The Oranges is a 2011 American romantic comedy-drama directed by Julian Farino and starring Hugh Laurie, Leighton Meester, Catherine Keener, Oliver Platt, Allison Janney, Alia Shawkat, and Adam Brody.

The story is narrated from the perspective of aspiring furniture designer Vanessa Walling, whose plan to stay at home for a few months after college has turned into years.

[4] Reiss and Helfer wrote the spec script, inspired by a story they heard from friends, during the Writers Guild of America strike.

[5] The film marks Julian Farino's debut as motion picture director; he had previously directed episodes of Entourage.

[4] On February 28, it was confirmed that Meester had won the role and that Adam Brody, Alia Shawkat, Catherine Keener and Allison Janney were in negotiations.

[10] While the film is set in the fall, from Thanksgiving to Christmas in New Jersey, principal filmography started at the end of March 2010 in the upscale Beechmont section of New Rochelle in Westchester County, New York, and lasted 29 days.

[1][5][15] Scenes were also shot in the neighboring Westchester communities of Mamaroneck and Bronxville, and at the Tropicana Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

The site's consensus is: "Despite the efforts of its accomplished cast, The Oranges suffers from a mediocre script that fails to deliver well-rounded characters, dramatic tension, or sufficient laughs.

[23] Giving it 3 stars out of 4, Moira Macdonald of The Seattle Times called The Oranges "a superbly cast dark comedy; it's a familiar story made fresh by actors who know how to make each breath matter."

He found Laurie "particularly good", Keener "amusing", and Platt "charming", but expected more of the film: "You want something that plays a little sharper, and cuts a little deeper.

"[29] Stephen Holden of The New York Times said the film's problem is that its creators did not decide what genre The Oranges would be, "a dangerous comic satire or a serious dramatic downer", and instead occupied "a wishy-washy middle ground.

"[30] The Los Angeles Times's reviewer called Vanessa "the most interesting character", praising her "sardonic perspective", but wrote that the film "never fully comes to life".

[31] Entertainment Weekly reviewer Owen Gleiberman found Meester "charming",[32] but The Washington Post's Michael O'Sullivan felt that her performance lacked lightness and brightness and that she took the film too seriously.