WHAT IT'S ABOUT: Amy Poehler directed and stars in this Netflix comedy about six old friends who gather for a 50th birthday party in Napa Valley. As the wine flows, however, old resentments bubble up and bonds will be tested. The story is perhaps less important than the ensemble cast _ a who's who of female comedic talent, including Maya Rudolph, Rachel Dratch and Tina Fey.
MY SAY: Don't go into "Wine Country" expecting an all-female "Sideways." A better comparison, which Poehler and company may or may not appreciate, is Adam Sandler's "Grown Ups" franchise.
Among the last of Sandler's theatrical releases before his move to Netflix, the "Grown Ups" movies centered on five old friends (Chris Rock, Kevin James and others) who reunite after many years. The movies trafficked mostly in crude humor and easy nostalgia, but they also addressed, at least superficially, issues of marriage, parenting and aging. (Sandler is 52, roughly the same age as the "Wine Country" women.) The "Grown Ups" movies are certainly no classics, but they worked because they extolled the value of old friendships and reminded us of our own.
