There’s a mantra throughout Bookends about slowing down. Nate, a writer played by the film’s screenwriter Noam Ash, is moving so fast he can’t finish his book. The discovery of his boyfriend having an affair has prompted him to leave immediately, despite having few people to turn to for food and housing. His last resort is to room with his grandparents, Saul (F. Murray Abraham) and Miriam (Caroline Aaron), away from the city. The change in scenery and hearing more from his Jewish elders might be just what he needs to whip up that book he’s been struggling to finish.

This is a story that almost feels at war with itself, trying to pull back from being comfort food, too sweet to be believable. The good news is that it mostly wins thanks to strong performances that feel more genuine than cartoonish. I thought for sure Nate’s quirks as a fish out of water would grow tedious with his Green Acres routine of asking where the nearest Starbucks was. Thankfully, he becomes more enduring in the many conversations he has with his grandfather, which F. Murray Abraham plays with genuine heart and understanding. There’s a connection they maintain their fluency in German, but also a somber chasm that grows as Saul’s memories start to go. I also appreciated how much of a competent fire Miriam lights under Nate’s butt by giving him deadlines and being sufficiently critical of his storytelling. She becomes more of an astute force in his improvement rather than being a standardly comical meddler in his affairs.

Watching the film felt as though it was building a more believable acceptance of impertinence than stewing in comfort. This is most evident with the new romance Nate forms with the handsome Doctor Daniel Green (Charlie Barnett). They hit off fairly quick and this doesn’t go unnoticed by Saul and Miriam, even amid their insistence on Jewish traditions. The grandparents show more concern for how a relationship so speedy can’t work, even with the cute chemistry between the two. The slowing down becomes more important as Saul’s ailing health won’t give him much time to appreciate life, and as Nate’s inevitable success approaches in his 30s. The transformation from a simple slice of sweet detour with elders to an earnestly somber realization of life’s momentum is jarring at times, sometimes delivered in dialogue so direct it might as well be a series of PSAs. But the likable cast and a preference for more realistic characters and relationships do have an enduring presence that slowly grounds the dramedy, treading close to the Hallmark movie format but thankfully never taking the off-ramp.

Bookends works well enough as a heartfelt story of family and romance that is more honest than shmaltzy. There’s a frankness that doesn’t come off deadpan and frustrations that are never reduced to quirks. The characters grew on me to the point that Nate’s ho-hum uncertainty and Saul’s eroding wisdom never felt forced. The thoughtful nature in this picture makes slowing down to smell the roses more meaningful, while still stressing that you should probably write some pages today if you want to be a writer.