Rating: 3.5/5 stars

“The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)” is the age-old tale of a dysfunctional family during a difficult period later on in their lives. Written and directed by Noah Baumbach (“DePalma”), the film stars Adam Sandler (“Sandy Wexler”), Ben Stiller (“Zoolander 2”) and Elizabeth Marvel (“Fargo”) as three siblings who reunite when they find out their father, a former master sculpturist, played by Dustin Hoffman (“Kung Fu Panda 3”), is planning on selling the house they all grew up in. This causes a rift between the siblings, bringing up long-dormant animosities that all three of them have had toward their father for a majority of their lives.

Baumbach has a very distinctive writing style. There is a very quaint and somber tone to his stories and dialogue, yet he does it in an almost uplifting way. Another talent of his is perfecting the buildup. It almost has a “blink and you will miss it” quality.If even a second of the film is missed, one could lose the momentum that has been building. Although his dialogue can be witty, it can feel pretentious at points.

The performances here are easily the best part of this film. Sandler keeps churning out terrible movie after terrible movie, but he really does have solid acting chops. “Punch Drunk Love” and “Funny People” were not flukes. He turns in a fantastic performance here, mostly because it is the first role in almost ten years where he plays a character with some actual vulnerability. The relationship he has with his daughter is lovable. Those two very specific generations, Gen-X and post-millenial, have their different ideological differences and it is easily the sweetest part of the film.

The other performances in this film should not be overlooked, however, because everyone in this film is wonderful. Baumbach has had previous success with Stiller before, with both “Greenberg” and “While We’re Young,” and he does it again here. Stiller is another guy similar to Sandler where he has always had those dramatic chops to him. He is finally getting a chance to flex them in his later years and has not disappointed. Hoffman is always a win, despite some of his previous behind-the-scenes antics in his earlier roles. The man is regarded as one of the finest actors the world has ever seen for a reason. It was also nice to see Marvel step back and play a more vulnerable role than some of the more assertive roles she has played previously.

Seeing the different clashes between siblings and generational gaps is the key in making this movie as enjoyable as it is. It is definitely recommended for a feel-good time with some great acting and some genuinely gut-punching moments, both sad and comedic. Will it be remembered in five to 10 years? Probably not, but that does not take away from just sitting back and having a nice time.

Photo: Netflix via YouTube.com