A Family Affair

" I love romcoms, and while this movie is lighthearted and enjoyable for its escapism, with a luxurious seaside setting, beautiful homes, good-looking & successful characters, and a nice soundtrack, the film's characters and improbable romance (they fall in love within minutes with no character build-up!), make this film less believable and not as compelling as "The Idea of You" (another #romcom featuring a big age gap). NEVERTHELESS, it’s still an “okay” movie, but not a blockbuster hit by any means. ⭐️3/5⭐️ "

"Loved this little movie. Just seeing so much of Zac Efron's bare body parts was worth it. 😍 "

"4⭐️ A fun entry into the flipped-script age-difference trope! I’d say I fall somewhere between @miaparker and @carolyn1 on this one. I found it hilarious for maybe the first half. The opening scene in the car seemed to set the stage for a witty satirical take on the romcom, and Zac Efron’s perfectly delivered spoiled-movie-star lines were laugh out loud funny (It’s one of a kind! I only have two of them! 🤣). His chemistry with Joey King was almost shockingly fantastic and he and Nicole were very sweet together. I was hoping the sharp banter would hold up through the inevitable dramatic conflict but unfortunately the pointed comedic elements do drop way off. A few other quibbles: The mother/daughter relationship is more like Joey King’s character is the typical immature 16 year old rather than 24 year old career person she’s meant to be. Is it possible that’s realistic these days?🤷‍♀️ The choices made by Nicole’s character with her don’t seem to be. Lotsa lyin’ that’s all I’ll say. And yes the instalove is a little TOO instant but sometimes insta-attraction CAN be intense so it’s really just a minor quibble for me. If I’m going to make a comparison to The Idea of You I’d say the emotional depth of that movie made it the better one for me. Though I still would have appreciated the comedic approach of this film had it stayed amped up throughout. When all is said and done however, if you don’t expect too much from it, it IS good. Delivers a lot of what I like in a romcom, has an all-star, talented and charismatic cast (let’s not forget the wonderful Kathy Bates!), and is just the light feel-good escape for when that’s needed!"

"If you can tune your vibe to a middle aged white woman then this is an average family melodrama with a fun cast. The writing is so uneven and polar. But there’s also some scenes so well written that every person with a mom should be mandated to watch. Also, I too harshly criticized Nicole Kidman post surgery appearance in Lioness Special Ops. Because whatever she got done definitely worked. I know it’s all lighting but she enchantingly glows in this. "

"Great movie about an actor that fines love "

"I did not realize what this was about until I was already watching it, and so as soon as it was clear that this was Netflix's version of The Idea of You (older sophisticated woman and young celebrity fall for each other), I was kinda annoyed. This movie took a more light and comedic approach to the subject, and I'll admit I got some good laughs from it. However it felt too long and frankly, The Idea of You did it better, from beginning to end. Also, Joey King's character was too over the top for me in her reactions, as if she was talking to everyone in the building and not just the person standing in front of her. 5/10🎬"

"This was an OK movie it kind of picked up at the end. I usually like Joey King‘s movies so I thought I should get this a try but this movie reminded me of the idea of you. It has the same feeling to it "

"3.75/5 ⭐️ It was cute and cheesy. Efron plays a sexy but self-centered celebrity who falls in love with his assistant's mother (Kidman). What's unique about this romcom is that the main character is the daughter, and the romance is secondary. I thought that was a cool take on the genre. "

"If Sarah Marshall is a 5/5 (which it is) then I give this a 3.5/5. Story-wise it’s not a reinvention or anything super new, but the cast is great and the acting is really superb. I am not usually a huge fan of romcoms as a genre, but with Zac Efron, Nicole Kidman, and Kathy Bates, I mean I can recognize a good sitch in the making when I see one. Zac plays a douchey celeb who falls in love with his employee’s mother, and that’s basically all you need to know lol. I only docked it a bit based on 2-3 really draggy parts….certainly not a deal-breaker when everyone is already so awesome. It’s a fun distracting Efrony romp. Who doesn’t need that brand of joy every now and again 🩵"

"It was watchable, good acting. "