The premise is funny to start with. When the father of the screwed up family dies, his widow, Hilary Altman, exuberantly played by Jane Fonda, tells their offspring that their father left a dying wish that all assemble at home to follow the Jewish practice of “sitting shiva” during a mourning period. The instruction came even though daddy was an atheist. It is Hilary’s way of getting the gang together again.

In the process, we get to meet the various family members, their significant others and friends from school days, with old resentments and loves played out, new complications that arise and one surprising revelation about mom and a female friend. It’s all a bit much. The film was directed by Shawn Levy and written by Jonathan Tropper based on his novel.

What the romp has going for it is a good cast, which, apart from Fonda, includes Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Adam Driver, Rose Byrne, Corey Stoll, Kathryn Hahn, Debra Monk and appealing others. The set-ups often smack of sitcoms, but every now and again one can laugh aloud, as when thumping lovemaking is heard over an intercom. There is also occasionally expert delivery of the funnier lines.