The Guilt Trip is a 2012 American road comedy film directed by Anne Fletcher, starring Barbra Streisand and Seth Rogen, who both also served as executive producers on the film.
Andy Brewster (Rogen), a UCLA-graduate organic chemist and inventor, visits his mother Joyce (Streisand) in New Jersey before leaving on a cross-country trip to Las Vegas. After his mother reveals that he was named after a boy she fell in love with in Florida named Andrew Margolis, and after a little research he discovers that there's an Andrew Margolis living in San Francisco, he invites his unknowing mother on the trip, claiming he wants to spend some time with her. The road trip quickly becomes hard for Andy as his mother continues to intervene in his life, but over time, Andy and Joyce begin to genuinely enjoy each other's company.
The film was released on December 19, 2012.
This film features examples of:
- All for Nothing: At least in regards of the search for Andrew Margolis, it turns out that the Andrew Margolis Andy's mother was talking about died five years before, and the "Andrew Margolis" Andy had found was actually his son, Andrew Margolis Jr.
- Bittersweet Ending: On one hand, Andrew Margolis was dead all along, so Joyce will not be able to clear the air with him. On the other hand, Joyce is assured that he thought about her in some way after being told he named his daughter Joyce; Andy is able to successfully pitch his product with Joyce's help; and Joyce and Andy's relationship grows much closer than they had been; plus Joyce arranges a date with Ben McGraw, the man she met during the trip.
- Dead All Along: It turns out that Andrew Margolis, Joyce's old flame, died five years ago, the "Andrew Margolis" Andy found living in San Francisco actually being his son, Andrew Margolis Jr.
- Road Trip Plot: The films is about a man and his mother having to go through a cross-country road trip. Hilarity Ensues.
- Signs of Disrepair: Andy and Joyce are forced to make a stop after bad weather makes the roads bad to see. They come upon "Capital City TOPLESS Restaurant" but the "LE" is burned out and the sign reads "TOP__SS" which Joyce mistakes for "tacos".
