Adult Beginners

An extended sitcom with surprisingly little bite, filmmaker Ross Katz's Adult Beginners stars standup comic Nick Kroll as Jake, a New York entrepreneur who loses his wealth (and most of his investors) during the catastrophic rollout of a gadget called Minds I, which is similar to Google Glass. Broke and friendless, Jake retreats to his suburban childhood home, now occupied by pregnant sister Justine (Rose Byrne), her husband Danny (Bobby Cannavale), and their 3-year-old son Teddy. Danny, a gregarious guy who is busy fixing up the place, suggests that Jake take care of Teddy while he and Justine are at work. Of course, the hyperactive kid initially proves too much for his uncle to handle, but in no time the pair are bonding. Jake also strikes up a relationship with a neighborhood nanny he meets in the park. The script naturally introduces potential speed bumps—Danny might be having an affair, Jake might get a job offer back in the city—but this is a fairly predictable film about the importance of family (a point repeatedly made in crushingly obvious ways). Optional. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include a “making-of” featurette (10 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a small extras package for a disappointing film.] (F. Swietek)