Genres

Visitors Review

dave-estep 2012-05-17 17:40:43

Great independent movie exploring family and life's relationships

I attended the opening of the film for the public in Fairfax, VA. Thisfilm is an especially good movie if you're looking for characters ofdepth and a good story. I was impressed with the development of thecharacters, the level and quality of the acting and the overallproduction value for an independent effort with a limited budget. Thescript and story line were well developed, had rich content. Theyespecially ring true to those that have undergone, or are undergoing,changes in their family relationships as parents grow older andchildren become adults.Set in any town America, during the Thanksgiving holiday, it is atouching story, with a poignant ending. But it is also liberallysprinkled with slightly off-beat and light hearted humor. A very goodeffort by the fledgling Cavalier films, and I hope to see more films ofsimilar quality from this promising enterprise in the future.

FilmLabRat 2012-05-17 10:22:39

excellent real-life film

This film masterfully avoids the Hollywood glitz and hype (andmessage-drivenness of late) by following the antics of a slightlydysfunctional but not ridiculous American family. (no 'RoyalTenenbaums' here) The scenes are 'everyday' and easy to relate to whilecarrying meaning, engaging and moving the audience forward. The "everyman" sense you get from the father especially and the"everytown" feeling you get from their small town really connect withalmost anyone from a "real" family with generic problems. Good script and casting.... love the "D-ball" town rivalry andsimplicity of relationships - in all their evolving glory. Theawkwardness and sports-talk speaks volumes of truth about the divideyet understandings between generations. I can't believe this was produced on a low-budget. Really a breath offresh air, this year. See and support this film! I hope we can see moreof these produced.

2012-05-06 07:49:30

Over rated

This review is from: Familiar Strangers (DVD) The storyline was weak and the jokes only somewhat funny. I could have spent my time better by watching something else.

2012-05-05 20:45:59

Fun Film!

I saw this film with no expectations one evening with my boyfriend andwe were both pleasantly surprised. The story is eerily familiar as thecharacters are not-such-strangers since they can remind you of your ownacquaintances...a fun yet frightening realization. My one criticismwould be that there seems to be some parts that lack soundtrack orbackground noises. Maybe this was a creative decision to force us tofocus on the uncomfortable moments? This movie is a fantastic portrayal of the beauty in familydysfunction. Witty and sometimes painful, this film has you falling inlove with its characters before you even realize it. A great movie witha great message! I definitely recommend watching this fun film!

Jason Heck 2012-04-29 01:09:16

Familiar is right.

David Daughtry 2012-04-28 14:14:01

Well done!

This could have been a boring also ran, but what it is is an insightful, moving journey with a family you will care about. It creeps up by allowing the viewer to get to know the characters casually. And these characters have depth. They become real friends who you care about and feel for.Once you are in, you follow their story almost as if you are in the family, laughing and cryng along with them as they do what families do. I will see this again as I sense there is even more under the surface. This is a very worthy film.

Andrea Woodard 2012-04-28 06:29:59

Great film!

This movie is a fantastic portrayal of the beauty in family dysfunction. Witty and sometimes painful, this film has you falling in love with its characters before you even realize it. A great movie with a great message! I definitly recommend watching this fun film!

Tina C 2012-04-27 17:34:12

Great "Date Night" movie -- Highly Recommended

Familiar Strangers is a wonderful indy film, which has yet to find a distributor so is currently only being shown at film festivals and a few local theatres. This is unfortunate, because it is an outstanding story and well crafted film. In a light-hearted satirical way, the film focuses on an everyday family, their dysfunctional interactions and how they relate to one another. Despite being related and a surprising close family, they seem not to know each others true selves… explaining the title “Familiar Strangers”.This film is a great date night flick…far superior to indy hits such as Juno and Little Miss Sunshine, and has equally witty dialog. Those who enjoyed the Squid And The Whale will also enjoy this film—has similar pacing while being a more light hearted look at family dynamics. I especially enjoyed the performances of the actors who played Maddy and Kenneth, but all the performances are excellent. The scene in the family hardware store is especially powerful… says it all without saying anything at all. Kudos to Barry Sisson for this wonderful addition to the world of film.

mlmmf 2012-04-26 12:32:57

Sophomoric script, formulaic film

From the opening scene, this movie slaps you upside yo' face with itsinanity. "OMFG!", you will be thinking, if you find yourself in theunfortunate circumstance of seeing this movie in a theatre, with thesinking feeling that you are doomed to an hour-and-a-half more of thisformulaic crap. Yes, it really is going to be that bad. Don't kidyourself - it doesn't get better. And guess what, the shallow attemptsof the screenwriter and director to manipulate you emotionally (yes,they even wheel out the horribly sad death of the beloved family goldenretriever to cue up the Kleenex) will leave you feeling oh so resentfuland angry. Fortunately, most of you won't even have to worry aboutseeing this shlockfest; it's limited release (I'm guessing, I meanright?) means that only those of us in the good ol' rolling hills ofVirginia have to put up with this crap. Trust me, unless your thewriter's mama, don't waste your f-ing time or money.

grayson-connie 2012-04-26 00:44:12

A different kind of film

Why different? It is harrd to say. It is quiet in its approach andgives you time to enter the world of the characters. it gives you timeto know them, and to figure out their motivations without caterring tothe lowest common denominator. By the end, I was loving this film andwishing there were more like it.It seems that the story was real in every way. There weren't manypeople in the theater when I was there but I heard great comments fromothers when we left.The acting was great, especially the dad and mom. I laughed and criedand was glad I came. Will definitely recommend.

2012-04-21 01:34:47

Indie Gold

A well-conceived, welcomed entry into a familiar indie category--the saga of the return home (or the place one grew up). There is the hilariously sarcastic twenty-something brother still at home with mom and dad and there is the single-parent sister rather daunted by the task of raising her daughter. Nice performances all-around-especially the father's role...Overall a warm and funny evocation of small-town life as well as quietly compelling drama of family dynamics that will seem all too familiar to many.

djsailor 2012-04-20 17:01:11

A movie about people you love not special effects

My wife said we should go see this film when it was being shown at alocal film festival. I did not know what I going to see or to expect. Ithought it was going to be a 15-minute short amateur effort. What I sawwas one of the most enjoyable movies I've seen in years. A story abouta family (emphasis on story and family) and not a big budget film wherethe special effects were the best thing in the film. It is a film thattells in a light hearted way the story of a disjointed family. As inany family, dysfunctional seems to be normality. In truth, the familymembers do not know the 'real person' in each other, hence the title,"Familiar Strangers." The story is set in a small rural Virginia townthat fills in for anywhere, USA because the characters will seem, well,like some of our own close neighbors or family members.Georgia Mae Lively's performance as Maddy tells me that we will beseeing her in more films in the future. Each character was wonderfullyacted and believable. The level of acting made each character seem realand brings you into the film. This is what a movie is supposed to do.Suspend reality and emotionally pull you into the characters' lives.The story has twists and turns that keep you hanging on to each line toensure you don't miss anything.In today's whiz-bang world, I found the pace to be a bit slow, which iswhy I gave this film only a 9 of 10 stars. I do want to get a copy ofthis movie on DVD so I can watch it again and see if I missed somenuance. The only sad part is that this movie has not yet found adistributor and is only being shown at small film events. I hope itdoes so I can tell my friends and family a nice way to spend time withsomeone you love.

Frank Swietek 2012-04-19 12:29:46

Though admirably modest and understated...it has a lot to be modest about.

Maggie 2012-04-19 00:53:59

A warm and human movie!!

Great photografy, well cupture the "family" problems, no "chips" effects. We all find ourselves in many aspects. Keep making movies that warm your heart and make you think.

David Ferguson 2012-04-17 21:05:50

Happy Meal on Steroids, No Toy

Greetings again from the darkness. Small indie movie that tries tocapture the frustration, pain and struggles we each face in the slowevolution of role within an aging family. While not at the level of"Junebug", it does deliver some excellent moments, situations anddialogue.I first noticed Shawn Hatosy in the underrated "Outside Providence" andhave enjoyed his work in "The Cooler" and "Nobel Son". His desire tore-connect with a Dad, who is crushed that his son chose to move to thecity rather than run the family hardware store, is realistic and wellplayed. Tom Brewer is excellent as the distant dad, even though he is adead ringer of Billy Bob Thornton in "Swing Blade". Quirky DJ Quallsdelivers the zingers and quips in fine fashion, Anna Paquin lookalikeCameron Richardson plays the bitter, recently divorced sister who justcan't get it together. The mom (Ann Dowd) continues to do what she hasalways done ... act as the protector for her family, shielding themfrom bad news (such as the death of a relative!).This typically dysfunctional family does manage to re-connect over agame of donkey ball at the annual fair. That's quite an event. Stilldespite the solid nature of John Bell's script, I constantly had thefeeling that I was watching an amateur film. This was mostly due to thechoppiness of Zachary Adler's direction. The numerous close-upsactually reduced the intimacy of many moments in the film. Worthseeing, but not at the level of "Juno" or "Little Miss Sunshine" as itis being advertised.

Jolie Huffman 2012-04-17 04:31:29

A "Must See" kinda movie

This is one of the most enjoyable movies I have seen in awhile. Finally, a movie worth paying $9+ to see in the theater. I found myself laughing outloud and seriously comparing this fictional family to mine. I have recommended it to all of my friends.

David Nusair 2012-04-11 21:48:46

Subdued yet entertaining...

flmgrl100 2012-04-11 03:40:08

Lovely Film

Familiar Strangters is a very enjoyable journey through the heart of afamily. Nothing is really wrong here, but the characters fight theirdemons as we all do, and that is what is so cool about this movie.I loved the integration of the dogs into the family. This is so real!When animals are incorporated into a family, they become a part of thepain and the pleasure, and often become tools for use in the chemistry.All of the actors were great, which I guess says there was greatdirecting involved. The story was spare with no unnecessary flamboyanceor distraction. No cheap laughs, just earned giggles that sneak up onyou. It was over way before I wanted to leave, which I guess makes itperfect. And, my boyfriend even liked it.I left this film feeling good. Like others who have commented, I toowas reminded of Juno and Little Miss Sunshine, but this one is a wholelot more real. I loved them, and I love this!

KVolchok 2012-04-05 01:08:06

Some potential but didn't deliver.

Familiar Strangers tells the story of the Worthington's family. Brian (Shawn Hatosy) is the older brother who left a long time ago to pursuehis dreams and ambitions. He ended up writing a technical book butfeels like he hasn't archived much.When he returns home, he tries tore-connect with his family but his father Frank (Tom Bower ) is stillangry at him for leaving and not helping with the family business, hisbrother Kenny (DJ Qualls) refuses to grow up,his sister Erin (CameronRichardson) is falling to pieces after a failed marriage and his motherDottie (Ann Dowd) is trying to keep the family together. On top ofthis,Frank seems to have replaced his estranged son with a dog. TheWorthington's manage to re-connect over a game of donkey ball and Briantries to help his family as much as he can before he leavesagain.Familiar Strangers seemed to have all the right ingredients butdidn't really worked. This small indie tries to capture the everydaylife and the family dynamics but due to some awkward dialog and baddirection it falls flat.The script is not very solid and the narrativeseems to disperse every now and then. Also Shawn Hatosy character lackscharisma and personality which makes hard to relate to him. Goodperformance by Tom Bower as Frank,the patriarch though. In conclusion,a weak and poorly directed film that had some potential but didn'tdeliver.6/10

Pete Vonder Haar 2012-04-04 10:38:55

One assumes writer John Bell isn't plagued with a family full of neurotics like, say, Noah Baumbach, so while his movie manages to rise above cliche, it doesn't have very far to go beyond that.