PEOPLE LIKE US 3.0***
In "People Like Us", members of two families come to realize their lives might not have been what they thought they were. There have been hidden secrets, hidden family members and important gaps in the communication that families often experience. Here a son, Sam, (Chris Pine) discovers from the attorney for his recently deceased father, that the father had a rather starling family secret. He then does some detective work which gets him closer to the truth ( there is another family associated with his father that the son knew nothing about ), only to realize that human relationships, especially those which involve one's own family are very complicated.

At first, seeing how Sam ( Pine ) meets the other family, Frankie ( Elizabeth Banks) and her son sets off a few doubts about the direction and intention of the film. It just looks too much like a set up, and this is exactly where the film proves us wrong. There is depth to the dialog and careful attention given to the direction and character development. In particular, Banks' range is amazing, as her character grows in several ways in front of our eyes: Her background slowly unfolds in front of us, revealing the origin of her flaws, her pain, her inability to find peace, until Sam comes into to show her there were pieces missing in her family picture. Also, I enjoyed how the film depicted her interaction with her son, in a loving, realistic, frustrating way. Yes, we have seen fractured relationships before, but they have rarely been shown in such a honest and natural way.

There is more to praise in the film, as Sam's mother comes to share her concealed memories, and how the new developments might affect her future. The ending will most likely warm your heart. It's a love reflection on humanity,, trust, and how complex our lives really are, and how in more than one way the title shows us we have more in common than we think.
The film is a little too long and the secret about relationships is strung out too long….it gets to the point where you want to shout to Sam… go ahead and tell her !! You’ll know what I mean once you see the film… don’t want to spoil it for you.
Clark