An American family basking in fragile happiness fragments yet again in this slow-burning if inventive 'road movie'. Living in reasonable bliss with often-absent Louis (Stanley Tucci), Long Island housewife Eliza (Hope Davis) finds what seems to be a love letter to him from a certain Sandy. Fleeing to her family, she's soon in the car with dad, mum, flighty sister Jo (Parker Posey) and her boyfriend (Liev Schreiber) to confront the errant Louis in New York. On the way the family, bored stiff by Schreiber and the absurd novel he's writing and nagged rotten by truculent mum (Anne Meara), falls apart - though there's a partial reconciliation after a shocking discovery at the end. A few amusing moments here are outweighed by tedious ones and the film suffers from a low budget and some rather glum performances - though Marcia Gay Harden is fun as a gin-sodden guest at a party.

©ipc tx. Film content from TVTimes