BRAD’S STATUS: Brad Sloan (Ben Stiller) has a good career and a good life in Sacramento, however, it’s not exactly what he thought his life would be like during his days in college. Constantly comparing his life with those of his four college friends, he wonders what it would be like to have the success they’ve achieved in their well-paying and glamorous jobs. When circumstances force Brad to reconnect with his buddies, he soon begins to question whether he has failed, or is in some ways the most successful of them all.
It’s been a while since Ben has come out with something that I liked so when I saw the trailer for this one I thought it looked interesting and to my pleasant surprise it was actually really good. Granted his character irritated me most of the time, but I totally related to him and that’s probably why it got me. Personally, I think many older adults can find this one relatable as Ben’s character deals with The Road Not Taken and The Grass Is Greener issues. I say that because the younger, twenty something, guy behind me didn’t care for the movie. I think it was because he didn’t get it.
There were some typical Stiller movie moments, that still gave a good chuckle, as well as some good endearing ones between Brad and his son, Troy (Austin Abrams), that make this one of the better films Ben has done in a while. The supporting cast complimented nicely and even though I know that this may not be a film for everybody, meaning younger audiences, but the ones that it’s meant for, this is A Must See Movie for sure.