Think your family’s crazy?

PEEP WORLD is about a wicked dysfunctional dynamic. There’s the patriarch who would rather build skyscrapers than be a role model. The eldest son who always does the right thing, even if it makes him a pushover. The second oldest son who’s been to rehab twice and always seems to be borrowing money. The daughter who’s suing her own sibling and stringing along a schlub from Jews for Jesus. And finally the youngest son – the source of much recent strife – who has hit it big by publishing a novel called “Peep World”…which is unfortunately very closely based on all of them.

While PEEP WORLD seems to pull its punch slightly, it contains a lot of tender and funny moments. It’s the sort of story that reminds you that no matter how successful you become in the world, being with family has a way of reducing you to your lowest point of self esteem.

Feeling a bit like an Elmore Leonard novel, PEEP WORLD wants to tell us that family dynamics – or lack thereof – come from the top down. So when you get a brood like this that are essentially a family full of fuckups, all you have to do is look at the parents and you’ll see where it all went wrong. Then again, one could chalk it up to an inability to let things go. Letting go of grudges can sometimes be a tough thing, though Taraji Henson gets off the best line about that.

PEEP WORLD feels like it just misses the mark, but is filled with wonderful character moments – namely a monologue by Rainn Wilson, and a dinner table conversation between Michael C. Hall and Ron Rifkin. It’s charming, funny, and includes some very amusing set pieces. Most of all, PEEP WORLD wants us to understand that even where family is concerned, it’s never too late to let go and move forward.

PEEP WORLD plays TIFF once more – Sunday September 19th at 8:45pm