[rating: 4/5]
“In Our Nature” is an honest film squeezed together by old family tension and awkward silences. With a full cast of only six, the four the film focuses on doesn’t leave any room to concentrate on just one character. Instead, each person is followed equally; leaving room for everyone to tell their story by character interaction and dialogue that seems so natural, you’ll forget they’re following a script.
The film begins with an excited Seth (Zach Giford) packing the car for a trip to an old family cabin with his girlfriend, Andie (Jena Malone). At least that’s what he calls it. As Andie points out, it’s far from a ‘cabin.’ It’s a giant lake house.
But whoever said that was a bad thing? Certainly not Seth and Andie, as they tumble around the house and thoroughly enjoy the big empty space. But then Andie hears a motor outside, and when Seth looks up all the color drains from his face. “It’s my dad,” he says weakly.
In a scramble to collect their clothes and pull themselves together, they manage to greet Seth’s dad, Gil (John Slattery) with dignity. Gil, on the other hand, meets them with a mix of embarrassment and too much pride when he’s followed in the door by his much younger girlfriend, Vicky (Gabrielle Union).
Remember that tension and those awkward silences I told you about? Yeah, they’re here.
But father and son have dealt with each other before, and Seth plays it off like he and Andie are leaving. Gil seems quite content with the news, and is perfectly happy to let them leave – until Vicky starts hinting that they should stay for dinner. When Seth begins to decline her offer, Andie cuts him off with, “We’d love to!”
A hilarious and upsetting, yet light weekend ensues, dredging up old family scars from everyone in the house. What we’re ultimately given is a cut-open-your-heart-and-bleed earnest movie that leaves us with one final message: You can’t choose your family, but try to make the most of it. They are, after all, family.
It’s a vicious cycle that doesn’t leave any room for excuses.
