The Guilt Trip (2012)

Why so much hype?

Surprisingly incoherent and boring

Lack of good storyline.

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

There are natural bonds between a mother and son. Likewise there are natural barriers that should not be crossed as adults, things that are better off not said. In this film Joyce (Barbra Streisand) and her son (Seth Rogen) break those barriers in this humorous and heart warming tale of a mother and son's road trip, one where they both do things out of love for the other one, that might make them ill at ease.The film has great chemistry and dialogue. There were a few moments when the doting mom thing became too cliche, but it didn't last. Worth a view, worth owning.Parental Guide: 1 F-bomb. No sex or nudity. Mom and son go into a strip club, with pole dancers, but there is no nudity.

The Guilt Trip reminds me of Only the Lonely. The tagline for the latter is, "A comedy for anyone who's ever had a mother," and it completely applies to this 2012 comedy as well. Every kid, son or daughter, will find something to smile or laugh about in Barbra Streisand's hilarious character. Written by Dan Fogelman, who also wrote the touching and realistic Danny Collins, it's a perfect representation of an adult child's relationship with his mother, whom he loves, is tired of, and wants to make proud. It's funny and a little dramatic, without getting too dark, and extremely heartwarming. In other words, watch it.You'd never know it, but Seth Rogen has some talent buried inside of him. Maybe this script really touched him, maybe he has unresolved mother issues, or maybe Anne Fletcher was a wonderful director, but Seth gives a fantastic and relatable performance. He and Barbra have a wonderful rapport together, a testament to both the actors and the script. It's so easy to believe they're mother and son; Fogelman writes of ever-present love underneath the push and pull of a normal, irritating relationship.It's really hard to find a leading role for an older woman that's actually a good part. After a fifteen-year retirement, Jane Fonda chose Monster-in-Law, which was pretty much a caricature instead of a character. Susan Sarandon found a gem in the mis-titled The Meddler, as did Barbara in The Guilt Trip. She's a well-meaning, very loving mother who takes a road trip with her son, unaware of his real intentions for the trip. She has idiosyncrasies that drive him nuts and remind everyone in the audience of their own mothers, and at the same time she's enormously real and three-dimensional. Every time I watch this movie with my family-believe it or not, Seth Rogen actually made a family friendly movie-we all get lumps in our throats. Unless you vehemently hate Barbra Streisand or have just lost your mother and are avoiding all movies about parents, buy a copy of The Guilt Trip and watch it during your next movie night. I guarantee you'll love it. I'd describe my favorite part to complete my recommendation, but there are just too many to choose from!

The Guilt Trip is a dramedy that featured Barbra Streisand and Seth Rogen,who also were the producers of the film,as a mother and son traveling from New Jersey to San Francisco and acted as an odd pair during the trip.The doting parent but an obviously intrusive mother to her son,who happens to be smart enough to have an Organic Chemistry degree, happens to be annoyed by it but later realizes that her mother isn't wrong about everything during their trip.The movie wasn't well-received by majority of critics.One reason is the fact that it worked primarily at the dramatic aspects instead of the comedic scenes.Despite the fact that Streisand and Rogen have great chemistry,the screenplay was predictable,clichéd,old-fashioned mediocre to a point that it did not capitalize on the talents of the lead stars.Also,it would probably appeal more to the older generation particularly those who are in their 60's rather than majority of the movie-goers.

This is one of those movies where the two leads, who make up most of the movies, work perfectly together, and make the movie work. Barbra Streisand and Seth Rogen make an outstanding team as Rogen makes a cross-country road drive to San Fransisco as he tries to promote his latest invention-a cleaning fluid made of natural ingredients-to various companies and another goal.My favorite scenes are his final "televised" pitch, the scene in the Steak Ranch in Lubbock, and the scene in CostCo. Overall, this is a throughly enjoyable movie with terrific performances and good humor.*** out of ****