Life in Pieces – Jungle Push Resort Anniversary

By starrymag | April 24, 2019

By: Jessica Wolff

 

 

In the first story, the family arrives at a jungle resort and Joan (Dianne Wiest) is thrilled to celebrate her and John’s (James Brolin) fiftieth anniversary with the family. Greg (Colin Hanks) asks Lark (Ana Sophia Heger) to hand over her stuffed armadillo but she refuses to give up her “armadildo.” Jen (Zoe Lister-Jones) explains that Lark has been attached to the toy since she learned about the pregnancy.

 

Hayes (Nat Faxon) greets them, telling them that his wife should be around somewhere. He tells them it’s time for bed, but Greg tells him that they’ve just arrived and haven’t eaten yet. Hayes warns them to not have any food in their rooms, as it will attract everything.

 

Clementine (Hunter King) points out a bunch of bats flying out of a nearby cave and Hayes tells them that they’re vampire bats. Hayes tells the family to cover up and stay together in the woods as he urges everyone to get to their rooms. Greg attempts to convince Jen the room isn’t as bad as it looks, pointing out that they have a private bathroom. Jen responds that it’s just a hole and Greg jumps upon seeing a scorpion crawling on the floor. Greg declares he’s got it as he takes his shoe off and smashes it.

 

Greg and Jen jump as Tim (Dan Bakkedahl) bursts through the door. Greg asks why he isn’t in his hut, and Tim tells him that one of his daughters got bitten. Tim insists that his blood is too sweet for them to bite, but the back of his head is swollen as he turns around. Jen suggests he take some of the medicine as well, and Tim runs out of the room, screaming outside. Lark tells Jen that she’s scared, and she assures her Tim is probably fine. Lark explains that her “armadildo” is missing, and Jen tries to correct her pronunciation.

 

Greg asks where she last saw the toy and Lark points outside. He tells her they’ll look in the morning, but Lark declares the armadillo will die out there and starts crying. Jen insists that this is all their fault by forcing a new baby on her and losing her only item of comfort. Greg tells Jen that he sewed a GPS tracker into the toy, and she is surprised to hear it. He tells her he sewed one into her shoe as well so that he knows when she’s coming home and uses an app to locate the toy far away from the hut.

 

Greg declares he’s not going out there, but Jen guilt trips him. He steps outside, but screams and runs back in. Greg declares that the bugs are swarming his phone and he’ll go out in the morning unless she has a better idea. Outside, Greg criticizes Jen’s idea to have him carry her shoe and a baby monitor outside. Jen defends her idea and uses the app to tell Greg that he’s walking towards the toy. Greg freaks out at the spiders, but Jen reminds him he’s doing it for Lark. He suggests that they’re coddling Lark and that they should just tell her that a new baby doesn’t mean they love her less.

 

Jen admits that his idea makes sense but promises to talk about it once he brings the toy back. She comments that he likes his hustle, but Greg tells her he’s standing still. Jen declares they have a problem, as the toy is moving towards him. She tells him to run, but he freaks out at the sound of rustling bushes. Hayes steps out and admits that he found the toy while searching for his wife. Greg is thrilled that he found it and thanks him. He questions how he doesn’t know where his wife is, and Hayes lies that he does before calling out to her.

 

Jen embraces Greg upon his return, calling him the bravest man she knows. He tells her it was nothing, but Jen tells him that it’s important for Lark to have her toy back. However, a bug crawls out of a hole in the toy and they scream as more bugs crawl out upon being dropped. Greg kicks the toy out of the hut, and they agree to tell Lark that the toy ran away.

 

In the second story, Hayes lists the resort’s activities. Tim wants to go spelunking while Clementine wants to see the cave. Hayes tells them that the cave has crystals, and Tim remembers that somebody likes crystals. Sophia (Giselle Eisenberg) tells him she likes crystals, but Heather (Betsy Brandt) tells her they’ll have their own separate adventure.

 

Later, Sophia tells the other she wants to do what they’re doing. Samantha (Holly J. Barrett) tells her she’s Heather’s vacation buddy, but Sophia suggests Tim should be. Clementine shows her a flyer for a mother-daughter fashion show, and Tyler (Niall Cunningham) advises her to tell Heather she wants to come with them. Sophia reminds him that Heather got so upset when she called her mom instead of mommy that she had to wet the bed again to make her feel better. Tyler tells her they all have to leave Heather at some point and tells her to suggest that Heather has another kid.

 

Heather teaches Sophia how to walk the runway, and Sophia tells her that it’s too much work for a vacation. She tells Heather to relax while she goes zip-lining, but Heather declares she loves spending time with her. Sophia suggests that she give her love to someone younger, like a baby. Heather believes she’s worried and assures her that she will always be her baby. Tim tells Heather that he was bit by a bug, and Heather goes to get him medicine. He sees that Sophia is upset, but Sophia is worried that he’ll tell Heather.

 

Tim assures her he won’t, but later tells Heather that Sophia hates her as they climb into bed. Heather insists Sophia doesn’t hate her, but Tim tells her she hates being babied. Heather denies it, but Tim tells her that Sophia doesn’t want to hurt her feelings. Heather declares that she should be the one worried about Sophia’s feelings, calling herself a bad mother. She realizes that she is the one scared of Sophia growing up, and Tim tells her she can focus on hanging out with him now.

 

Sophia films Samantha as she goes on the zip-line and asks Heather if she wants to play “I Spy.” She agrees and tells Sophia she spies a girl ready to try zip-lining, holding out a helmet and harness. Sophia is excited and embraces her. Once Sophia is at the top she tries to escape, but Heather tells her she doesn’t have to protect her anymore. Sophia admits she’s scared, but Heather tells the attendant to let Sophia go and Sophia screams down the zip-line.

 

In the third story, Colleen (Angelique Cabral) checks on Matt (Thomas Sadoski) who is freaked out about the bugs. She asks him what he would say if she found a solution to the vacation, and he tells her he would call her a liar and spit in her lying face. Colleen tells him that she got the last room at a nearby hotel. Matt explains that it’s not an option, and she points out he’s miserable. He replies that everyone’s miserable on family vacations.

 

Colleen argues that nobody has to know since they’re only spending the night there. Matt insists it would break his parents’ hearts and that he has an agreement with the spiders that they won’t come in if he doesn’t go out. Colleen tells him he should have made the same deal with the snakes and Matt freaks out upon seeing a snake on the bed.

 

At the hotel, Matt and Colleen enjoy the accommodations. The next morning, Samantha tells Heather that she’ll never complain about anything again before complaining about the breakfast options. Hayes tells them he’s distracted as someone has cleared out their bank account and stolen his wife’s passport.

 

Everyone commiserates about their rough nights, while Matt and Colleen great everyone cheerfully. Joan tells Matt she loves his smile and Colleen tells her that they’re blessed to be together. As they head out, Greg confronts Matt and Colleen about why they aren’t as miserable as everyone else. Heather demands to smell Matt and asks why he smells so good. Tim sees a keycard on the ground and questions why they would need one. Colleen admits they went to the hotel and Heather tells them they broke the first rule of family vacation that everyone has to suffer together.

 

Matt explains that he wanted to, but Colleen loves him too much. Greg declares that he’s going to tell Joan, but Colleen asks what she would say if there’s a way they can all enjoy the vacation without breaking Joan’s heart. Heather tells her she’d call her a liar and spit in her lying face, and Colleen comments it’s a family thing. As the family except for John and Joan gather in the hotel room, Matt toasts to the fact that you sometimes have to escape a family vacation. Afterwards, the family starts taking over and arguing over the amenities and Matt remarks to Colleen that their vacation has been ruined despite the family vacation being saved.

 

In the final story, John complains that they gave up their room to Greg and Jen and Joan reminds him that Jen is pregnant. He tells her their anniversary should have been a romantic getaway for just the two of them, but she replies that the best way to celebrate fifty years is with the entire family. John points out they could have gotten a room at the nearby hotel, and Joan questions what kind of person would abandon their family vacation. He tells her he wants one romantic night with her, and they argue over who should go to who in their bunk bed.

 

Hayes gives John and Joan a tour, telling them everything is poisonous and that the highlight of the resort is a burial ground. He tells them there’s a waterfall next to it, and comments that it was his wife’s favorite before expressing hope that she’ll be happy in Dayton. John holds Joan back and tells her he wants to look at the nearby tree. Joan tells him there’s lots to see, but John tells her he only wants to see her. He tells her she’s the most beautiful thing there and promises they’ll catch up. Later, Joan tells John that it’s his fault they’re lost, and he assures her they’ll get through it.

 

They reach a road, and signal to a passing bus. John offers to help her, but Joan tells him he’s done enough. She tells him he should be like the kids, who just want to be with them. On the bus, Joan finds herself face to face with the rest of the family. Heather and Tim tell Joan that staying at the hotel was Colleen’s idea, and she calls them out for betraying her.

 

Joan asks if they’ve really been sneaking off to the hotel, declaring that her children suck. John tells them that he hopes they’re happy, as Joan now has a broken heart and broken leg. Greg asks what happened to her leg, and John explains that Joan slipped on a rock during sex and the rest of the family is horrified.

 

John tells them they have to find a way to make Joan feel better and Lark says she wishes she could give her the “armadildo.” Colleen asks what they would say if she knew a way to save the vacation for everyone, and John replies that he’d call her a liar and spit in her lying face.

 

The family lounges around the hotel pool and John thanks the kids. Joan can’t believe it’s been fifty years and remarks how beautiful her family is. John tells everyone to beat it, as it’s his and Joan’s anniversary. The rest of the family goes back to the jungle, and Jen asks Tim when he got a scorpion tattoo. Tim tells her he didn’t and Jen orders everybody to not move. Greg declares the bats are coming and everyone runs away, leaving Tim behind.