THE STORY – Lauren, a newly divorced, sober mom, feels like she has a new lease on life after joining her first acting class and starting a fling with her hot, young scene partner. However, when they attend their Gen Z classmate’s wedding together, things begin to fall apart, and Lauren finds herself behaving like a drunk 25-year-old bridesmaid. Luckily after a disastrous night she stumbles into a new day and a new beginning.
THE CAST – Amy Landecker, Bradley Whitford, Nico Hiraga, Gaby Hoffmann, Ken Marino, Missi Pyle, Kiersey Clemons, Claudia Sulewski, Simon Helberg & Liv Hewson
THE TEAM – Amy Landecker (Director/Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 90 Minutes
Amy Landecker has put in the work. She has nearly 100 IMDb credits to her name, including a memorable turn in the Coen Brothers’ “A Serious Man” and a main role in the TV series “Transparent.” She has been seen on screens both big and small for over 25 years, and now with “For Worse,” she takes on not one but two major roles behind the camera. In addition to playing the main character, she has appointed herself a double hyphenate as both writer and director, making her feature debut in both positions. And while the film may not offer totally fresh observations or take any big directorial swings, the hilarious screenplay delivered by a talented ensemble of comedic geniuses is reason to celebrate. So few films nowadays are funny without being a comedy paired with another genre, whether action-comedy, horror-comedy, or just comedy-drama. While “For Worse” does have some well-earned instances of genuine pathos, it’s above all else a funny movie that’s impossible to watch silently. Laughs are guaranteed.
Landecker plays Lauren, a 50-year-old woman who, at the film’s start, has just signed her divorce papers. Setting out on her own and uncertain about what to do with her newly single existence, she signs up for a commercial acting class run by a kooky instructor (Gaby Hoffmann). Despite the silly exercises she and her classmates must endure, she bonds with the much younger acting students, especially the handsome and charmingly dopey Sean (Nico Hiraga). The two hit it off after being paired together for a scene and it’s not long before they find themselves romantically intertwined (or at least, physically intertwined). When one of their classmates invites them to her wedding, Lauren and Sean decide to go as a pair. Although Lauren is initially excited, once she sees Sean interacting with people closer to his age – especially the bridesmaids – she worries she may be completely out of place.
The screenplay is, undoubtedly, the film’s greatest achievement. Landecker has a keen ability to wring humor purely out of observation, with most of her jokes poking fun at the quirks of contemporary, youth-focused culture. Because her character is a fish out of water compared to her fellow wannabe actors, at least age-wise, there are countless instances of generational culture shock. Some of the humor and characterizations are a bit broad to sell the comedy, which can sometimes make the jokes feel a bit tired. But just as often, Landecker subverts stereotypes, which keeps Lauren from feeling like an omniscient truth-teller or a vessel for the author to vent real-life frustrations. Particularly effective is how the film uses Lauren’s ex-husband’s new, much younger yoga influencer girlfriend (Angelique Cabral). While she’s presented as a simple visual gag to poke fun at the desperation of middle-aged single men, her character inadvertently helps guide Lauren through a much-needed emotional breakthrough later in the film. This moment is helped by a committed, but not condescending, performance from Cabral.
In fact, every member of the supporting cast delivers an exceptional comedic performance, regardless of the size of their part. Standouts include Missi Pyle as Lauren’s hilariously sardonic best friend, Ken Marino as the guy you’d least want to be sat next to at a reception, and Spencer Stevenson as a wedding guest who unexpectedly connects with Lauren (their conversation about Julia Roberts in “My Best Friend’s Wedding” is the comedic highpoint of the film). They and the rest of the cast all deliver lived-in comic performances that give the film its tossed-off, improvisatory feeling (and knowing the credentials of many of the performers, it wouldn’t be surprising if some of the funnier scenes were partly improvised). Landecker’s real-life husband Bradley Whitford also gives a typically impactful performance as the bride’s father. His character’s wedding toast is written and acted in a spectacularly moving way that doesn’t weigh down the film’s otherwise buoyant tone.
Although the actors were all clearly directed in a way that allowed them the freedom to explore the full range of their characterizations while never straying from the film’s overall feeling and intent, Landecker’s technical filmmaking doesn’t particularly stand out. The camerawork is uninspired and the entire film has a generally flat look. And except for a bookending pair of hilarious freeze frames, the editing is unremarkable. Some scenes even run a bit long, as if Landecker was afraid of leaving out any possible laugh line or humorous moment, even at the expense of the film’s pacing. This isn’t necessarily the type of film that would call for showy technical elements, but it does lead to the film feeling slightly less than top-shelf.
But in terms of comedies that deliver on their unstated promise to make the audience laugh, one could do a lot worse than “For Worse.” Like her character, Landecker makes good on her potential and steps into the spotlight as a fully realized artistic voice. It’s a fantastic debut, and anyone who sees it is certain to find themselves eagerly awaiting whatever she does next.
