A New Jersey family Thanksgiving is the setting for this modern comedy of misunderstandings. Lauren Anderson is intent on coming out to her distracted parents before her girlfriend, Hailey—and the extended Anderson family—arrives at her childhood home, but Lauren’s plans are thrown off course when her male roommate, Austin, shows up unexpectedly. When Lauren’s mom and dad start making assumptions, the day spirals comically out of control, in this multi-generational crowd pleaser.

While Lauren agonizes over her thwarted plan, her loving mother, Rose, is frazzled by the stresses of the holiday, her deadbeat brother (Steve Guttenberg in an endearingly bumbling role), and the recent loss of her own father. Lauren’s overprotective, sweet-toothed dad (a scene-stealing Kevin Pollak) has a lot on his hands with his own side of the family, especially his feisty, randy parents (Cloris Leachman and Bruce Dern, both hilarious). And then there’s Austin and Hailey’s historically contentious relationship, Lauren’s not-too-bright brother, and her precocious cousin.

The ensemble cast delivers wall-to-wall funny and heartfelt performances, highlighting writer, director, and star Jenna Laurenzo’s fast-paced and witty dialogue. Laurenzo’s Girl Night Stand, a short film precursor to Lez Bomb, has logged nearly two million views since its debut on After Ellen, and the feature has the distinction of being the first project supported by film and media incubator Big Vision Empty Wallet’s Kickstart Diversity initiative.

— LAURA HENNEMAN