There is his mother Peg; his reserved, contemplative father Eugene; and his sullen, resentful, twenty-something brother Johnny, who, although married, still lives at home.

[6] The website's critical consensus states, "Aided and abetted by a wonderful cast, director Phil Morrison transforms familiar material into an understated and resonant comedy".

[6] Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 80 out of 100, based on 34 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

[7] Roger Ebert gave the film four stars and praised it as "a movie that understands, profoundly and with love and sadness, the world of small towns; it captures ways of talking and living I remember from my childhood, with the complexity and precision of great fiction".

[12] The film begins and ends with the 1977 song "Harmour Love" performed by Syreeta Wright and written by Stevie Wonder.

[13] During a scene where most of the characters are at a church social, George and two young men are featured singing the hymn "Softly and Tenderly, Jesus Is Calling" by Will Lamartine Thompson.

The release includes deleted scenes, audio commentary with Embeth Davidtz and Amy Adams, behind-the-scenes featurettes, and casting sessions.