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Sandy Journal

Dan's Review: "Miss You Already" just misses on the right tone

Nov 06, 2015 11:25PM ● By Dan Metcalf

Drew Barrymore and Toni Collette in Miss You Already - © Lionsgate.

Miss You Already (Lionsgate)

Rated PG-13 for thematic content, sexual material and some language.

Starring Toni Collette, Drew Barrymore, Dominic Cooper, Paddy Considine, Tyson Ritter, Frances de la Tour, Jacqueline Bisset, Mem Ferda, Max Crane.

Written by Morwenna Banks.

Directed by Catherine Hardwicke.

GRADE: B

REVIEW:

For survivors and their loved ones, it’s a well-known fact that cancer sucks. Just about everyone has experienced the death of a family member or close friend at the hands of cancer. Some folks handle it better than others, and often with a lot of help and support. Miss You Already is a comedy (of sorts) about two very close friends and how they deal with the effects of cancer.

Drew Barrymore stars as Jess, an American who grows up in London alongside her life-long friend Milly (Toni Collette). The pair experience all the most important events of youth and into adulthood. Milly marries Kit (Dominic Cooper) and has two children. Jess moves in with Jago (Paddy Considine) and tries to conceive a child.

Then, Milly learns she has breast cancer. Jess does all she can to help her friend through chemotherapy while trying to keep her own relationship together. MIlly’s mother Miranda (Jacqueline Bisset), a self-absorbed soap opera actress means well but isn’t much help. Kit also fails to be completely supportive, especially after Milly undergoes a double mastectomy. Following the surgery, Kit and Milly drift apart until an affair threatens to destroy their marriage completely. Jess becomes fed up with Milly’s antics after she discovers her friend has betrayed her trust. Jess is further conflicted about telling Milly she’s finally pregnant.

When Milly’s condition worsens, the pair reconciles their differences and Jess does all she can to patch things up with her best friend, while helping Milly put her life back together.

Miss You Already has its charms, including a likeable performance from Barrymore who seemed destined to star in crappy Adam Sandler movies for the rest of her life. There are also some funny and poignant moments between Barrymore and Collette, strengthened by plenty of funny dialogue.

The trouble with Miss You Already is its tendency to go a little overboard with glib banter in the face of serious subject matter. It’s sometimes difficult to feel comfortable laughing as the main characters (especially Collette) exhibit extreme narcissism in the same ballpark as cancer. It’s like a long version of the British comedy TV show Absolutely Fabulous – going overboard on the comedy, which might not always be the best medicine.


Miss You Already Trailer