Written by John Edward Betancourt I think we can all agree, that when the chips are down, and our family is in trouble, a vast majority of us will drop whatever we are currently doing to help them out no matter what. Because family is a huge deal, and important, and by taking the time to help them in a time of crisis, we remind those in trouble that they do indeed have someone they can rely upon and that can help just about anyone get through a major problem. For having that knowledge in the back of their minds gives them strength when they’re at their lowest. But while so many of us would step in when needed and know our family would do the same for us, that’s not the case for everyone out there. For some people, have family who simply wouldn’t answer the call for help if it ever came about, due to bad blood, or broken relationships. Or, asking for aid is a bad idea simply because, while someone will help, they are in it for personal gain and have all kinds of terms and conditions and that come with their assistance. However, regardless of which category your family falls into, at some point or another in our lives we will need help with some kind of sticky situation and the question of the hour is whether or not we have someone in our family we can rely upon to get us through it and recently, I had the opportunity to watch a motion picture that explores that question and the notion of helping others with an agenda, in Finding Amanda. Now in this particular film we meet a screenwriter named Taylor Mendon and well, his life seems pretty darn sweet. After all, he’s actively working on a television series starting Ed Begley Jr., he has a wonderful wife and nice home, and he’s beaten his addiction to alcohol and gambling. Or rather…he’s beaten one of the two because the chance to make money on a friendly wager is too great to pass up and unfortunately for Taylor, once his wife finds out he’s gambling again, his idyllic life is shattered when she leaves him. Which means there’s only one way to redeem himself, and he heads off to Las Vegas in order to save his wild niece from the strange life she’s forged for herself in the city of sin, to show his wife that he does care about her and that he can in fact, resist his vices and do something good, and this is going to be an adventure that will change Taylor’s life in ways he never imagined… So, at first glance, that plot summary really seems to sum up a dark and sweeping drama about the power of addiction and that’s really the first surprise that this film sends your way when you come to discover that this is in fact, a black humor comedy through and through. Because all the bad that comes about from that kind of plot line is handled in amusing fashion so that the story never becomes too heavy handed and quite frankly, taking the comedic route in this film is a stroke of genius. Because the jokes work and you find yourself chuckling heartily, and often when watching this film and that’s thanks in large part to the incredible cast that this movie features, since Matthew Broderick and Brittany Snow and Steve Coogan are able to sell every single moment in this motion picture. But what I truly love about this film is that it offers more than laughs. Because it really does feature some fascinating commentary on how sometimes the only way to truly get help in life, is to be honest with ourselves and own up to our mistakes. Because Taylor and Amanda are in fact, fooling themselves throughout the entire film and doing everything and anything to avoid the truth about their problems and their habits and they firmly believe that staying their current course is the key to their respective salvation. And seeing them grow over the course of the story and reach their respective epiphanies is beautiful to say the least and it definitely gives you pause after the credits roll, due to the fact that you begin to wonder if there’s a particular truth in your own life that you need to own up to. If anything, the comedy and the endearing nature of this story make this film a charming delight to say the least. Because you really feel for Amanda and Taylor as the story goes on, and you want to see them succeed in their quest to improve their mental health because they are in fact, good people who have lost their way. But, make no mistake about it, the comedy is the true focus of this film, and it doesn’t deviate from the jokes in the slightest, making all the other stuff a bonus when all is said and done. So, if you’re looking for a fun flick that leaves you with a little something extra, check this out one, because it really is worth your while.
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