“The question of happiness has preoccupied philosophers, poets and pharmaceutical companies for thousands of years.
Clearly, it’s a tricky one.”

For the past 25 years, the Walling and Ostroff families have lived across the street from one another in the suburban town of West Orange, NJ, and have remained best friends all hose years—but that is about to be tested.

David (Hugh Laurie) and Paige (Catherine Keener) Walling seem to just be going through the motions in their marriage—and David seems to be spending more and more nights alone in his man cave. Their daughter Vanessa (Alia Shawkat) has dreams of moving to the city to pursue her career, but three years out of design school and she’s still living at home and working at the local furniture store. Things aren’t rosy at the Ostroff household either—Terry (Oliver Platt) is always obsessed with some new gadget while his wife Carol (Allison Janney) ignores him and focuses her efforts on fixing their estranged relationship with daughter Nina’s—which includes trying to fix her up with the Walling’s son Toby (Adam Brody).

After 5 years away, prodigal daughter Nina (Leighton Meester) returns home for Thanksgiving after she discovers her fiance is cheating on her. After a late night of drinking with Toby, Nina is on her way home when she sees David. The two get to talking, kiss and soon start a relationship that will test all of the friendships between the Wallings and Ostroffs.

I usually don’t care for films that focus on relationships involving such a huge age gap—they usually come off as pervy. However, while it initially seemed odd that David would fall in love with a girl the same age as his own daughter (and Nina with someone the same age as her father), for some reason it works in this film. The relationship between David and Nina feels realistic and grounded and not at all pervy. I think it is because it’s not based on sexual desire, but rather the fact that these two have restored happiness in one another’s lives.

The fallout of their relationship leads to some interesting drama as we see how it quickly tears apart these wonderful relationships that have lasted for 25 years. But we also see the resiliency of friendship and love and how forgiveness can make these bonds even stronger. Intermixed with all this drama are some hilarious, laugh-out-loud moments. The Oranges is a great blend of this drama and comedy.

I found the film to be very well acted, with the entire cast delivering believable performances—both dramatic and comedic. I was particularly impressed with Allison Janney on the comedy side of things. And Oliver Platt’s character is funny with his crazy gadget obsession.

As for the Blu-ray itself, the picture is crisp and clear, and the audio is more sufficient for this type of film that is more about dialogue than special effects. I found the bonus features on the disc to be really disappointing—just two short featurettes. However, since I did enjoy the film, I still recommend checking it out (perhaps a rental first due to the lack of extras).

What’s Included:

Film (1:30:36):

Blu-ray:
• 1080p / Widescreen 1.85:1
• Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD MA
• English SDH, Spanish subtitles

DVD:

• 480p / Widescreen 1.85:1
• Audio: English DD 5.1
• English SDH, Spanish subtitles

Digital Copy: (Redemption Deadline 5/7/2015)

• iTunes Digital Copy (transferred via the DVD)
• Ultraviolet Digital Copy (Vudu or Flixster)

Extras (Only available on the Blu-ray):

• Opening Doors: Inside The Oranges (6:32)
  Director Julian Farino talks about the tone of the film and how his documentary work influenced his approach. The cast talks about their characters and their relationships.
• Juicy Secrets: Behind the Scenes of The Oranges (3:22)
  The cast recounts the plot and some highlights of the film. (This came off more as a promotional piece for the film.)

Final Thoughts:

The Oranges delivers solid dramatic performances, particularly by leads Hugh Laurie and Leighton Meester, but also has some hilarious laugh-out-loud moments. Allison Janney really shines in the comedic parts of the film. The picture is crisp and audio more than sufficient. The only thing lacking is the bonus features.

This film is definitely worth checking out, but due to the practically bare-bones nature of the the disc, a rental or waiting for a sale price may be preferred.