Adult Children

We’d all like to believe that “with age comes wisdom.” But is that necessarily true? In the case of a suburban Chicago family, the household’s four grown children demonstrate that getting older doesn’t automatically equate to getting smarter or more mature. Nevertheless, as fate would have it, life unexpectedly hands them an opportunity to test out that notion in this modestly entertaining comedy-drama from director Rich Newey. When the family’s only son, Josh (Thomas Sadoski), falls prey to his ongoing battle with substance abuse (mostly, though not exclusively, prescription painkillers), he searches for (but is unable to secure) rehab treatment for his condition, something that has obviously come up a number of times before. So, while awaiting a safe place to get clean, he needs a sanctuary where he can stay in the interim to prevent falling off the wagon again. He hopes to temporarily move in with his mother, Mimi (Mimi Rogers), but she and Josh’s stepfather have longstanding plans to go on vacation to Paris, a trip they don’t want to cancel. However, since they’re also uncomfortable leaving Josh to fend for himself at a time like this, they need to devise an alternate plan to provide for his care. Mimi consequently decides to ask Josh’s three sisters to babysit him in her home while she’s away. Knowing Josh’s history, his two eldest sisters, Lisa (Betsy Brandt) and Dahlia (Aya Cash), aren’t especially thrilled with the idea. But their youngest sibling, 17-year-old college-bound half-sister Morgan (Ella Rubin), looks forward to this impromptu reunion. She sees it as a chance to get to know everyone better, an opportunity that will enable her to tap into the alleged wisdom and life experience that she believes comes with age. With a premise like that, one might naturally assume such a setup would be rife with comedic possibilities, potential that’s generally borne out well, particularly when the sisters’ own previously hidden challenges emerge. The result is a gen...