You need a charismatic lead for this. Though not to take anything away from all the other actors in this, who also do an incredible job. But the neurotic and cynic filled lead is just greatly portrayed by Woody Harrelson. This movie obviously isn't for everybody, no matter if the quality of it is undeniable. And it doesn't have to be, tastes are different.

So don't judge those who like or hate this. There is merit to both depending on what you like in movies or in life in general. So try to be open minded, you don't have to be friends with the character, you don't have to agree with his lifestyle or his choices. But you can have empathy for him and his quest for something in life. And the quirky way it is portrayed ...

Wilson (Woody Harrelson) is a cynical crank. His only two 'friends' are moving to St. Louis. He leaves his dog with Shelly (Judy Greer) to visit his father dying from cancer. He tracks down estranged ex-wife Pippi (Laura Dern) and discovers that she didn't have the abortion 17 years earlier. He finds their daughter Claire (Isabella Amara) given up for adoption.

Harrelson is good although the movie doesn't get good until he finds Pippi. It would be better to get there faster. Once they connect with Claire, the movie is funnier with greater stakes. The trio is fun but then the movie keeps jumping ahead and ahead. It would be more compelling to let the trio deal with their issues but the plot drifts away from that. The further away it goes, the less compelling it is. However, it does always have an interesting character study underneath everything and it does allow the characters to deal with their issues.

This is a story about how Woody Harrelson is a jerk, but everyone else is too, and they punch him. This is supposed to elicit sympathy from the audience. When his father dies, he reaches out to ex-wife Laura Dern, because hey, you know, sympathy sex. He discovers that when she had left him, had an abortion and gone into a drug-fueled spiral, she hadn't had an abortion, but had given out the kid for adoption. They track her down, stalk her a bit in a non-threatening manner, and deal with people being jerks and punching Woody Harrelson. Eventually, Dern moves to Australia, Harrelson shacks up with a young, beautiful woman and things turn out well for him, despite the fact that he is still a jerk -- he just doesn't punch anyone. By the standards of this particular Cinematic Universe, this makes him a Good Person Who Deserves All Good Things & Gets Them.

In short, this is a bad movie with good performances. There are quirky individuals and snide commentary about how people are jerks, but nothing changes, and you are left with numerous questions about what is going on. How does Wilson live? Why can he take off to go stalk various relatives without worrying about money? Aren't there any adults anywhere? If it weren't for Harrelson's straightforward, oblivious idiocy, this would be unwatchable.