This Is Happening

I stumbled across this movie and watched it without any expectations. I was pleasantly surprised. Philip, the downtrodden good son (James Wolk) is given the responsibility by his father (Judd Nelson) of placing his opinionated grandmother Estelle (Cloris Leachman) in a retirement home. He reluctantly agrees, only to find that his wayward sister Megan (Mickey Summer) decides to tag along for reasons known only to her, resulting in a feel good road trip movie complete with a stash of pot of good measure. Cloris Leachman truly shines as the cantankerous grandmother with a heart, and there are some laugh out loud moments too. The entire cast are perfectly placed in their parts and add richness to an otherwise standard road movie. This really deserves more credit than it's given imo, but hey, check it out for yourself, you might like it

OMFG I love love love this film. What a hidden gem. I was so blown away by the performances. Cloris Leachman still has it and is still one of the funniest people on the planet! The supporting casts keeps up with her, which is no small feat. Hats off to the whole cast. The writing and directing are spot on with great comedic timing. Hope to see more from everyone involved with this charming and hilarious film.

Eh...Not very well acted besides Cloris Leachman. Once the movie ends you can tell what the writer of the story was hoping to accomplish with this film..That old "family trying to rediscover and get over the death that tore them apart" deal but it was a bit of a mess that wasn't helped by the weakness of the actors playing the roles. Again, Cloris Leachman was good, she's a pro,

THIS IS HAPPENING is a well acted and charming little film with stellar performances! Another reviewer mentioned Thelma and Louise and I agree with that reference, but I'd like to also add Grumpy Old Men into that mix! Seriously, Cloris Leachman is so great in this film.I mean she elevates everything she's in, but in this film, she is truly amazing! And this is not to say the other performances aren't great too, the rest of the cast does a fantastic job, the photography is also top-notch, production design is great, and there are some surprising unexpected twists that make this a great quirky film with some real heart which is rare! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

This is the kind of script that someone greenlights, and the film inevitably flops, and then becomes the excuse for fewer comedies being made. If you are one of those people who confuse contrived "quirky" characters with actual comedy, then this might just be what you're looking for. But, to add insult to injury, it tries to throw in some stereotypical Dysfunctional Family Drama. And you will hate the characters so much, you will check your watch and start giving this film the "wrap it up" signal. But it just doesn't.

Sometimes, you have a movie in which one character clearly begins as annoying, or an outright villain, but is eventually redeemed. This film just doesn't seem to understand who the villain is, celebrating what should be condemned.

"This is happening" is the kindest thing you can say about it. So, spare yourself, and don't let it happen to you.