An average story about the three generations of an ordinary, but conspicuously wealthy, Jewish family. The characters are well developed and believable. During the period in which the story takes place, all three generations start out predictably fractured, and have difficulties understanding each other or communicating with each other effectively. The point of the story is to show how they overcome their differences and learn to appreciate each other on a higher level. The problem is that they are so wealthy, however, that their story seems a bit too gratuitous. It is like the story is trying to make the case that their problems are just like ours, when for rather large segments of the population, including some of the less fortunate members of the story itself, they are not. Trans-generational difficulties may be common to all classes of people, but that doesn't mean that the problems of the rich are therefore equivalent to the problems of those just barely getting by.
For example, what about the life of the poor gal working at the soup kitchen with the successful lawyer father of the story, who volunteers his time there for ideological reasons, but nevertheless finds justification for having sex with her on the side? At the end of her day, does she drive home to a sumptuous abode such as his? Or what about the poor folks living in the tenements that he attempts to champion (or patronize) for egalitarian reasons? Are their trans-generational problems just like his? What about the little girl at the elementary school that the youngest son takes a fancy to, but who will never rise above the dysfunctionality of her family background? Would any of these view this film and conclude that its message applied equally to them? No, because it's focus is only about rich white liberals and their meaningless pathetic lives.
For example, what about the life of the poor gal working at the soup kitchen with the successful lawyer father of the story, who volunteers his time there for ideological reasons, but nevertheless finds justification for having sex with her on the side? At the end of her day, does she drive home to a sumptuous abode such as his? Or what about the poor folks living in the tenements that he attempts to champion (or patronize) for egalitarian reasons? Are their trans-generational problems just like his? What about the little girl at the elementary school that the youngest son takes a fancy to, but who will never rise above the dysfunctionality of her family background? Would any of these view this film and conclude that its message applied equally to them? No, because it's focus is only about rich white liberals and their meaningless pathetic lives.