THE GUILT TRIP
Director : Anne Fletcher
Year : 2013
Genre : Comedy
Rating : **1/2
Starring Seth Rogen and Barbara Streisand, 'The Guilt Trip' is the latest film by American director Anne Fletcher. Famous for creating such 'masterpieces' as '27 Dresses' and the mighty 'The Proposal', Fletcher returns to our screens with the completely ineffectual and comedic dead zone which is 'The Guilt Trip', which lacks in the humour department but makes it up with a genuinely good heart and 2 solid performances from it's stars. While much is wrong with 'The Guilt Trip', it is impossible not be charmed by both Streisand and Rogen, who make the most of their roles and act with a surprising amount of realism. Exploring the relationship between a mother and a son, 'The Guilt Trip' is about as generic as comedies go; full of awkward circumstances, moments of cringe-worthy embarrassment and forced complications. However by it's climax, I didn't feel anger or bad thoughts towards the film; in fact I actually quite enjoyed it, despite it's limp script, completely ineffectual direction and a soppy and melodramatic score. Completely forgettable but with it's heart in the right place, 'The Guilt Trip' is an enjoyable romp for families who will relate to the problems and complications depicted on screen and connect with both Seth Rogen and Barbara Streisand for many different reasons. Sadly, it will escape from your memories the moment the film reaches its predictable climax and the end credits roll.
Rogen plays Andy, a chemistry major who has created a new biologically sound cleaning product which he believes will change the world. However, despite his positivity and drive, he is constantly turned down by all the major pharmaceutical companies and the large department stores. Stuck in the treadmill of running across the country trying to sell his product, Andy finds himself in his hometown and stays with his overbearing and protective mother Joyce, played by Barbara Streisand. On the night of his arrival, they have a long talk about life and Joyce reveals that she is lonely and pines for her long lost love, a wealthy businessman who stole her heart when she was young. To help his Mum, Andy searches the internet to find the whereabouts of Joyce's high school sweetheart and secretly plans a cross country trip with her to find him, while along the way trying to sell his cleaning product. On the road together, they find themselves in all sorts of embarrassing situations and hi - jinks. However, as their vacation goes on and the two find out more about each other, Andy and Joyce realise that they may be more close than they could possibly imagine.
The main problem with 'The Guilt Trip' is that it is basically the repetition of the same basic joke which is, aren't Mum's sometimes embarrassing? We are treated to endless scenes of Rogen cringing while his mother listens to an erotic novel on the car radio, Streisand being overprotective to the point of aggravation and Rogen being frustrated with his Mum's seemingly unconditional love. For the first quarter of the movie, these ideas are quite amusing and actually help to build the characters and allows us to identify with different aspects of each of their personalities. We all get annoyed with our parents at times and we can identify with both Rogen's anger and Streisand's need to be a good mother. But after a while, the joke is bled dry and director Fletcher ends up just repeating the same basic gag over and over and over again. This sometimes makes 'The Guilt Trip' an excruciating watch and for me, it becomes too much. For a comedy, 'The Guilt Trip' really isn't funny at all and this is a huge problem for a so - called comedy. If a supposed comedy doesn't make you laugh, then something is wrong; but it is not the fault of the actors as they do a pretty good job. I think the fault lies in the completely lifeless direction and the weak screenplay, which is completely forgettable and surprisingly bland. There are only a few number of times I can watch Seth Rogen and Barbara Streisand argue about sex and life before I want to punch my laptop screen.
I haven't really been a fan of Seth Rogen in the past as I have found him to play the same archetype in every movie he stars in; the lazy druggie who will crack a one liner or a vulgar innuendo. But over the past year or so, he has really grown on me thanks to his heartfelt and genuine performances in films such as' 50/50' and 'Take This Waltz'. While his performance in 'The Guilt Trip' may not be as good as the aforementioned films, he does a good job of making us believe in the character and identify with his different predicaments. The scenes of him arguing and being frustrated with his mother can sometimes be entertaining, but it is the scenes of him trying to sell his cleaning products and realise his dreams that are the most memorable. We have all had dreams of a better life and here, Rogen perfectly plays a man who is desperate for a break in life and who wants to change the world. His anger and frustration at the constant turn - downs is completely real to me and I really felt for his character.
Barbara Streisand is fine as the overbearing but loving Joyce and it is nice to her back on screen after a three year absence. However, due to the repetition of the same basic joke, her character becomes more and more irritating as the film plays on. Her overprotectiveness becomes almost intolerable and the way in which she tries to gain acceptance from her son is too forced to seem real. Maybe to mothers, Joyce may be a relatable character but to me, she is just a power - hungry woman who wants to control every aspect of her sons life. Of course, Streisand is only reading from a script so she can't decide what she says and for the most part, she plays the part well. It is just a shame that she is given such inane and annoying dialogue to read. I think that this the reason why she was shamefully nominated for a Razzie at the recent Golden Raspberry Awards, which are becoming more and more ridiculous as each year passes.
Narratively, 'The Guilt Trip' is extremely generic and it is clear within 5 minutes how the entire movie is going to play out. Due to the road movie conventions, we will see a number of scenes of the uncomfortable nature of the situation, moments where they admire the passing scenery and they will get into scrapes and difficulties due to the places they go and the people they meet. Another annoying cliché that Anne Fletcher has used is the dreaded 'liar revealed' plot device where one character will inevitably find out that they have been brought along under false pretences and argue with the others before they realise that the actions performed were for the best and will forgive the guilty party. This 'liar revealed' story arc drives me up the wall and I am bored of comedies and romantic films using them so freely. It is blatantly obvious that the oblivious target of the lie will forgive the perpetrator and will go along with their plan after all. They are just used to create an air of tension between the two characters and do nothing to expand the narrative or story in any way at all. In fact, the revelation is swept over so quickly in this film that if you blink, you'll completely miss it.
It is a shame that 'The Guilt Trip' is so generic in almost every way because it is acted very well indeed and if it wasn't for Rogen and Streisand, the film would be a complete stinker. It's a badly written, badly directed,badly edited and unfunny mess that is saved by 2 genuinely likable characters and it is a shame that such talented actors are trapped in such a whirlpool of clichéd rubbishness. As mentioned earlier, it should be enjoyed by those of an older generation who have grown up children and who still want to protect them from harm but are buffeted by age and the gradual loss of parental power.
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