This film is everything it says on the tin.

What could a film called Home Again, produced by the Meyers family, and starring Reese Witherspoon possibly provide other than indulgent warmth in a feel-good, female-driven narrative that glows with every flash of Witherspoon’s smile?

“The contemporary charm is that the heart of this film does not simply rely on romance”

Indeed, the film owes a lot to Witherspoon, whose name undoubtedly accounts for a lot of its success. Unlike lots of actors of her status and calibre, it is impressive to see her using her influence in the industry to bring out new, female filmmakers.

That said, this particular filmmaker would probably have found her way without Witherspoon. Hallie Meyers-Shyer is the daughter of Nancy Meyers, the acclaimed screenwriter/director/producer who brought the world feel-good gems including The Parent Trap and The Holiday. The latter’s influence on Meyers-Shyer’s film is indisputable, to the extent that certain moments directly replicate shots from her mother’s 2006 hit, although this is hardly a complaint. There is an art to executing pure cheese exceptionally well, and it is one that Meyers-Shyer has thankfully inherited from her mother.

Despite the occasional navel-gazing regarding the film’s focus on movie-making and being a Hollywood family, Home Again is as entertaining and engaging as it is soppy. Plus, as they say, ‘write what you know’ – and that is clearly what Meyers-Shyer has done for her debut. The contemporary charm is that the heart of this film does not simply rely on romance. It is about being a single woman, being an artist, running a home, and of course, figuring out what home actually is.

Unfortunately, Witherspoon’s sparkle as Alice is not enough to make up for otherwise fairly mediocre acting from the ensemble (although, surprisingly this does not apply to Lola Flanery and Eden Grace Redfield, who play Alice’s far-too-adorable daughters). This may be partially down to the newcomer presence in the cast: Pico Alexander, Jon Rudnitsky and Nat Wolff play the trio of youngsters who become all-too involved in Alice’s life. Refreshing as it is to see new faces, there is a clear experience dichotomy between the seasoned likes of Witherspoon and Candice Bergen, and the newbies who have not yet acquired the finesse of keeping a rom-com corny without being cringy.

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Nevertheless, Hallie Meyers-Shyer has set herself up perfectly to follow in her mother’s footsteps as a vessel for heart-warming, modern tales. And whilst they will never change the world, we can always do with more corny rom-coms