Laurel Canyon

The fact that only one actor is using her natural accent is a little distracting in this dysfunctional family dramedy about a lifestyle collision between a pot-smoking, fast-living record producer (played with flaky roach-clip laissez faire by the droll Frances McDormand) and her solemn, starchy, Cambridge-grad son (Christian Bale). Bale (a Brit playing an American) comes to L.A. for a job at a local psychiatric hospital, reluctantly bringing his uptight but ennui-filled fiancée Kate Beckinsale (also British playing American) to stay with his moneyed, wild-child Mom (McDormand, who is and plays an American) and her rock star boyfriend Alessandro Nivola (an American playing a Brit). While Beckinsale is seduced by sex, drugs and rock ‘n' roll (and Nivola), the overworked Bale is tempted by Natascha McElhone (who is British playing Israeli), a flirtatious hospital resident who wears her sexuality on her sleeve. But the uniformly good (if curiously cast) performances can only partially overcome the film's unadventurous allegorical story arc about personal growth and considering the roads less traveled. Optional. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by director Lisa Cholodenko, a 21-minute making-of featurette, cast bios and filmographies, TV spots, and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a so-so film.] (R. Blackwelder)