There are a few things that most people avoid discussing at family gatherings. A big one is politics. It’s a topic that can easily divide people, even close families. That’s part of what’s at the heart of a new film opening Wednesday.

In Anniversary, we meet a family that is gathering for a special day. It’s the 25th Anniversary for Ellen (Diane Lane) and Paul Taylor (Kyle Chandler). They are a close family. Ellen is a professor at Georgetown, while Paul runs a restaurant. They’re in love and hosting their family.

Among those attending are their oldest, Anna (Madeline Brewer), a comedian. Their middle daughter, Cynthia (Zoey Deutsch), who arrives with husband Rob (Daryl McCormick) is a lawyer. Youngest daughter, Birdie (McKenna Grace), is a scientist. Meanwhile their son, Josh (Dylan O’Brien), is trying to establish himself as a writer. He’s brought his new girlfriend, Liz (Chloe Dynevor), a writer in her own right and Ellen’s former student.

Liz and Ellen clashes as student and teacher thanks to Liz’s outlandish ideas. Ellen saw them as anti-democratic and made an example of her. She left school as a result. Ellen is none-too-pleased to see Liz back in their lives, threatening to derail everything.

As the family continues to gather for special events and holidays over the next five years, Liz and her ideas take center stage. Her book, The Change, serves as inspiration for millions. And as the country turns in a radical new direction, it puts the Taylor family on opposite sides of a fiery political debate.

This film comes from director Ana Komasa, who co-wrote the script with Lori Rosene-Gambino. It’s an ambitious effort, not only because of the subject but because it takes place over a series of events and a series of years. We see how all the members of this family seeming go through a rollercoaster of emotions and see their lives drastically change.

It’s an interesting idea. It feels something like watching an average middle-class family react to a world becoming something like that in The Handmaid’s Tale. That’s an exciting idea. And this is a strong cast to build on. There are some truly harrowing and engaging moments. Unfortunately, the film can’t really sustain that pace or deliver on these ideas.

Some of the jumping around through time is confusing. It’s also difficult to watch the film implode and not always clear how they’ve spun so far apart. It’s also not clear what brought some of them together in the first place.

It would be tempting to view this as a form of long-term revenge for Liz. That is in fact where I thought we were going for a while. But it doesn’t quite work out to be that straightforward. Instead, it has some good moments and poses some good questions but isn’t ultimately satisfying.

Anniversary opens nationwide on Wednesday, October 29.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.