Playing one of the few "normal" people on The Office, Jenna Fischer evinces a quiet sweetness with a tart edge that sustains her amongst the misfits; she's long-suffering, but her rueful irony spares her from victimization. Not so in this comedy from first-time director Michael J. Weithorn, in which her meekness comes off more like masochism. As Laura, she's stuck with a philandering husband (Chris O'Donnell) and a spoiled 11-year-old son. Also on board are a grotesque mother, sister, and father who chip in their constant disapproval and abuse. It's enough to drive you crazy, and she endures it with placid despair, which Fischer pulls off so appealingly that it's even more infuriating. Then tragedy strikes and instead of coping by telling herself lies, she's forced to live out lies imposed on her by other people — and it's too much. Fischer does her best, but she needs a little help to make all the meanness worthwhile.
