Goodbye to All That

Fortyish and mostly clueless dad Otto (Paul Schneider) is surprised when his wife (Melanie Lynskey) asks for a divorce. And — oh ho! — is he even more surprised by the wacky world of dating in these hook-up friendly times. Apparently, all the women out there are good-looking, sex-crazed and/or variously neurotic. Not surprisingly, this dramedy was written and directed by a guy, Angus MacLachlan, and besides not giving us any worthy female characters, also fails to create any sympathy for Otto. The film has a story worth telling — it's a coming-of-age tale for a middle-aged dude who needs to wise up — but it never makes Otto's situation credible.