Movie Review - Michelle Pfeiffer and Chris Pine Star in 'People Like Us' Movies for Grownups

Movie Review ' People Like Us'

Family secrets drive this engaging film starring Chris Pine Elizabeth Banks and Michelle Pfeiffer

Director: Alex Kurtzman
Rating PG-13. Running Time: 115 minutes
Stars: Chris Pine, Elizabeth Banks, Michael Hall D'Addario, Michelle Pfeiffer Family secrets make for interesting dramatic material — and let's face it, we all have them. See also: In People Like Us, director-writer Alex Kurtzman draws from his own personal tale to craft a plot that takes the family reconciliation story and turns it into something new and compelling. The film is also helped by some terrific performances from young actors Chris Pine (Star Trek, Unstoppable), Elizabeth Banks (, Zack and Miri Make a Porno) and newbie Michael Hall D'Addario. The underrated appears in the film only occasionally but demonstrates her full range of talent in an emotional scene where she admits — to others and to herself — that her marriage was never as good as it appeared on the surface. Photo by Zade Rosenthal/ Courtesy Dreamworks Lillian (Michelle Pfeiffer) reconnects with her son Sam (Chris Pine) in "People Like Us."

Family Scenes

The story begins when Sam Harper (Pine), working in New York, gets word that his father has died suddenly. He flies to Los Angeles for the funeral, and when his mother (Pfeiffer) drops a comment about how Sam is good at "running away," we realize that theirs was not a close parent-child relationship. Sam's dad, however, has left behind $150,000 in cash with instructions for Sam to deliver it to the half-sister he never knew he had. When he tracks down Frankie (Banks), he discovers that his half-sibling is a working as a bartender, and a single mother to a somewhat angst-ridden adolescent son named Josh (D'Addario). Kurtzman allows Sam to delay telling Frankie exactly who he is and what his intentions are for a frustratingly long time, inviting some icky possibilities. At the same time, he devotes several touching scenes to interplay between Sam and Josh. And, in an interesting plot twist, we discover that the half-siblings have been connected since childhood in ways they didn't even realize. The strength of People Like Us is undoubtedly rooted in the personal experiences of Kurtzman (who is known mostly for writing action fare, such as ). The movie realistically explores the ripple effects that occur when family members hide truths from one another. And it underscores how, despite secrets and lies, family ties often endure nonetheless. You may also like: Featured AARP Member Benefits See more Entertainment offers > See more Entertainment offers > See more Entertainment offers > See more Entertainment offers > Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures

Close In the next 24 hours, you will receive an email to confirm your subscription to receive emails related to AARP volunteering. Once you confirm that subscription, you will regularly receive communications related to AARP volunteering. In the meantime, please feel free to search for ways to make a difference in your community at Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again.