A recently widowed and retired man decides to travel around the country visiting his four children who stood him up for a recently planned reunion. This is the kind of of so sappy and manipulative that even the background music makes you want to gag. The screenplay is sloppy, obvious, and predictable. Yet there is still something worthwhile and entertaining about this film. It doesn't meet the high standards set for films but can still be enjoyed on a basic level. There is nice supporting work from Kate Beckinsale, Sam Rockwell, and the usually horrendous Drew Barrymore. Standing above everyone else is Robert DeNiro at the center in a very fine performance; better than most of his recent work yet not reaching the level he set for himself in the first half of his career. Still, here he is a natural playing a man entering the golden years of his life with regrets. Throughout the movie and especially the end, there are some nice offbeat moments that may qualify for sappy but worked for me. Though this movie is far from perfect, at least there is still the performances left to admire.
**1/2
