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Sadly Over-hyped

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

TWO WEEKS is a quietly exquisite, deeply moving, and surprisingly hopeful drama centered on some very unpleasant subject matter. Writer and director Steve Stockman struck gold with this story of four adult siblings (Ben Chaplin, Julianne Nicholson, Tom Cavanaugh, Glenn Howerton)who return to their hometown in North Carolina to be at the bedside of their mother (beautifully played by Sally Field), who is dying of ovarian cancer. This drama of the family's final time together is juxtaposed with a videotaped interview with Mom done by the eldest son (Chaplin) as sort of a final tribute to his mom before she gets too sick to remember things she wants to pass on.This film offers surprises at every turn because it is more than the "sturm und drang" one would expect from such a story. Stockman puts a very human face on the subject of death and dying and because it is human, there is humor involved. There are laughs to be found here and they aren't the kind of laughs where you wonder whether or not being amused is appropriate. These are odd little moments throughout the film that we can all relate to...like one brother finding the cowboy sheets that were on his childhood bed and stashing them to take with him, or dealing with the problem of all the casseroles that well-intentioned friends and neighbors stuff the refrigerator with, or arguing with your siblings over the things Mom wants you to have and nobody wants. The direction is a little static, but the screenplay has a deft quality to it and the performances are uniformly first-rate, with standout work from Field and Chaplin. A very special film experience...treat yourself.

There isn't anything actually "wrong" with this movie, "2 Weeks", but by the same token, it is hard to find anything "right" about it. While all the actors are good here, the story doesn't seem to have a point other than how 4 grown children might get back together while they wait for their 60-something mother to die.I have always liked Sally Field, all the way back to her days on TV as the "Flying Nun." Here she is good as Anita Bergman, diagnosed with ovarian cancer. One of the symptoms of dying by her particular cancer is the inability to eat, because her intestinal tract is apparently blocked. So she has to be fed through her veins. She is not totally bedridden, but she is confined to her home.There is an attempt to lighten the mood when Anita sees all the others eating ribs and wants some too. So she chews the meat, and then spits it out after chewing it. So, around the table everyone else chews their food and then spits it out. That scene didn't work for me, it didn't make the movie any better.Ben Chaplin is her older son, a filmmaker who earlier had filmed Anita as he asked her questions, to save for posterity. His character is Keith Bergman. Tom Cavanagh of TV's "Ed" fame is the next brother Barry Bergman. The lone sister is Julianne Nicholson as Emily Bergman. And the youngest, with the young wife from hell, is Glenn Howerton as Matthew Bergman.So much of the movie was to see how 4 adult siblings might handle being together for their mother's last 14 days. Marginally interesting, but when I asked my wife what was the message, she answered, "I don't really know." I could not recommend this movie to friends.

This movie was done so well. I have lived it 3 times over now in my own life with family members, it was like watching us. The Director did a great job putting it all together, Sally Fields did a fantastic job, everyone played it well. I would recommend families to watch this movie when they've gone thru what it's about, because then you realize just how Real and natural your situation and how you all acted in real life just like others have. It's hard to prepare for this situation in life, but once you've been thru it, it's a little easier to help others thru it the next time around. I really liked the Special Features that's real important to see. As I said in the beginning, I feel like I have 'lived' this movie. It's hard to write anymore comments about the movie without giving it away, all I want to say is that it's a 'Must See' movie.

Saw this film at an exclusive NYC advance screening presented by Gen Art, with the writer/director present, and I gotta say: if you've ever lost a loved one, this film will have you nodding in remembrance. If you've yet to lose a loved one...it's a good primer on how to handle it.Great performances all around, and I liked the way the film expertly balances comedy with drama. It's a fact of life that we all have to deal with this subject sometime...and a film like this deserves attention because it's one of the few to tackle a delicate subject with grace and humor.