Take Care (2014)

Take Care is special because it finds real romance and real comedy in an unglamorous place: the awkward, vulnerable stretch of life when you can’t do everything yourself and you discover who actually shows up. Liz Tuccillo keeps the tone bright without denying the bruises, letting sharp, funny dialogue and lived-in apartment intimacy do the heavy lifting while Leslie Bibb and Thomas Sadoski make every old wound and lingering warmth feel honest rather than manufactured. It’s a small-scale, character-driven crowd-pleaser that sneaks up on you with its originality, using a caretaking arrangement to gently prod at pride, friendship, and unfinished love. If you’re looking for big romantic fireworks or broad comedy, it may feel modest—but if you like smart performances and charm that comes from recognizable human behavior, it’s easy to fall for.

Take Care is clearly aiming for a bittersweet, grown-up rom-com about what you’re really owed in relationships when the caretaking roles reverse, and it has a relatable hook in Frannie being stranded while everyone else is “too busy.” The problem is it often feels like a thin premise stretched across an apartment-bound setup, with scenes that can play stagey and a script that reaches for humor that lands awkwardly more than sharply. If you’re allergic to self-absorbed characters and emotional beats that feel a bit undercooked, this will test your patience. Still, Leslie Bibb and Thomas Sadoski bring enough warmth to make parts of it watchable if you’re in the mood for a small, talky, low-stakes recovery-and-relationship story rather than a truly satisfying comedy or romance.