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The one stop that at least yields something different is at a Texas steakhouse, where anyone who can eat a 4 1/2-pound steak and all the trimmings in one hour gets it for free. Uncharacteristically, Joyce volunteers, launching a gorge-fest that at least presents the half-amusing spectacle of Streisand pigging out and wins Joyce an admirer in the form of a handsome older gent (the indisputably handsome Brett Cullen) who'd like to have her come up and see him sometime. The climactic visit to San Francisco to track down Joyce's former beau predictably plays on, and aims to stimulate, bittersweet emotions. At the same time, the easy-to-get point of the enterprise is to stress that the mother and son's prolonged time together has forced them to break through their various barriers, grudges and expectations to arrive at a more honest satisfying relationship. Yep, that'll do the trick every time. The Guilt Trip provides heavy competition with director Anne Fletcher's previous films ("Step Up, "27 Dresses," "The Proposal") as to which is the most formulaic and conventional, but this one takes the cake for being the most visually unimaginative and clunky. Worse, even the most easy-to-please audiences will struggle to find more than a half-dozen laughs here, so bereft is the film of fresh comic ideas. Rogen -- who for some reason sports about a one-day's grizzle of beard throughout
-- drastically underplays, probably realizing that, with Streisand emoting so broadly, it was the only way to go. For her part, some combination of cosmetic expertise, cinematic enhancement and natural endowment makes Streisand look more like she's in her 50s than in her 70s, which is the actuality. Those who've always liked the singer-actress probably won't mind her here; for the nonfan, this is not the film that will change your mind. A retinue of terrific character actors could have greatly enlivened the proceedings, but Fogelman ("Cars," "Bolt," "Tangled," "Crazy, Stupid, Love") didn't write the parts for them. "Guilt Trip," a Paramount release, is rated PG-13 for language and some risque material. 95 minutes. ___ Motion Picture Association of America rating definition for PG-13: Parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. ___ Online:
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