In death, Pine's character learns his father had another life and a daughter he walked away from when she was a little girl. He tries to make up for it in his will, putting his son in charge of the situation.
Elizabeth Banks plays his single mom, bartending half-sister and he's not sure how or if to let her know they're related.
Banks continues to show she's up for anything in her acting career, this time playing a struggling mother with a child who's more than a handful. Banks is bold, brassy and tough.
Pine is also impressive in the movie as a guy whose life is starting to unravel.
Michelle Pfeiffer takes a supporting role and in her scenes is somehow able to be icy, angry, sad, remorseful, hurt, loving and healing - she's good.
There is one plot point involving pine's character that never gets resolved, and I kept waiting because I really wanted to know. I do think viewers will be able to figure out where the film is heading, but the big reveal at the end is something I didn't expect, and I always appreciate that.
Olivia Wilde is also very good and strong as pine's girlfriend.
"People Like Us," not to be confused with the Dominick Dunne novel of the same name, is a drama that grabs you right away and keeps you interested.
"People Like Us" is rated PG-13.
