Jack Linden (Mark Ruffalo) and Hank Evans (Peter Krause) are professors that enjoy an easy-going friendship in a small college town. Jack’s wife Terry (Laura Dern) is best friends with Hank’s wife Edith (Naomi Watts). The couples share dinner parties and common interests, but hide the fact they are miserable in their marriages driving the somber tone of this misery inducing film.
When an affair erupts between the two couples, the characters begin to show who they really are, and how they really feel.
That is, they are absolutely miserable, unlikable people, who hate their spouses. It is almost impossible to understand how any of these characters can stand to be in the same room with one another.
Ruffalo plays one of the most dreadfully morose characters I have ever seen in any film. At no point does he show any love for his wife or his friend, he occasionally shows love for his children, but not enough to give him any credit. So, with a failing marriage, we are left to wonder why he stays, there is no conflict, he should just leave.
Larry Gross won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award (whatever that is) for the screenplay; I guess being able to write realistic fights between couples is award worthy? All they really had to do is tape an argument between any unhappy couple, on the verge of divorce, and they would have had the same dialogue.
The only high point is the gorgeous Naomi Watts. She is the only character who elicits some sympathy from the audience, even though her actions are still despicable, we can at least understand her motivations, which is, trying to get attention from an un-loving, uninterested husband.
We Don’t Live Here Anymore is an agonizing film. It has unlikable characters, a depressing storyline, and more 5 o’clock shadow than should be allowed in one film. Films like this usually elicit Oscar talk, but there is nothing worthy of an Oscar here as this movie should come with a warning, “Take two Prozac before viewing.
