The first reviews for director Stu Zicherman’s film ACOD (Adult Children Of Divorce) are in. The reviews mostly talk about Adam Scott’s performance in the film and say Mary’s role as his girlfriend are good, but nevertheless, the reviews for the film are good. First is from EW:
A.C.O.D. is a bubbly-smart romantic comedy with a new subject: the generation of kids who grew up with divorced parents, and therefore found no stigma in that situation, but who had to do so much precocious, faux-parental managing that it did a mind-game number on their emotional lives.A.C.O.D. is like some wild and woolly French family drama that hums along in fast motion. The film sprawls, at times a bit too much, but it gives Adam Scott his punchiest big-screen role yet.
What easily could have been the formula for a run of the mill romantic comedy is heightened and finely tuned by a smart script that has clearly been helped by nine years of rewrites since the screenplay was first conceived as “Divorce Comedy” in 2003. The ensemble of characters are all handled with care and add something substantial to the story. This includes Mary Elizabeth Winstead as the girlfriend who isn’t just spectating the madness, Amy Poehler as a b****y step-mother and Jane Lynch as a fame and accolade hungry faux therapist (or rather researcher) desperate to write a follow-up book to her original studies about Carter and other children living with divorce (hence the film’s title).
A.C.O.D. is the best comedy at Sundance this year, and will likely be one of the best comedies of 2013. With an all-star cast bringing and polished script to life for our entertainment, this is just a delight. The film is full of energy, hearty laughter, witty banter and transcends the romantic comedy subgenre. Stu Zicherman is a fresh new filmmaker who will hopefully bring more great comedy in the years to come, and A.C.O.D. is more than a fine directorial debut; it’s a remarkable comedy full of heart and will leave you with a big goofy smile on your face.
Co-written by Zicherman and Ben Karlin, the script for A.C.O.D. is a Swiss watch. Everything is economical, hilarious, perfectly-paced and never in-your-face obvious. There are loads of big laughs wrapped around unexpected plot points, resonant emotion and great character development. The cast all bring such vigorous life to the film that it almost makes a sad and touchy subject, divorce, into something to be envious of.
A.C.O.D. is a special, miraculous film and the exact reason why you come to the Sundance Film Festival. It’ll leave you happy and high on the power of comedic cinema.
When a script is as well-thought out as this one is, a great cast will only elevate it. While Scott easily carries the load, O’Hara and Jenkins are simply hilarious as his parents. Lynch is much more subdued than we’re used to seeing her, same for Duke, and both Winstead and Alba play characters that’ll challenge Carter to his core.
There’s very little bad to say about A.C.O.D. It’s one of those special films you watch and feel amazing about as you walk out of the theater.
/Film rating: 9 out of 10
Stu Zicherman’s dreadfully titled “A.C.O.D.” premiered on Wednesday (January 23) night at the Sundance Film Festival and… it’s sitcom-y. But it isn’t sitcom-y in a way that I consider necessarily negative. Zicherman is making his feature directing debut, but most of his recent writing credits have been on the small screen, including FX’s very fine “Lights Out.” He wrote the script with “The Daily Show” veteran Ben Karlin. His “A.C.O.D.” cast includes the stars of “Parks and Recreation,” plus actors currently appearing on “30 Rock” and “The Office.”So, in this instance, when I say that “A.C.O.D.” is sitcom-y, it means that it’s a neatly arced comedy with a steady stream of jokes, delivered by a professional troupe of performers who know how to efficiently hit every punchline. “A.C.O.D.” is very rarely surprising and Zicherman’s directing M.O. is mostly to get out of the way of his cast, but that’s just smart business.While 95 minutes is definitely the right running time for “A.C.O.D.” it leaves a lot of very talented people scrambling to make moments with limited screentime. Winstead gets to be sweet and lovely, but little more — after her career-best performance in “Smashed” last January, this Sundance was all about offering support.