Together Together

The story (written and directed by a woman) is not often (if ever) told in movies, a single man wants to start a family and hires a young woman to be a surrogate. The man is intelligent and successful and 45. The young woman had a speed bump as a teenager and now at 26 she works in a coffee shop in San Francisco. But she is lovely and intelligent and has aspirations to finish her degree.

So the movie is about their nine months, from his selecting her to giving birth. How each handles the novel "relationship" and how they gradually form a great friendship through the process. I can't say enough about Patti Harrison who plays the young woman. I had never heard of her before but she is just perfect in the role. Had it been any other actress the movie would have suffered. Ed Helms is established, he always does a good job.

Anyway my wife and I really enjoyed it, much of the script writing is novel and interesting. We watched it at home on DVD from our public library.

Not a bad way to spend 90 minutes, but ultimately felt like a bit of fluff.

Highlights:

• The window into some of the things a woman goes through during pregnancy.

• The warm feeling I got from the platonic love between the main characters.

• Patti Harrison and Ed Helms, who are both charming in this.

Lowlights:

• The story is quite contrived, and borderline cheesy.

• Very limited character development.

• Most of the humor falls flat.

• The shots at Woody Allen felt cheap.

• The abruptness of the ending seemed like a cop-out, conveniently avoiding the inevitable conflicting emotions of this scenario.

It's not necessarily a romcom to begin with. It's clear Anna and Matt have a connection but it doesn't transpire into something romantic, though the bond is there. Two awkward, lonely people who share an unfamiliar connection as a surrogate mother and a single father. The actors made the best out of it, I feel. Many great moments that give you hints of a good movie; each moment feels like it's leading to "that scene" that's going to make you fall in love with the movie but the scene never comes.

Ends with a cliff hanger but not the type you'd bang your head on about "What's next? How could they end it there?". Still a good watch, slightly above average, just that it's forgettable.

1) This is a comedy but not a belly laugh out loud film.

2) Per usual, Ed Helms does not disappoint.

3) Sometimes we get movies that are sweet and refreshing with endings that leave you wanting more. This is one of those. It's OK to let viewers decide for themselves, in their own hearts and minds, what the ending is.

4) Happy Birthday, Lamp! 🎈

Nikole Beckwith created a wonderful and charming film. Together Together is filled with so much emotion, laughter, and awkwardness. Beckwith's script is great. It's hilarious and never afraid to show the awkwardness in her characters and the situation they are in. You can imagine how awkward this situation would be.

Patti Harrison gives a star making performance. She's funny, heartbreaking, and subtle. She hits every note in the film. Was also really surprised by Ed Helms in the film. He too is great. While he is still somewhat doing his Andy from The Office, he shows an emotional range I didn't know he had. It's a career best performance for Helms.

I really loved this film. It just made me feel great. I enjoyed watching it from start to finish. Nikole Beckwith is brilliant and I can't wait to see what she does next.