When perusing the film categories on Netflix this evening, I noticed one labeled “Feel Good Movies.”  The older I get, the more I want this from what I watch.  This seemed to be the preferred aesthetic of Hollywood’s bygone era, too, but at some point between then and now we began to think that to be grotesque, perverse, or violent is better.  I am, of course, painting with broad strokes.  There are plenty of productions that I like that do not lean towards the schmaltz.  Yet, as Home Again (2017) ended with a Carole King song of the same title, it reinforced why I will always opt for the uplifting rather than the comparable filth.  The movie is about starting over, but with an eye towards what came before this process.  The final tune stood out to me because I grew up listening to Tapestry, the Carole King album on which this song is found.  While I do not plan revisiting this part of my life in any way, it is good to have this reminder of the best of those times.

Alice Kinney (Reece Witherspoon) is Home Again in Los Angeles where she was born, the daughter of famed, and deceased, Hollywood director John Kinney (David Netto).  She has returned here to live in her father’s house with her two children, Isabel (Lola Flanery) and Rosie Blume-Kinney (Eden Grace Redfield).  Their dad, Austen Blume (Michael Sheen), has stayed behind in their former home in New York City, the result of Alice tiring of him putting his work in the music industry ahead of their family.  The proceedings really kick off on the day of her fortieth birthday.  To celebrate, she goes out on the town to have some drinks.  It is while at one of these bars that she meets George Appleton (Jon Rudnitsky), and Harry (Pico Alexander) and Teddy Dorsey (Nat Wolff).  George is a scriptwriter, Harry is the director, and Teddy fills the role of lead actor for a short movie they have brought to Los Angles in the hopes of getting it made into a feature length film.  Harry is the smooth talker, but in their meetings is more willing to be flexible with the vision they have in mind for their production.  They have talent, too, and with these things they are able to find agents and get things moving towards accomplishing their dreams.  It is Harry who first meets Alice.  Everyone is overserved, and they all go back at her place.  Alice and Harry end up in her room about to sleep together, but he finds he cannot hold his liquor and gets sick.  The next morning when Alice’s mom Lillian Steward (Candice Bergen) brings home Isabel and Rosie from watching them while Alice went out for her birthday, they encounter three strange men.  While Alice gets her children ready for school, Lillian entertains the guys, who, it should be mentioned, are all at least a decade Alice’s junior.  Lillian continues to hang out with the men throughout the day when Alice comes home with the kids.  This is when Lillian comes up with the idea of letting them stay in the guest house, which would be convenient for them since they had earlier been kicked out of their previous abode.  Alice is about to object when she looks out and sees her daughters having fun with the guys.  Hence, she relents.  This provides them some stability as their potential movie keeps gaining traction.  This works well for Harry on a couple levels.  First, he is seeing their dreams come to fruition, though, unbeknownst to him, George and Teddy each take other jobs to earn an income.  Secondly, Harry gets to renew his romantic interest in Alice.  They routinely do adult things at night, but she begins to think of him as more than . . . well, attach whatever term society refers to these kinds of arrangements.  Yet, when she invites him to a dinner party as a boyfriend, he ends up staying too long for a meeting with potential investors.  This is the first of what will be many cracks in the pleasant little façade that had been developing since the guys took up residence in the guest house.  Another is George.  While Harry had been the one to sleep with Alice, George, too, has feelings for her.  Also, George had been developing a mentor role with Isabel, helping her with a one act play she wants to put on for her school.  As for Teddy, he is the only one that does not have a romantic interest in Alice.  He is no less liked by everyone, however, and is protective of the family.  This comes out when Austen arrives from New York, talking about how much he has missed Alice and his daughters.  Teddy does not trust Austen, and the younger man ends up punching Austen in the face.  This also comes right after Harry learns that George and Teddy had been doing jobs without telling their director.  Alice returns home while the tussle is in progress and tells George and Teddy that they need to leave, as Harry had already done.  Still, this does not mean Austen is being welcomed back.  As Alice tends to the bump as his head, she tells him that she wants a divorce.  He takes it well, but agrees to move to Los Angeles to be closer to their children.  Meanwhile, George and Teddy find Harry and apologize.  With their differences mended, they get back to work on their movie.  The day that they are about to see everything come to fruition happens to be the same day as Isabel’s play.  George, specifically, had agreed to stand off stage to give her the confidence she needs to complete the performance.  Thus, Harry abruptly ends their tête-á-tête before it is over, saying they have a previous appointment.  The proceedings conclude with a congratulatory dinner at the Kinney residence with everyone invited, and Rosie pointing out the similarities between the play and their current situation.

There are some unfortunate aspects of Home Again that normally make this Catholic reviewer shake his head.  Themes of divorce and premarital sex, even if you are not a practicing Catholic like myself, are problematic.  What goes on between Alice and Harry is obviously included in this discussion.  It is not so much the age difference, which Faith would tell you is not the biggest problem.  We are taught to judge by different factors, ones that align more with what God wants for us in life.  This takes time to figure out between two people, and is something that the movie does not give to Alice and Harry.  Yet again, you have two people jumping into bed with one another with little regard for the consequences, and look at the near disaster this causes.  What is interesting about this is that she later cites the need to be thinking about the consequences as a reason for not continuing to carry on with him as they have been.  The result is a blended family in that sort of ridiculous modern way that the Fast and Furious franchise wants us to buy.  What I can say for Home Again is that they have the basis of a community.  Believe it or not, the early Christian community was like that you see at the end. There is a mutual love and respect shared by those gathered at the table.  I could have done without the divorce and sex, but their camaraderie is evidence that the love of God can work in mysterious ways.

Like I said, there are a few questionable elements in Home Again.  At the same time, it accomplished for me what the category set out to do: to make me feel good.  It may not be the deepest movie, but at least I did not come away from it sad about life.