I've been a fan of Barbra Streisand since I was about 10 years old. Though my ardency for has waned in recent decades, I still appreciate and enjoy Streisand's singing and, to some degree, her acting. So when THE GUILT TRIP starring Barbra Streisand and Seth Rogen as mother and son was released, I didn't rush to the theater to see it, but I did add it to my DVD queue.

The Guilt Trip

Jim and I watched it earlier this week. My reaction? A big ol' "meh."

In THE GUILT TRIP, Barbra Streisand stars as Joyce, an overbearing and fairly obnoxious mother to Andy, played by Seth Rogen. Andy is a chemist and inventor who can't seem to get a break when it comes to having a retailer pick up his new cleaning product in stores or online. He's had several failed attempts from the movie's outset, with several more planned with big retailers across the country. Upon hearing details from Joyce about a long-lost love prior to Andy's birth and his father's subsequent death when Andy was eight, Andy asks Joyce to join him on the eight-day road trip. Against his better judgment but for a good cause — which is to reconnect Joyce with that former flame at the last stop of the trip, unbeknownst to Joyce.

As I said, I'm a fan of Barbra Streisand. But this movie fell flat. Her acting felt particularly stilted to me — though she was beautiful every step of the way, even when supposedly not so beautiful for purposes of the story line.

The chemistry between Rogen — whom I generally like when he's not being crass — and Streisand just wasn't there. I've read interviews and seen behind-the-scenes clips that led me to believe there'd be far more feeling between the two and to the film. My only feeling while watching it, to be honest, was "why didn't I choose a different movie to watch tonight?"

THE GUILT TRIP (rated PG-13 for "language and some risque material") was released in theaters in December 2012 and on DVD and Bluray in 2013. Find out more on THE GUILT TRIP website.