1. Plot

2. Cast

3. Production

4. Release

5. References

6. External links

• Anthony Bregman
• Stefanie Azpiazu
• Nicole Holofcener

• Ben Mendelsohn
• Edie Falco
• Thomas Mann
• Connie Britton

The Land of Steady Habits is a 2018 American film written, directed and co-produced by Nicole Holofcener and based on the novel of the same name by Ted Thompson. It had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 12, 2018 and was released on September 14, 2018, by Netflix.

Plot

Anders Hill has recently divorced his wife Helene and quit his job in finance for an early retirement, and is having a difficult time coping. Anders’ adult-son Preston is a recovering addict who still lives with Helene in the family home that Anders has left. Preston, who attended Northwestern University, is working as a paid reading specialist alongside his mother, who got him the job.

Anders remains enamoured of his ex-wife, despite his string of one night stands since their divorce. He shows up at the annual Christmas party she co-hosts with Sophie Ashford, a neighbor and friend of Helene. Isolated at the party, he goes outside and joins Sophie and Mitchell's son Charlie and some of Charlie's friends. They urge Anders to smoke from a bong, and he is surprised to discover, afterward, that the marijuana is laced with PCP. Later at the party, Charlie overdoses and is taken to the hospital. Anders tells his therapist that he did drugs with Charlie at the Christmas party, and is surprised to learn that the therapist was also in attendance.

Sometime after, Anders, who is still the formal owner of the family home he has left to Helene, and, thus, responsible for the mortgage, finds that he cannot afford to retire as well as pay off the house, and has fallen behind with the payments. He approaches a friend for a loan, however, the friend instead takes Anders to a strip club where he meets Barbara, a woman who is on a date. Anders and Barbara hit it off and end up sharing a cab home, and in his drunken stupor Anders gives his old address and breaks into his old home, upsetting Helene, Preston, and Donny.

Helene is eventually forced to fire Preston after he accepts 2,000 dollars from an illiterate man and uses the money to play in a poker game. Preston also reveals to Helene that Anders cannot pay the mortgage of the house they used to share.

Days later, Preston stops by Anders' condo to reveal he has a job delivering alcohol but is homeless, having been kicked out of the family home by Helene. However, Anders tells him he cannot stay the night and urges him to grow up. That night, Charlie visits Anders and tells him he has broken out of the hospital, as his parents want him to go to rehab and he needs to run away but wants Anders to look after his pet turtle. Anders initially threatens to call Charlie's parents, but the two instead go to Charlie's boat, which he refers to as his clubhouse. In the boat, Charlie and Anders do drugs while Charlie tells Anders about his graphic novel based on Laika, a Soviet space dog. Anders eventually decides to drive Charlie home, but Charlie escapes out of the boat's exit while Anders is waiting outside.

Preston delivers wine to a former classmate, who has just purchased a large home and expecting a child. After Preston insults him, he leaves the house and finds that his car has broken down. Unable to finish the rest of his deliveries, he calls a tow truck that drops him off near train tracks. Cold, Preston contemplates drinking a large bottle of champagne to keep warm, but instead places it in front of an oncoming train to prevent himself from doing so. On the way back to his Jeep, Preston discovers Charlie's corpse.

Charlie's death causes Preston to be welcomed back into the family home by Helene. On Christmas Eve, when the Hills and Ashfords traditionally celebrate dinner together, Preston finds his Dad in a hotel room and convinces him to stop by for dinner. Over the course of the dinner, Anders reveals that he and Charlie had done drugs together. This revelation leads to Sophie telling Anders that Helene had been cheating on him for two years. Mitchell then attacks Anders by smashing his cigar into Anders’ forehead.

A few months later, Helene has sold her old home, while she and Donny plan their wedding in Hawaii. Preston has decided to attend grad school in New York City, getting his own apartment. Anders continues to date Barbara, is settling into retired life, and is looking after Charlie's turtle.

Cast

• Ben Mendelsohn as Anders Harris, Helene's ex-husband, Preston's father, Barbara's love interest and Larry's friend
• Edie Falco as Helene Harris, Anders’ ex-wife, Preston's mother and Donny's girlfriend
• Thomas Mann as Preston Harris, Helene and Anders' son
• Elizabeth Marvel as Sophie Ashford, Helene's best friend, Mitchell's wife and Charlie's mother
• Michael Gaston as Mitchell Ashford, Sophie's husband, Charlie's father and Anders’ friend
• Charlie Tahan as Charlie Ashford, Sophie and Mitchell's son and Preston's friend
• Bill Camp as Donny O’Connell, Helene's boyfriend
• Josh Pais as Larry Eastwood, a friend of Anders
• Connie Britton as Barbara, Anders’ love-interest
• Natalie Gold as Dana
• Victor Slezak as Wes Thompsan
• Victor Williams as Howard

Production

On August 20, 2014, it was reported that Nicole Holofcener would write and direct an adaptation of Ted Thompson's novel The Land of Steady Habits for Fox Searchlight.^[2] In January 2017, Ben Mendelsohn, Edie Falco, and Thomas Mann were set to star in the film, which, it was revealed, was to be financed and distributed by Netflix.^[3] In February 2017, Connie Britton joined the cast.^[4] In March 2017, Elizabeth Marvel joined the cast.^[5]

By March 17, 2017, The Land of Steady Habits had begun filming in Tarrytown.^[6]

Release

References

External links

• {{IMDb title|6485928|The Land of Steady Habits}}

• Gordon Rankine
• Gordon R. Caplan
• Gordon Reed
• Gordon Reid (Wheelchair Tennis)
• Gordon Research Conference
• Gordon R. Fischer
• Gordon R. Hall
• Gordon Rickards
• Gordon Ricketts
• Gordon Rimmer
• Gordon Risius
• Gordon River, Western Australia
• Gordon, R. K.
• Gordon, Robert
• Gordon Robertson (cricketer)
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• Gordon Rogoff
• Gordon Rossiter
• Gordon rossiter
• Gordon Ross-Soden
• Gordon Rufus Thompson
• Gordon Ryan
• Gordon-Saker, Andrew
• Gordon Samstag