The omnipresence of subtlety in both dialogue and action, as guided by Josh Sternfelds original script, pushes the characters into a monotonous realm and detaches the viewer from any engagement with the characters plights, resulting in a loss of much-needed emotion. In other words, its difficult to be compelled by these somewhat awkward characters fumbling with apathy.
Nevertheless, Anthony LaPaglia gives a solid performance as Jim Winters, the father struggling to engage his two teenage sons and to himself adjust back to normality.
Mark Webber, as Jims son Pete Winters, gives the strongest performance as the indifferent high school student. His character is not over mired with subtle loathing but, instead, wavers very effectively between indifference, teenage angst and juvenile behavior. This is possibly to the character detriment of his one-dimensional sulking brother Gabe, played by Aaron Stanford.
It is in the films culmination that we discover from what the family is recovering and that there is a reason for the somber way that they deal with one another. Unfortunately, though, the dramatic heart of the film exposes itself a little too late.
Grade: B-