Getting to That Age (2025) - Movie News | Tristen Tarp

The first images from the upcoming independent dramedy Getting to That Age have arrived, offering a glimpse of Romy Reiner leading a cast that includes Sharon Lawrence and Matt Walsh. The film, directed by Tristen Tarp, is poised to explore a family holiday that veers sharply off script.

Reiner steps into the role of Dakota, an anxiety-prone only child who returns home for Christmas with a ring on her finger and a spring in her step. Her plan to announce her engagement hits a wall, however, when her parents, played by Lawrence and Walsh, drop their own bombshell: they are divorcing, right there at the dinner table. The moment shatters Dakota’s rosy perspective on love and loyalty, turning a festive homecoming into a comedic and emotional reckoning.

The project, which blends comedy with drama, marks a reunion of sorts for Lawrence and Walsh, both seasoned television and film actors known for their sharp timing. Lawrence, widely recognized for her work on NYPD Blue and Rizzoli & Isles, takes on the role of Lisa, while Walsh, a familiar face from Veep and countless Christopher Guest mockumentaries, plays Bobby Skokan. Their characters’ decision to split provides the central conflict that sends their daughter into a tailspin.

Reiner, whose recent credits have been building momentum in independent circles, anchors the story as the adult Dakota. The cast also includes Carter Jenkins as Austin, presumably the fiancé caught in the crossfire, and Ever Love Hope as a younger version of Dakota, suggesting the narrative may weave in flashbacks to give context to the family’s dynamics.

Tristen Tarp, who directs from a script that promises to balance awkward humor with genuine pathos, has kept most plot details under wraps. What is clear from the first-look photos is a tonal commitment to naturalistic performances and a cozy but tense holiday setting. The images capture moments of forced cheer, silent stares, and the unmistakable discomfort of a family trying to hold it together for the sake of the occasion.

The film’s logline hints at a deeper examination of how parental choices ripple into a child’s adult worldview. Dakota’s engagement, which should be a milestone of joy, becomes a mirror reflecting her own fears about commitment. The dinner-table reveal is not just a plot device but a catalyst for her to question everything she thought she knew about her parents’ marriage - and by extension, her own romantic future.

While no release date or runtime has been announced yet, the project is generating early interest from festival circuit followers and fans of the cast. The combination of a recognizable ensemble with a small-scale, character-driven story suggests a play for specialty distribution rather than a wide theatrical rollout. Tarp, whose previous work has favored intimate character studies, seems an apt fit for material that lives or dies on the chemistry of its players.

The first-look images do a lot of the heavy lifting in establishing the film’s emotional stakes. One photo shows Dakota mid-laugh, a glass of wine in hand, unaware of the storm brewing. Another captures Lisa and Bobby sharing a look that reads less like love and more like a shared secret about to detonate. These are the kinds of visual cues that promise a film steeped in subtext, where what is unsaid matters as much as the dialogue.

For Reiner, this role offers a chance to showcase range beyond the comedic beats that have defined much of her earlier work. Dakota’s arc, from eager-to-please daughter to disillusioned adult, requires a performer who can shift tones without losing the audience’s sympathy. The supporting cast, particularly the seasoned Lawrence and Walsh, should provide sturdy grounding for those emotional swings.

The film’s title, Getting to That Age, feels pointed, suggesting a moment in life when illusions give way to hard truths. For Dakota, that age arrives sooner than she expected, wrapped in tinsel and served alongside the turkey. The story taps into a universal fear: that the people who taught us about love might not have known any better than we do.

As the project moves through post-production, early buzz will likely hinge on how well Tarp balances the script’s comedic and dramatic impulses. A holiday-set family drama is familiar terrain, but the specificity of the premise - an engagement announcement upstaged by a divorce - gives it a fresher angle. It is the kind of scenario that feels ripped from real life, where big news never arrives alone.

With no trailer or additional footage yet, audiences will have to make due with these initial glimpses. But for those tracking independent film, Getting to That Age is shaping up to be a title worth watching, both for its cast and for its willingness to find humor in the wreckage of family expectations.

Source: Hollywood Reporter