RBR: A.C.O.D.

File this one under 'Wasted Potential'. You take an excellent cast that features Adam Scott, Richard Jenkins, Amy Poehler, Catherine O'Hara, Clark Duke, Jessica Alba, and Jane Lynch. You put them in a movie with an interesting story about what kind of people do kids of divorce turn out to be once they become adults. All of that should add up to something pretty great and yet this never reaches those heights. Scott plays the titular A.C.O.D. (which stands for Adult Child of Divorce). His younger brother announces he's going to get married. In order to prepare for the wedding, he attempts to get his estranged parents to start talking to each other once again. Dealing with them dredges up bad memories, so he also seeks out his former shrink (played by Lynch), who never was an actual therapist but still made a lot of money writing a book based on his issues growing up. The way the events play out in this film makes it feel like the pilot for a TV show. A lot of characters get introduced here that have some interesting quirks about them, but never fully get fleshed out. In addition, there's no really clear climax to the film. It really feels like an introduction without any clear resolution. If this had been a pilot, I would have been very invested to see where things go from there. As a standalone movie, I feel cheated. Despite the charming cast, there's nothing to sink your teeth into here. While there are certainly far worse movies that have come out in the past year, I cannot in my right mind recommend this one because I have no doubt that others will end up feeling just as disappointed as I was with this one. Rating: **1/2