User reviews

Most of us like me have all found out about family secrets in our life, and when they are revealed many years later they surprise us and it does impact and affect our lives. It's so true everyone has skeleton's in their closets. And this touching and heart felt film "People Like Us" relates to all of those issues. It proves that in life a family always have life altering choices to make.

The story which was inspired by true events has Sam(Chris Pine)a grown salesman who one day with his love Hannah(Olivia Wilde)gets a call in New York and the news is bad his record producer dad who he hasn't seen in years has just passed away on the west coast in L.A. Also Sam's mother Lillian(Michelle Pfeiffer)has fallen ill with a heart condition, so he takes a trip to California to have his life turned upside down.

Soon Sam will have revealed that his father had a hidden past life this was in the form of another sibling it's a half sister in Frankie(the sexy Elizabeth Banks). And Frankie who's an outspoken provocative sexy single mother has her hands full raising little one son Josh(Michael Hall). Along the way this triangle comes a bonding of friendship and love even though at times it's a struggle it's life changing for all as it's a money change for Frankie and Josh as this sexy lady can finally leave bar tending and get a good fresh path to a better life. And Sam has dropped everything after the connection so he can start anew with his true love Hannah.

Overall good film of finding out hidden special secrets, it proves love last with family as a new connection that was once secret starts a better life for all. And that's special and important because a loving family connection is ever lasting love.

Now this is a movie that I thoroughly enjoyed watching. Movies like these proves that you don't need crude and obnoxious jokes with nudity and swearing for it to be good. This is an adult movie that approaches things in a touching and yet mature manner. The story in this is about Sam(Chris Pine) getting $150,000 dollars in cash after his fathers death who he loathed. But in his will he wants that money to go to Frankie(Elizabeth Banks) who is his half-sister that he didn't know about until he got his father's will. So he decides to go stalking Frankie and her son and soon chemistry starts to form between them, I guess it's awkward chemistry. Now Sam already has a girlfriend played by Olivia Wilde but the chemistry between Sam and Frankie is just so well written in this to the point I wanted to see more of it. And the fact that they are half-sibling makes things awkward and yet interesting to watch. Elizabeth Banks is still very hot and attractive, random but wanted to throw that in. This movie is mostly about understanding one another since everyone comes from different background no matter how close you are with them. This is a well written emotional drama that maybe predictable in some cases but it's well worth the watch for sure.

8.5/10

I really enjoyed seeing this latest movie with Chris Pine. The acting is great, the storyline is well written with adequate character development to let you get emotionally invested. Michelle Pfeiffer gives the level of performance you typically expect from Diane Keaton with empathy and sincerity. Chris Pine as Sam shows he's much more than just a pretty face, but the true scene stealer is Michael Hall D'Addario who plays Josh, the bad-boy son of Elizabeth Banks' character, Frankie. I really enjoyed that it isn't your typical romantic comedy between a man and woman who end up either together or not. Frankie and Sam being sister and brother as the primary love interests give it a very interesting twist but there's also the mother-son sub-plot as well as Sam and Hannah, played by Olivia Wilde. We clapped when the credits rolled, which is rare for a romantic comedy movie.

This has to be under everyone's radar and that's a true shame. I can't recommend it enough if you're looking for a truly moving film about fractured families and fractured souls.

I was completely blown away by this movie and by every single performance. If I were an Academy member and I saw this film I would immediately place the names Chris Pine, Elizabeth Banks and Michelle Pfeiffer at the very top of my Oscar nominations lists. Honestly, everyone is just that good in these roles especially Banks. Hers is the best performance I've seen this year bar none. The movie itself is so wonderfully written and packs true emotional resonance. The plot may sound cliché but nothing is handled in a predictable or unreal fashion. Secrets are revealed and it sheds new life on family and the meaning of love. To paraphrase: what seems important now really isn't and what's may seem not important now really is… there's a lot to digest about this film. One thing's for sure, if you "lean in to it" and give this movie your time and undivided attention you will not be sorry that you saw it.

"People Like Us" has a fine cast, a fairly stimulating (yet safe) plot, and some heartfelt life lessons thrown in for good measure. The next paragraph contains a gentle spoiler about this films' themes.

A man (Pine) receives some bad news about his family. He needs to do the right thing, grow up, and bust through the defenses he has spent years hiding under. As he makes a reunion of sorts with family members, the plot unfolds. Each character deals with their own personal set of challenges.

I'll confess that I had hesitations about the casting. Pine is cute as-a-button, and I tend to be drawn to actors who are a bit rough around the edges. But I was wrong to doubt his abilities. He layered his role with some interesting nuances. His interactions with the Elizabeth Banks character were entertaining and fairly genuine. The young actor Michael Hall D'Addario was absolutely wonderful. Banks and Pfeiffer each turned in very sturdy performances. Wilde was also effective, but she needed more screen time.

Kudos to the director Alex Kurtzman for his reasonably light touch. It seems like he allowed the actors a long leash in developing their characterizations. This is no easy task, because Kurtzman also co-wrote the script.

The musical score had some strong moments, particularly when they highlighted classic rock tunes from decades ago. There were periodic sentimental tunes, which seemed a bit manipulative. And there was a beach scene which was a bit deflated, because it was so typically pretty. I wish this film would have taken more risks, and navigated through an even murkier emotional landscape.

At the end of the day, I would recommend this, and I look forward to seeing more films from Kurtzman. If you're still with me at this point, I beg your pardon. Uh, bartender... I'll have an extra dry martini with 2 olives, please.

There is something about a movie that is based on actual events that adds a sense of credibility and believability to a truly unusual and entertaining story. When I decided to watch this movie I had no idea what it was about, so I went in with eyes wide open and no preconceptions. I found this to be a surprisingly good movie, while the subject matter is unique, the fact that this situation really happened for me made this more enjoyable.

Bravo to the entire cast for a truly excellent performance, in my opinion the cast of exceptional actors and actresses made this movie a winner.

(Credit IMDb) While settling his recently deceased father's estate, a salesman discovers he has a sister whom he never knew about, leading both siblings to re-examine their perceptions about family and life choices. This was one of the most underrated films of 2012. It's a genuinely heartwarming story about redemption and finding yourself. I'm somewhat estranged from a lot of my family, aside from my Dad. I may not have had no contact with my sister like Sam (Chris Pine) does in this movie, but I was easily able to feel sympathy for him. Chris Pine did a really nice job of transforming his character throughout the movie. He plays an arrogant human being for a while, who pushes everyone away, including his love interest (Olivia Wilde) I really enjoyed his changes that he made in the movie. His chemistry with Elizabeth Banks was fantastic. Speaking of Elizabeth Banks, she is just as pivotal as Pine was to making this film as enjoyable as it was. I feel she is one of the most underrated talents in Hollywood. She was natural as a former alcoholic. Olivia Wilde felt a little cold at times, but she did well. If the ending doesn't make you smile, I really question your sanity.

7.8/10

My wife and I saw this film without having any idea of what it is a about. All we knew was some guy's father died and he went through a life decision change. For all we knew that meant he could have become gay (he didn't, and it had nothing to do with that).

This is an adult family film. It's PG-13 rating is not for nudity, swearing, or violence. It is rated that because it is a mature look at dysfunctional family problems. So while little of that is shown, they are referred to through the dialog, thus making it a mature film for teens and up.

From the opening credits of Dreamworks, the artistry of the film was evident. Instead of the usual music for the kid fishing from the moon, we hear conversations in a recording studio. In our opinion, every actor and actress gave outstanding performances. While the topic could have had a heavy handed approach, it did not. It was deftly edited and paced.

In summation, this movie was art because the content was all heart. I have deliberately avoided talking about specifics because I want all viewers to be as surprised as we were in the viewing. I give it a ten, and intend to watch it again.

I haven't seen Chris Pine in a drama before, so this would introduce him to a genre that I cannot fathom him being in, at least not at a time when he's usually in safer, high octane genres such as the romantic comedy, science fiction, and the action adventure. But I suppose an actor relishes the challenge of not being stereotyped into a role, and beyond the pretty boy looks, People Like Us provides an avenue to demonstrate if he has some acting chops, or not.

Chris Pine plays Sam, a barter trade facilitator who, through a series of aggressive deals, finds himself in hot soup when external factors start to throw a spanner into his well oiled operations, and finds himself wanted by the authorities to answer to some dubious dealings, as well as his customers being none too happy about his non delivery on his professional promises. Worse, he gets news that his father just passed away, and while girlfriend Hannah (Olivia Wilde) tries to get them on the first flight out to his family home, he tries his best to sabotage attempts, if only to continue hiding his pain and further his reluctance for reconciliation with family.

But they do get there, and there's where things start to get a little more interesting. We learn how estranged he is with his parents, especially since mom Lillian (Michelle Pfeiffer) greets him with a tight slap, and dad didn't leave him much. To rub salt into the wounds, his dad's last will and testament instructs him to deliver a bag full of money, to the tune of substantial thousands, that he has to give to his half-sister and nephew, people whose existence he has absolutely no idea about. So therein lies the dilemma, whether to be selfish and go against his conscience to embezzle the money, needing it to save his own skin, and since no one's there to check on him, or to do what's right and pass it on.

Curiosity got the better of Sam, and as he turns stalker into the lives of Frankie (Elizabeth Banks) and her oft bullied son Josh (Michael Hall D'Addario) who is the de facto misfit in school. Contact soon gets made, and with his best of intentions to keep his real identity and relations to Frankie and Josh a secret, this blows up quite unexpectedly, bordering on the cusp of near incest as Frankie's emotions start to get the better of her, since she's probably on the lookout for a father figure for her son, which now comes in the form of Sam. It's a little bit morbid to think of it, but I suppose dramas like these love to stretch some limits, especially when secrets got harboured on one side only.

So can Chris Pine do drama? Sure, if People Like Us is anything to go by. Perhaps he still got a lift in playing the cocky salesman who thinks he's infallible, only to find his fears of family relationships coming back to haunt him, and perhaps also serving as an avenue for redemption and the picking up on responsibility, something his character had never committed to. Elizabeth Banks seem to picking up a lot more bit roles of late, and this one didn't have her do much except to slowly open up in the wrong way, while Michael Hall D'Addario becomes the scene stealer with his rage against the entire world attitude.

Having the likes of Olivia Wilde and Michelle Pfeiffer in small supporting roles didn't detract from the film's main intent to examine the building of ties between Sam, Frankie and Josh, and it surely goes well to say that blood will almost always run thicker than water. It has star power alright, but it didn't lift it beyond the average drama that it is.

KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, 15-year-old Raven Devanney shares her review below:

Video review available here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzovjcl38xw

People like us is a heartfelt drama about a man who's life takes a turn for the worst and in unsuspecting events leads him to a sister he never knew he had. This film was exceptional. It stars Elizabeth Banks, Chris Pine and Michelle Pfeiffer. People like us made me laugh, cry and feel every emotion in between. The visuals in this film were great and the acting was superb. My favorite character was Frankie played by Elizabeth Banks because her performance was so solid and she definitely carried the comedy of this film as well as the heavier emotions. My favorite part of this film is when Sam played by Chris Pine is getting to know Frankie and her young son because I enjoyed watching their bond grow.

It really bothered me that Sam wouldn't tell Frankie who he was until the end of the film because it just complicated their lives, but it gave the film a much needed twist. I recommend this film for ages 13 and up because of adult content and younger children may have a more difficult time fallowing along with the plot. Overall I give People like us 4 out of 5 stars.

An above average drama that features some great chemistry between Banks and Pine, and an intriguing true story to keep viewers engaged.

There were quite a few great actors and actresses in this film. Elizabeth Banks, Chris Pine, Olivia Wilde, Michelle Pfeiffer, Mark Duplass, Jon Favreau - they all just seemed to keep popping up out of nowhere, and all delivering good performances.

The script would occasionally surprise with really smart writing. Some of the storyline had a slightly strange vibe, with it having the feel of a rom-com at times (despite it featuring brother and sister). It all felt fairly innocent though and I was surprised by how emotional I found the ending - which was quite effective.

An easy enough film to watch for those after an engaging drama that's a little bit different to the rest. Just falls short of being something truly amazing.

I wasn't expecting much when I sat down to watch this film, it only had a few well known actors and I didn't know who the director was. Around thirty minutes in, the movie became interesting, very dramatic. Chris Pine was great as Sam, the son of a record producer who has recently died, who learns of a family secret.

Elizabeth Banks also stars, in one of her more memorable and better roles. The ending was quite a tear-jerker, definitely not what I had expected. Very heartwarming story that anyone who enjoys light drama will enjoy.

Generally speaking, this is not a bad movie. But it is not great either. It is somewhere in the middle, but the story - or better to say the point of the story makes it a bit more appealing and interesting ( complex family relations which most of us can relate to). If there were not some things that I found very 'lame' in the movie, I guess the rating would be higher.

First, I found it very silly and totally not understandable why he did not tell his sister earlier who he was? The feeling I had that she was kinda falling for him made me feel uncomfortable. Incest was in the air ...

Also, OK, I know it is a movie - though based on true events - but I don't think anyone would choose to help a kid in school when his mother is on the way ( and plus nothing of a big deal happened) to help him when on the other hand you have several people hanging above your head with : You will go to prison messages.

The reason for his girlfriend's leaving was lame. They should have come up with something more serious and believable...

Michelle Pffeiffer was kinda unrecognizable to me! Botox - too much of it? Or maybe I just did not see her in any of recent films.

six from me.

Michelle Pfieffer and Elizabeth Banks both give A+ performances in this movie and they both deserve to be remembered at Oscar time. It is a joy watching these two outstanding thespians at work. It is amazing the intensity and depth they bring to their performances. They bring these tortured characters to life and you feel their pain. When I was getting ready to write this review, my first instinct was to say that there wasn't a really likable character in the film. That instinct was wrong. Its not that the characters aren't likable, its just that they are flawed and in deep emotional pain because one man didn't do his job as a responsible husband and father and the pain he caused lives after his death. This is a very dark film, very depressing, gritty and true to life. No "Brady Bunch" happy endings here folks. Surprisingly, I think it makes it a better movie. The only major beef I have with this film is the character of the boy Josh. He is without a doubt the most appalling child character since Wesley on Mister Belvedere. I kept wanting one of the adults to give him a good smack in his little fresh, dirty mouth. I always hate it in movies when they show smart aleck kids who talk to adults more strongly then real life kids would dare do!

Here's the thing about this movie. It isn't a bad movie, it's just stretched to the breaking point in order to make a full-length film out of it. Much like The Lucky One, where all the guy had to do was say, "I found this picture in the war....", this one runs on the fact that the guy has one sentence to say, before the inevitable results of his silence, that has any meaning....and for some reason, he can't make himself do that little thing...to the level where the audience just wants to collectively stand up and shout, "Say it! Just say it, for heaven sake!" But he doesn't. At least Chris Pine doesn't look 12 years old in this one, which was what made the movie This Means War such a farce. He does look a bit more mature, thank goodness. And he's pretty good in this one. And I know. I know. In either film I've mentioned, had that one vital, important sentence been uttered, it could have made a much shorter movie. But, on the other hand, perhaps it would have meant the creators might have been forced to come up with a few more reasons to create suspense in the audience. Maybe. Clever ending here, I will say. Added a nice emotional tie-up.

Sam (Chris Pine) is long estranged from his record producer deceased father. He is left with a shaving kit bag. In it he finds $150k and a note telling him to take care of Josh Davis. Josh is a smart-mouthed little boy who constantly gets into trouble and his single mother Frankie (Elizabeth Banks) has to deal with the results. She's in AA and Sam's secret half sister. He's conflicted and wants to keep the money. He has a fight with his girlfriend Hannah (Olivia Wilde) and he can't stand his mother Lillian (Michelle Pfeiffer).

The kid is not adorable. He's a bitter smart aleck little brat. That takes most of the fun out of it. Then again neither is Sam a likable guy. It's hard to watch these unlikeable characters sometimes. It makes the jokes not as funny. At least, Elizabeth Banks is as charming as ever. But the movie is way too long and long sections of it dragged. There is the totally awkward relationship, but there is also a pretty good family dysfunction. It's very much a mix bag.

"Inspired by true events" is pretty much the worst tagline you can put on a movie. It says you altered the truth so much that the only way the audience will know it's a 'true story' is by having you tell them. And this sums up this movie very well. Any bank robbery movie might as well be 'inspired by true events' because hey, there was this one time some guys and a girl robbed a bank.

As for this film, it has wonderful acting. Banks and Pine and newcomer Michael Hall D'Addario really kept me watching. Pfeiffer's role was decent, but I would have liked to see more interaction between her and D'Addario. Wilde was severely cut out of the movie, which sucked big time. If this movie wasn't so damn predictable I might have enjoyed it more.

Nice to see Elizabeth Banks can recover from disaster unfunny What to expect, When your expecting. And Chris Pine from the cinematic blandness that is This Means War.

Sam(Chris Pine) a smooth talking salesman, who's last deal falls flat, then his girlfriend gives him the news that his father had died, this has a mixed reaction for Sam, cause he and his father have never gotten along. Sam goes to funeral, and sees his mother. Then meets with with lawyer, who gives a kit of 15 thousand dollars, but then sees a note that tells him to give it too Frankie(Elizabeth Banks)a recovering alcholic, and a single mother, and a waitress, trying to make ends meat. But discovers she is his half sister. How will this play out in the end?

Chris Pine and Elizabeth Banks are beyond terrific with there performances, so was Olivia Wilde, not just playing the throw away love interest. Michelle Pfeiffer is also great as Pines mother. A well acted drama.

I wanted to turn this off, but considering it was 10pm on a Sunday night and I had work tomorrow, I decided I was too deep to look for another movie and chose to tough it out. My main gripe, none of these characters are likable. In fact, most of them I found myself hating. Chris Pine is a wannabe hotshot selfish asshole douche and it's hard to invest any interest in him. The kid is a smart mouthed little shit, who if he was my kid, would NEVER talk to me the way he does to strangers and especially his own mother. The plot is not that complex yet it drags on and on, you just want it to be over already. I'm honestly shocked at how many people gave this film a good score and actually wrote glowing reviews about it. Maybe I don't get it, but I guess I'm glad about that.