'This Is Where I Leave You' movie review

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- In "This Is Where I Leave You," Jane Fonda plays the matriarch of family in mourning. Together, they are sitting Shiva for seven days.

It's a Jewish tradition that immediately follows the death of a loved one -- a time for family and friends to gather and remember. And, in the case of this family, do inappropriate things.

The movie definitely has its funny moments, but it's not all funny, despite the ads. There is a lot of sadness in this family and you'll see those storylines play out, sometimes with a little comedic effect to ease the pain.

Jason Bateman is so good here as a guy quietly trying to cope with a lot going wrong in his life. In fact, the acting in this movie from everyone is terrific, including Tina Fey and Adam Driver.

I liked the performances more than the material. There's a lot of ground to cover here but not enough time to really get to everything.

The movie does smartly remind us that happy endings are not always perfect. But what is perfect here is the chemistry, especially between Bateman and Fonda.

The movie offers some definitely laugh-out-loud moments, but there are things to think about here. It's a deeper film than I expected.

I liked it.