Birds of America (2008)

"My father left me this house. And the mortgage when I was 18. Along with his first edition of Audubon Birds of America. a dying mother, a 12-year-old sister, and a 7-year-old brother."

College professor Morrie (Matthew Perry) is a regular guy -- well, maybe an uptight and worrying kind of regular guy -- who lives with his wife Betty (Lauren Graham) in his childhood home. She wants to have a baby but he's worried about getting tenure first and that goal drives him.

They live next door to Paul (Gary Wilmes) and Laura (Hilary Swank). Paul is Morrie's mentor and put Morries name up for tenure. Morrie is not only indebted to Paul, Morrie also feels compelled to suck up to Paul in order to get tenure.

Life gets complicated when Morrie's unstable younger sister Ida (Ginnifer Goodwin) and brother Jay (Ben Foster) hit rock bottom and both come to live with Morrie in the family museum -- errrr, make that family home.

Morrie had basically raised Ida and Jay due to their father's suicide and their mother's illness and early death. He feels obligated to them even though their problems are significant and may compromise Morrie's marriage and his career.

Others in cast include Daniel Eric Gold, Vivien Kells, Zoë Kravitz, and Stacie Theon.

Directed by Craig Lucas.

Run time: 1 hour, 25 minutes

Rated R for language, some sexuality and brief drug use.

My personal rating: C