The Guilt Trip

Barbra Streisand Director: Anne Fletcher Anne Fletcher

Overview

In Anne Fletcher's family comedy, Barbra Streisand plays Joyce Brewster, a sixtysomething widow who has given up on men and seems to spend most of her free time phoning her son Andrew (Seth Rogen), a chemist who has created an all-natural cleaning solution that he's bet his career on and is trying to sell to retailers (a wager that he's losing thus far). As the movie opens, Andrew returns home to spend some time with his mom before going on a cross-country road trip to pitch his product in various cities, ending with a trip to Las Vegas where he'll shoot a Home Shopping Network demo.

Product Details

Release Date:	04/30/2013
UPC:	0032429129406
Original Release:	2012
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	PARAMOUNT
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby AC-3 Surround Sound]
Time:	1:35:00
Sales rank:	10,033

Special Features

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Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Barbra Streisand	Joyce Brewster
Seth Rogen	Andrew Brewster
Kathy Najimy	Gayle
Colin Hanks	Rob
Brett Cullen	Ben Graw
Adam Scott	Andrew Margolis, Jr.
Yvonne Strahovski	Jessica
Miriam Margolyes	Anita
Nora Dunn	Amy
Ari Graynor	Joyce Margolis
Julene Renee	Kmart Receptionist
Zabryna Guevara	Kmart Executive
John Funk	Kmart Executive
Robert Curtis Brown	Kmart Executive
Rose Abdoo	Diana
Tom Virtue	Mature Singles Man
Vivian Vanderwerd	Mature Singles Woman
Worth Howe	Bob
Vicki Goldsmith	Joyce
Matthew Levinson	Toddler Andy
Joseph Levinson	Toddler Andy
Kevin O'Keefe	Budget Car Renter
Rick Gonzalez	Mark
Jeff Witzke	Middlesex Voice Over
Casey Wilson	Amanda
Steve Tom	OSH Executive
David Boller	Virginia Hotel Clerk
Gabrielle Gumbs	Stripper
Dale Dickey	Tammy
Analeis Lorig	Moonlight
Brandon Keener	Ryan McFee
Jeff Kober	Jimmy
Lorna Scott	Waitress
Kathleen Fletcher	Waitress
Kim Robillard	Emcee at Cattleman's Ranch
Pedro Lopez	Hitchhiker
Jen Zabrowski	Caesar's Check-In Clerk
Freddie Fletcher	Slots Player
Darryl Sivad	HSN Producer
Davis Neves	HSN Makeup Artist
Jackson Douglas	HSN Executive
Constance Esposito	HSN Executive
Patrick S. Harrigan	Man on Cell Phone
Shirley Charles	Frantic Mom
Dewain Robinson	Lost Son
Tim Davies	Conductor

Technical Credits

Dan Fogelman

Anne Fletcher	Director
Christopher Assells	Choreography
Christophe Beck	Score Composer
Joe Camp	Asst. Director
Nelson Coates	Production Designer
Buck Damon	Musical Direction/Supervision
Peter Devlin	Sound Mixer
Dino R. Dimuro	Sound/Sound Designer
Erin Doyle	Associate Producer
David Ellison	Executive Producer
David Emmericks	Camera Operator
Dan Fogelman	Executive Producer,Screenwriter
Priscilla Nedd Friendly	Editor
Dana E. Glauberman	Editor
Daniel Glicker	Costumes/Costume Designer
Dana Goldberg	Executive Producer
Evan Goldberg	Producer
John Goldwyn	Producer
Julie Hewett	Makeup
Kenneth A. Larson	Set Decoration/Design
David S. Lazan	Art Director
Amanda Mackey	Casting
Hilary Marx	Co-producer
William Matthews	Set Decoration/Design
Mary McLaglen	Executive Producer
Lorne Michaels	Producer
Beth O'Rourke	Makeup
Seth Rogen	Executive Producer
Paul Schwake	Executive Producer
Oliver Stapleton	Cinematographer
Barbra Streisand	Executive Producer
James Weaver	Co-producer

Scene Index

Disc #1 -- Guilt Trip
1. Scene 1 [7:41]
2. Scene 2 [2:53]
3. Scene 3 [7:44]
4. Scene 4 [7:42]
5. Scene 5 [8:51]
6. Scene 6 [8:00]
7. Scene 7 [4:25]
8. Scene 8 [5:28]
9. Scene 9 [12:57]
10. Scene 10 [3:26]
11. Scene 11 [1:41]
12. Scene 12 [3:34]
13. Scene 13 [6:24]
14. Scene 14 [7:26]

Menu

Disc #1 -- Guilt Trip
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Editorial Reviews

After decades of vanity projects and long stretches away from the silver screen, it's easy to forget that, early in her acting career, beloved singer Barbra Streisand seemed able to conjure the spirit of the classic screwball-comedy heroines of the 1930s. She approached comedy like she would a song -- she understood it was all about the timing -- and she could bring energy and a snap to her line deliveries that made her, and them, stand out. There are moments where that skill still comes through in the 2012 comedy The Guilt Trip. She plays Joyce Brewster, a sixtysomething widow who has given up on men and seems to spend most of her free time phoning her son Andrew (Seth Rogen), a chemist who has created an all-natural cleaning solution that he's bet his career on and is trying to sell to retailers (a wager that he's losing thus far). As the movie opens, Andrew returns home to spend some time with his mom before going on a cross-country road trip to pitch his product in various cities, ending with a trip to Las Vegas where he'll shoot a Home Shopping Network demo. During their time together, Joyce, who has abandoned dating, tells Andrew about Andrew Margolis, the first love of her life -- the man she named her son after. She never made an effort to find her old flame again after she got married, but with an Internet search and a phone call, Andrew believes he's located the man in San Francisco. He asks his mother to join him on the road trip, planning to surprise her with a final stop at the home of her lost love. Jewish mothers are one of the more enduring archetypes in comedy, and as written by Dan Fogelman, Joyce is, in the beginning, a pure, undiluted dose of nagging, guilt-inducing maternity. However, with Streisand's skill, Anne Fletcher's laid-back direction, and Seth Rogen's expert support, the setup is charming in its familiarity. The movie hits a comic high note with a lengthy monologue from Joyce about her first love; it's a well-written, expertly acted speech that ends with a killer punch line that ranks among the all-time-great Jewish-mother jokes and reveals the emotional stakes for the rest of the film. Oddly, just when everything seems to be in place for a light, enjoyable comedy, the energy goes out of the movie altogether for about a half hour. Their bickering in the car doesn't have any bite or wit, Andrew's failed pitches aren't particularly memorable, and it's quite possible that the film's intended older audience might be napping. Just when you've given up hope that anything interesting could happen, mom and son finally have their first real fight and say horrible things to each other, prompting Joyce to storm off to a nearby bar. Although they make up quickly -- in no small part because Andrew gets into a fistfight with a redneck who's trying to get Joyce drunk -- that scene snaps some life back into the proceedings. Although it's a movie with significant star power, The Guilt Trip plays more like a short cable series with a good pilot, a couple of crappy episodes, and then three good ones. It doesn't have the narrative drive or enough character depth to stick with you, but Rogen's expert timing makes sure it never entirely derails. He gives a rather selfless performance here, allowing Streisand to be as wacky or as naggy as she cares to be without ever letting us feel like she's going over the top. He's a rare comic talent who has the energy of a leading man but the instincts of a first-rate character actor, always willing to serve the scene rather than his own desire to score a laugh at the expense of the situation or the other performers. As good as Streisand is, you can picture somebody else in her part, but the same can't be said of Rogen. Savvy marketing put The Guilt Trip in theaters over the holiday season; it's exactly the kind of film that appeals to older moviegoers, and while it doesn't break new ground, it will play well for all those who appreciate Streisand or want to be reassured that their adult children still love them.

All Movie Guide - Perry Seibert