Are You Here

Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner tries his hand at writing and directing feature films in this woebegone flick that is part buddy movie and part romantic comedy. Owen Wilson stars as Steve Dallas, a womanizing TV weatherman whose only real emotional connection is with childhood friend Ben Baker (Zack Galifianakis), a bipolar recluse. When Ben's father dies back in their hometown of Lancaster, PA, Steve agrees to drive him to the funeral. After Ben inherits virtually all of his father's property, his infuriated battleaxe sister (Amy Poehler) tries to have him declared incompetent. Meanwhile, Steve sets his sights on the dead man's comely young widow (Laura Ramsey), naturally falling madly in love. Nothing in Are You Here comes as much of a surprise, aside from the fact that at one point Galifianakis shaves off his signature beard—a major mistake, since it turns out that the facial hair has served a useful function: helping conceal the fact that he can't really act. Not a necessary purchase. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Matthew Weiner, editor Christopher Gay, and cinematographer Christopher Manley, and trailers. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a disappointing film.] (F. Swietek)