic sister (Amy Poehler) is furious that Ben was the one chosen to inherit all of their father's major assets. Ben accepts his inheritance as a belated opportunity to fulfill a lifetime of thwarted idealism. But is he fit to turn his utopian dream for his father's property into reality?
Weiner has crafted a sensitive debut brimming with universal themes. Weaving equal parts humour and humanity, You Are Here presents us with characters at a crossroads, each hitting that mid-life moment when we rediscover who we are all over again, ever-presently reminding ourselves of our place in the world: Here.
CAMERON BAILEY
Screenings
Ryerson Theatre
The Bloor Hot Docs Cinema
Scotiabank 2