Great dark comedy. Excellent cast. Very funny. Held my interest. Being from Long Island N.Y. love the authentic surroundings and personalities of the characters. If you like John Cassavettes's films upu will enjoy this film.

Greg Mottola makes a very auspicious debut with "The Daytrippers". He directs a terrific cast in what is something of a rarity; a true ensemble piece. Rather than a road movie, this is a street movie with various stations in lower Manhattan. As the journey progresses so too does the family begin to unravel in a manner which is both funny as well as genuinely moving.

All give dead on target performances, with highlights from Ann Meara and Lieve Shrieber (whose unravelling is particularly poignant). Hope Davis is as wistfully wonderful as always with Parker Posey, Stanley Tucci, Pat McNaramra and Campbell Scott rounding out the ensemble.

A trip you may want to make.

Daytrippers succeeds in exploring family dynamics during an unexpected family crisis during Thanksgiving. Finding a love note left behind by her husband before leaving for work, the young Long Island housewife takes it to her parents where her younger college-age sister and boyfriend are staying. Mom, Dad, Sis and boyfriend head into the city to confront the husband. This simple trip turns into a voyage of personal discovery as they meet and interact with a variety of interesting people.

It's a "talk" vice "visual" movie, but none-the-less was a hit with three of four members of the family including our 19 year old college-age daughter. The 16-year old lad bailed out early.

Our only complaint (but it is significant to us) is that the parents, especially the mother, are painted thinly, and their characters stereotyped and static. Everyone else has discoveries and changes, but not them. We still gave it a solid 8 and would recommend it for holiday time (adult) viewing.