SummaryAnders Hill, long ensconced in "the land of steady habits"-the affluent hamlets of Connecticut that dot the commuter rail line-is finally ready to reap the rewards of a sensible life. Into his mid fifties and newly retired, his grown son's college tuitions paid in full, Anders decides he's had enough of steady habits: he leaves his wife, buys a c... Read More
Directed By:Nicole Holofcener
Written By:Ted Thompson, Nicole Holofcener
The Land of Steady Habits
Metascore
Generally Favorable
71
User score
Generally Favorable
6.2
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Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
71
82% Positive
14 Reviews
14 Reviews
18% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Sep 13, 2018
83
Holofcener knows human pathos, the melancholic, absurdist tragedy of it all, the laughter, the tears, the dark biting irony. She understands human behavior and her sharp, well-observed ‘Land Of Steady Habits’ is as lovely and near amazing as anything she’s made thus far.
Sep 13, 2018
80
Though Holofcener's films invariably make us laugh in rueful recognition of the inane complexities of lives that manage to echo our own, "Steady Habits" also conveys a melancholy darkness, a more somber cast than usual. Everything seems amusing until suddenly it is not.
User score
Generally Favorable
6.2
40% Positive
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
50% Mixed
10 Ratings
10 Ratings
10% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
Sep 16, 2018
8
Despite a slight tendency to meander at times, this atmospheric look at the illusion of life in suburbia and the supposed joy that comes from living a life of routine and conformity skewers many widely held misconceptions about what it takes to be and stay happy. When a divorced middle-aged man looks for the contentment he didn't find in marriage, he's confronted with the challenge of figuring out what that entails, especially when it comes to his quest for trying to be a better person. This sometimes-humorous, sometimes-melancholic exploration features excellent performances and characters who are probably more real than most of us might feel comfortable looking at. Director Nicole Holofcener again proves that she's one of the most insightful filmmakers in the business today, delivering yet another fine offering in her excellent repertoire.
Oct 27, 2018
7
Just ordinary mid-life crisis story. but still enjoyed to watch. The conversation between Charlie & Anders is my favorite part!
Sep 13, 2018
80
Even though Anders and the people around him can be sorted into recognizable types (a fault, mostly of Mr. Thompson’s book), they are also amusing and awful in ways that can feel disconcertingly real.
Sep 13, 2018
75
As the tone wobbles between absurdity and tragedy, it also starts to shift toward something deeper and more bittersweet than mere midlife ennui. A lot of that is down to Mendelsohn, an actor who seems born to embody Holofocener’s kind of hero: weary and wounded but still putting it out there, a beautiful mess in progress.
Sep 13, 2018
70
We all make mistakes, and we all have the ability to wound when we’re just trying to be clever: Holofcener makes allowances for all of that. But she always favors warmth over sarcasm. And as if she could read our minds, she puts in her characters’ mouths words that we ourselves have sometimes failed to find the guts to say.
Sep 13, 2018
67
In the well-trod territory of fiction about rich men in self-induced emotional crises, the film stands as a worthy, if not exactly groundbreaking, addition.
Sep 13, 2018
50
No matter how much you want to like the film, something is missing: a spark, a shimmer, a thrust of discovery.
Feb 11, 2020
6
The film is messy yet good but the most important element of it, is that is another good reminder of how underrated Ben Mendelsohn is.
He seriously deserves more recognition.
Sep 25, 2018
6
This film did a good job of presenting real, relatable topics in adult life. But it fell flat every now and then, so didn't quote do it for me. A decent watch.
Aug 24, 2020
3
For a movie clearly aiming to be a 'slice of life' vignette, the situations are routinely implausible enough to make the viewer bristle at the suggestion they should represent anything realistic. Add to this a cast of characters who are largely unsympathetic, out-of-touch, selfish, ageist (going both ways) and a bit dumb, and it adds up to have a viewing experience of which I honestly can't understand the appeal.
Sep 25, 2018
2
Stereotypical characters, trite. predictable dialogue, wooden acting (or worse). What's to like? I'll give them, credit for trying to present an unusual side of male menopause. But that's it.
