Peep World
| Peep World | |
|---|---|
|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Barry W. Blaustein |
| Produced by |
Keith Calder Paul O. Davis Felipe Marino Joe Neurauter |
| Written by | Peter Himmelstein |
| Starring |
Ron Rifkin Lesley Ann Warren Ben Schwartz Michael C. Hall Sarah Silverman Rainn Wilson Kate Mara Judy Greer Stephen Tobolowsky Taraji P. Henson Alicia Witt |
| Narrated by | Lewis Black |
| Music by | Jeff Cardoni |
| Cinematography | Tobias Datum |
| Edited by |
Evan Schiff Steve Welch Jeff Werner |
Production company |
Occupant Films |
| Distributed by |
IFC Films Madman Entertainment |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 79 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $11,238[1] |
Peep World is a 2010 American comedy-drama film directed by Barry W. Blaustein and starring an ensemble cast, including Ron Rifkin, Lesley Ann Warren, Ben Schwartz, Michael C. Hall, Sarah Silverman, Rainn Wilson, Kate Mara, Judy Greer, Stephen Tobolowsky, Taraji P. Henson, and Alicia Witt.
Plot
At a dinner celebrating their father Henry Meyerwitz's (Ron Rifkin) 70th birthday, tensions among the four Meyerwitz siblings explode thanks to the success of the youngest son, Nathan's (Ben Schwartz), new novel Peep World, a thinly veiled portrait of the family. The best-selling expose reveals the oldest, "responsible" son, Jack (Michael C. Hall), as a porn addict, the daughter, Cheri (Sarah Silverman), as a catty drama queen, and the third son, Joel (Rainn Wilson), as a living disaster with a loony plan to change his life around.
The film takes place over the course of a single day. Jack, who's a struggling architect, is stressed about his future along with the well-being of his wife and unborn son. Cheri, the out-of-work actress, wants to sue Nathan for damages since she is unable to get work. Joel, the incompetent divorce lawyer, juggles mounting financial troubles while maintaining a relationship with his client Mary (Taraji P. Henson). Nathan, the writer of Peep World, finds little happiness with his recent success due to the ongoing turmoil he caused with his family. After Jack's wife Laura (Judy Greer) discovers him masturbating in an adult video store, she reconsiders her trust. Cheri continues to rant about the book and upcoming movie, but decides to attend the dinner with her religious friend Ephraim (Stephen Tobolowsky). Joel misses Mary's divorce hearing, and calls Jack after his car breaks down. After being given a shot for premature ejaculation issues, Nathan inadvertently causes a scene during his book signing with an unwanted erection. After his publicist Meg (Kate Mara) helps him "relieve" his problem, she reluctantly accompanies him to his father's birthday dinner.
The four siblings meet at the restaurant along with their mother Marilyn (Lesley Ann Warren). When their father finally arrives, everyone is surprised when he introduces his new girlfriend Amy (Alicia Witt), who is not only young, but also the actress playing Cheri in the film adaptation of the book. The family gets into several fights during dinner; most of them concerning their father, and his attitude towards his children. Henry deems his children ungrateful and jealous of his success, and reveals that Amy is pregnant. Marilyn, the soft-spoken mother, calls out her family's behavior by claiming that they always blamed someone else for their problems. The dinner ends abruptly when Henry chokes on a piece of food. Jack performs CPR, and the family rushes him to the hospital.
While waiting, the four siblings finally shell out their problems towards each other. After Cheri asks, "What do we do if he dies?", Jack replies, "We'll live". A doctor appears to give the family news. The narrator then explains that Henry unintentionally got his family together, though he almost died for that to occur.
Cast
- Lewis Black as The Narrator
- Ron Rifkin as Henry Meyerwitz
- Lesley Ann Warren as Marilyn Meyerwitz
- Ben Schwartz as Nathan Meyerwitz
- Michael C. Hall as Jack Meyerwitz
- Sarah Silverman as Cheri Meyerwitz
- Rainn Wilson as Joel Meyerwitz
- Kate Mara as Meg
- Judy Greer as Laura
- Stephen Tobolowsky as Ephraim
- Taraji P. Henson as Mary
- Alicia Witt as Amy Harrison
- David Packer as Eli
- Octavia Spencer as Alison
- Geoffrey Arend as Dr. Novak
- Guillermo Diaz as Jesus
- Troian Avery Bellisario as Film Set P.A.
- Deborah Pratt as Cassandra Williamson
- Leslie Speight as Wizdom
- Raja Fenske as Rajeev
Reception
Peep World received negative reviews, only garnering 20% on Rotten Tomatoes.[2] On Metacritic, which uses an average of critics' reviews, the film holds a 27/100, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[3]