A.C.O.D.

Dir: Stuart Zicherman

2013

***

A.C.O.D. – or Adult Children Of Divorce – is a gentle comedy that is no masterpiece but has a certain charm about it that makes it a likable watch. Written and directed by Stu Zicherman, he has since admitted that much of the story is biographical, he himself being a child of what he described as a seriously messy divorce. I’m pretty sure he exaggerated in the screenplay but actually the story is refreshingly sensible and the film is free of awkward humor and misjudged slap-stick. It stars Adam Scott in the lead role and Amy Poehler in a supporting role, so the Parks and Recreation references come thick and fast – thicker and faster than one might initially assume – so if you, like me, haven’t watched any of the television series, you’ll be aware that the obvious references are there, you just wont understand them. I also think that Scott character, the film’s protagonist, is somewhat underwritten and underdeveloped. His actions didn’t match what we know about him and even when we know he’s having something of a breakdown, the way he acts isn’t the opposite of his usual persona as we are led to understand it is. Basically Scott’s character, the level-headed centre of the film, is the least interesting element of the story. It is the rest of the cast and characters that make the film so watchable. Firstly, I’ll watch anything with the great Richard Jenkins in, the guy is incredibly overlooked considering he carries most films he's in but always as a supporting character. Catherine O’Hara is fantastic as Scott’s mother, attentive and fiery all at the same time. Clark Duke is the film’s chipper innocent that cuts through the scripts heavy skepticism rather well and Amy Poehler and the wonderful Ken Howard play complete opposites as Scott’s step-parents to great effect. Jane Lynch’s appearance is short but sweet as Scott’s childhood counselor. Jessica Alba is also in the film. I think Mary Elizabeth Winstead is short changed as Scott’s girlfriend, it’s a thankless role really and at nearly fifteen years his junior, isn’t it time Hollywood matched actors of a similar age? I know Adam Scott is fairly baby-faced but surely this cliché needs to die of old age soon? The story itself seems to skip from one vague idea to the next, never once lingering around the interesting bits to see what might develop. If the performances weren’t so good or the character so well written it would have been a painful watch but as it is it flows quite nicely. The conclusion is predictable but the very last scene is wonderfully open to interpretation, indeed, the very last scene is a superb way to end. The truth is though that as okay as the film is, I can’t help but think that it was written as a television sitcom pilot. It could have been a good sitcom too, not a long-running show but a one season comedy drama. There is a gaping hole were the poignancy is clearly meant to be and it certainly isn’t the satire it thinks it is but it is well rounded and has enough charm to just about get away with it. There is certainly nothing unlikable about it.