This Is Where I Leave You

Plot

Judd Altman (Jason Bateman) finds out his wife Quinn (Abigail Spencer) has been having an affair with his boss Wade (Dax Shepard) for a year. After he moves out, Judd's sister Wendy (Tina Fey) calls to tell him their father Mort has died. The Altmans gather for the funeral at their mother's home where they reconnect with family friends Horry Callen (Timothy Olyphant), and his mother Linda (Debra Monk). Wendy is unhappy because her husband Barry (Aaron Lazar) is too busy with work. Judd reunites with his older brother Paul (Corey Stoll) and Paul's wife Annie (Kathryn Hahn), who had once been Judd's girlfriend. The youngest brother, Phillip (Adam Driver), arrives late with older, therapist girlfriend Tracy (Connie Britton) and interrupts the funeral.

The Altmans' mother, Hilary (Jane Fonda) tells her children their father wanted them to sit shiva (despite the fact that Mort was an atheist), presided over by the Altmans' childhood friend, rabbi Charles "Boner" Grodner (Ben Schwartz). Wendy knows about Judd's discovery of Quinn's infidelity, about which he avoids telling everyone else. Judd also reunites with Penny Moore (Rose Byrne), a girl who had a crush on him in high school.

During a family gathering, Wendy drunkenly badgers Judd to tell the truth about Quinn. Phillip laments being seen as the family screw-up, while also flirting with another girl while Tracy watches. Irritated, Judd blurts out that Quinn was cheating on him and he plans to divorce her. Quinn shows up the next day and reveals she's pregnant with Judd's child. It could not be Wade's child as he is sterile. Phillip finds out about the pregnancy and reveals this to the family.

The family goes to temple for a service where the brothers sneak out to smoke joints Judd found in his father's suit. Annie, upset that she and Paul haven't conceived, crawls into bed with Judd in hopes that he could get her pregnant, but he rejects her. Wendy visits Horry in his backyard, and expresses her remorse over being involved the accident that caused Horry's brain injury and then leaving him. A few days later, when her husband leaves for a conference, an upset Wendy sleeps with Horry. Being caught walking home in the morning by Judd, she tearfully confesses she will never love Barry the way she loved Horry. Judd spends the night with Penny, and then spends the day with her. But then Quinn calls him out of fear that she is having a miscarriage, and he admits to Penny that Quinn is pregnant. Judd gets to the hospital to be with Quinn, only for Wade to show up. The baby is fine and is determined to be a girl. Upon being asked to leave by the OB, Judd and Wade get into a fight in the waiting room. When Philip and Wendy arrive, Wendy punches Wade in the face. Upon leaving, Wade tells Judd he's not ready to be a step-dad and leaves Quinn.

The next day, Annie apologizes to Judd, tearfully confessing that she only wants a baby so badly and is so frustrated by her lack of progress with Paul. Judd replies that she should focus and remember the things she does have with Paul, the love they share and not let the need for a baby ruin her marriage. Paul walks in as Judd hugs her and assumes they were kissing. Paul chases and attacks Judd as Tracy leaves Phillip for being unfaithful, resulting in the three brothers fighting. Hillary silences everyone by kissing Linda passionately in front of all the spectators and informs everyone that she and Linda are in love, something Mort was happy with. She admits the Shiva was her idea, in order to come out to all her children at once and get them all to reconnect. The four siblings are shocked at first, but see their mother is happy and accept it.

One night, when the power goes out in the basement (where Judd is staying), Judd attempts to fix the problem in the power box, only to be given an electrical shock that knocks him out. He dreams of a memory with his father, where Judd had fallen down from his bike as a child, and his father comforted him and pressed his forehead to his, a characteristic sign of affection Mort used for his children. Judd wakes up crying, finally fully mourning for his father.

Judd meets Penny at the skating center, apologizing for not being honest. Wendy leaves with her two kids, waving to Horry from the car, tearing up as she lets him go again. The brothers make amends, and Paul offers Phillip a job at their father's sporting goods store. Judd decides to quietly slip out, and after loading his luggage in his car, steals Phillip's Porsche 997. The final shot is of Judd driving on the highway to Maine, a place he has always wanted to go.

Cast

Production

This is Where I Leave You began principal photography on May 13, 2013 in New York City. The home is located in Munsey Park on Long Island. The skating rink was in The Bellmores, New York. The synagogue interior and exterior scenes were actually shot at Congregation Kneses Tifereth Israel in Port Chester, New York. Approximately 40 members of the congregation played extras in the scenes.

Music

On October 9, 2013, Michael Giacchino was hired to score the film. On August 25, 2014, it was announced that WaterTower Music would release a soundtrack album for the film on September 16, 2014.

Additional music

Marketing

On May 15, 2014 Entertainment Weekly revealed a still from the film featuring the whole cast. On May 28, 2014 the first trailer was released.

Box office

This Is Where I Leave You grossed $34.3 million in North America and $6.7 million in other territories for a total gross of $41 million, against its budget of about $20 million.

In its opening weekend, the film grossed $11.6 million, finishing 3rd at the box office behind fellow new releases The Maze Runner ($32.5 million) and A Walk Among the Tombstones ($12.8 million).

Critical reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a rating of 41%, based on 143 reviews, with an average rating of 5.5/10. The site's consensus reads, "This Is Where I Leave You has its moments, but given the amount of talent assembled onscreen, the rather pedestrian results can't help but feel like a letdown." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 44 out of 100, based on 39 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews."

Home media

The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray December 16, 2014.