Genres

Visitors Review

2012-05-25 15:07:51

Excruciating

Politically correct, cliche-ridden claptrap. I'm surprised they didn't have a Muslim housekeeper in a burka-For such an enlightened group, their intolerance was their most outstanding characteristic.

Brent Trafton 2012-05-25 12:03:34

This is Not "Meet the Parents"

"The Family Stone" is not quite the comic romp the advertisements claimit is. It is actually 1/3 comedy and 2/3 drama and it works equallywell in both genres.I went into the film thinking it was going to be just like "Meet theParents" but instead it was a much deeper, darker, and ultimately moresatisfying movie.Sarah Jessica Parker does a tightrope walk in her portrayal of anunlikable person who is nonetheless, sympathetic. Rather than dislikeher for her foibles, we feel sorry for her.Rachel McAdams makes every film she is in a better film. Her characteris also unlikable because she is so mean, but we are sympathetictowards her because she is defending her family.This film is ultimately about maintaining family values and theimportance of having a close knit family and having tolerance for otherpeople's quirks, traditions, and lifestyles. The film conveys it'smessage in an entertaining way and never seems preachy. It does getsentimental towards the end, but it's a Christmas film, so it's whatyou would expect.This is a good Christmas film. Just don't go into it thinking it'sgoing to be a light comedy.

Robin 2012-05-16 17:01:39

Save your money.

This movie thinks it is savvier than it is. Wishes it could be as sincerely disfunctional and smug as The Royal Tenebaums, while still moving us to near-tears. It failed. Apart from Sarah Jessica Parker's yummy posh-chica wardrobe, there is no reason to spend your hard earned pesos at the theater or later at the video store. (If you are dying for an excuse to get away from your family for a few hours, watch Potter, Narnia, or throw back a few at the bar like the rest of us!) And kudos to Hollywood for once again reminding us that the answer to every problem is to abandon your partner for the first person with shiny, Pantene hair to step off the bus at the steps of the quaint college in your picture perfect New England hometown. Que schlock!

2012-05-16 00:02:06

My New Christmas Classic

I simply LOVE this movie. I have an area of my DVD collection that is dedicated to Christmas stories I love and this one is always the first one I pull out. As a member of a strongly disfunctional family, I can definately relate to the differing scenarios and all the humor that results. It might not be funny at the time, but the humor survives in stories told year after year. There are scenes that will make you cry, as well as scenes that will make you laugh until you are sore! The spilt "strada" and ensuing antics are not to be missed. If you want a movie that reminds you of the bitter and the sweet of family life and especially Christmas, this is a sure bet!

lilredmini 2012-05-11 05:58:14

A little too dark for my taste

I was looking for a Happy Holiday movie to see right before Christmas.From the trailers, that is what i thought I was going to see. But I wassoo wrong. My husband and I left the movie very sad.I thought for a family that was so accepting of a gay son, they wouldhave been more willing to accept their son's choice of a girl friendand be more welcoming in their home. I felt really bad for thecharacter. The funny parts were drowned out by the sad and meanbehaviors of other characters.There were just too many issues in this movie to make it entertaining.While I disliked the plot line I thought the acting in this movie wasgood.If you are determined to see a Christmas movie, go rent The Grinch! Itis cheerier

sarah-hopkins6 2012-05-10 13:01:11

The Family Stone - Love it!

This a great warm fuzzy Christmas family story that you can watch anytime of year and still get the warm fuzzy feeling. Dermot is, as usualgorgeous, the increasing popular casting of Rachel McAdams and DianeKeaton (see Morning Glory) and I am sure they've been in something elsetogether - but anyway a very convincing mother and daughter! Just lovelove love it - always watch the repeats - should buy on DVD really. Andas for pairing off of the Jessica-Parker and Wilson - never expectedthat at the start of the movie but what a great twist!Love the scene when she is cooking Christmas breakfast eggs and theyend up all over her and the girls slipping over it in the kitchen -great funny scene!Anyway it's a must watch for all funny light-hearted film watchers wholove complex families and love stories!

2012-05-06 20:03:08

Better than the average genre entry

This review is from: The Family Stone (Widescreen Edition) (DVD) This sort of movie has been done to death, one would think - look at names that are listed in preceding reviews - and while Family Stone fails to provide an earthshattering new insight into the set piece, I think it's a cut above average.For one thing, the family itself is only slightly disfunctional in its relationships among one another, a distinct relief. For example, the gay son is loved and accepted, as is his partner. There are hints that the mother may have been too clinging but, all in all, the now-adult children of Mr. and Mrs. Stone, magnificently portrayed by Diane Keaton, seem to be handling their lives with aplomb and success.The Family Stone rolls out its disfunction when a newcomer attempts to join the family. The catalyst for this family gathering is Christmas, probably the worst of holidays for families in general because Chritmas is also the annual festival of dashed expectations, at first material and quickly psychological. A scene late in the movie, when Parker's character distributes presents, demonstrates this motif beautifully.Our first hint that things will go badly is a scene where some members of the family mock the inniment-fiancee of the eldest son before she has even arrived with the son for a first-time visit. Then you notice that the husband of the only other child (of five) who is married has delayed his arrival until Christmas Day. Hmmmm...what does he know?And badly things do go, usually in an over-the-top and frantic way saved only by the extraordinary acting skill and comfortable (or appropriately uncomfortable) ensemble work of the excellent cast (besides Keaton, there's Craig T. Nelson, Dermot Mulroney, Luke Wilson, Rachel McAdams, and Sarah Jessica Parker). These people take nastiness to new heights and I believe if all of us hadn't been through something similar at some point in our lives we'd insist it was unrealistic. C'mon...think a little harder, about what happened when Aunt Sally got tipsy last Thanksgiving and decided to tell your Dad what it was like being the younger, "dumber" one, all those years ago?Parker also is particularly good, portraying a buttoned-down (but fashionable) Wall-Street yuppie, at least 150-degrees different from her flighty role and Sex and the City. I enjoyed Family Stone more than I expected to, and it made me think about how families work (and don't work), too. A few of the plot endings at the end really do push credibility too far, but everything is not wrapped up in a ball of cotton candy, just like real life.

TrudyStagnant 2012-05-06 08:43:14

A classic

I found this movie to be the most true-to-form anaylsis of a complexAmerican family with a brilliant quirkiness. In my experience, this iswhat a 4+ family deals out and deals with when a prospective interloperis introduced during the most personal of holiday times. Luke Wilson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Craig T Nelson, Dianne Weist, RachelMcAdams and the ENTIRE cast really throw out a complete ensembleperformance. Much like watching an accident in slow motion, you can seethe subtle nuances of what could or should come next. The priceless scene where Luke Wilsons' character explains in a localbar how the painfully repressed SJ Parkers needs to fly her 'freakflag' is a precious moment in cinematic history.In the end, this movie plays incredibly well after the first viewingsimply because of the stellar performances. In any other era, thiswould make superstars out of the cast. I have to recommend this one just based on the smart script and theensemble of fun actors performing like a meticulously staged play.

RonG 2012-05-06 07:22:31

Save Your Popcorn Bucket

Don't toss that empty popcorn bucket, you may need it if you stay to watch the entire lame holiday? movie, The Family Stone. I know suspending belief is sometimes necessary during a movie, but this garbage of a show had me wanting to leave in the first 20 minutes.Bowing to diversity, this movie had every minority represented except the adopted Spanish speaking sibling who never learned English so he had to marry a translator who just happened to be a quadriplegic.It was never clear to me why a family would so dislike a newly introduced girlfriend when this was for the most part the FIRST TIME THEY MET HER! Diane Keaton dies in this movie and all I could think was Thank God she won't be acting again.Craig T. Nelson has been going South since Poltergeist and should seriously consider INFOMERCIALS. And Sarah, after the success of Sex and the City, did you really think this was a good script?I have never been inspired to write a movie review before, but if this was entertainment, I can probably work for the New York Times. Merry Pass the Nemesis Bowl Christmas...Grady

2012-05-05 19:59:19

Okay, so they were the Stones, not Waltons . . .

Sorry, all you nit-picky people. I liked it!I notice most of the criticism seems related to the attitudes of the Stone family toward Sarah Jessica Parker's character, Meridith. Get over it, not all families are duplicates of the Waltons! Few, in fact. If you don't think there are families just as--shall we say, "mean"--as a couple of the Stones, get real. Wish you could meet my mother-in-law and sister-in law!For me the weakest character was Keaton's Sybil. She didn't look sick, but okay, I guess I can buy that. What I couldn't buy was that her clothing was soooo Diane Keaton. Like she's in bed, right? In jammies, one presumes? Yet the collar and cuffs on the p.j. top were starched stiff enough to slice slice cheese. It just looked so Keaton and not comfortable. And a couple of things her character said, such as when she had given her son the ring Christmas morning and they were about to have a heart to heart. The dad, Kelly, comes in and she indicates he should leave them alone. Yet before he can so much as turn around she hits him again suggesting he should leave when the poor guy hasn't yet had time to turn around.As for the dinner table scene when Meridith appears to have trouble expressing her views--seemed to me she expressed them very well--it was Keaton's character, Sybil, who came off as irrational. Who, indeed, would WISH homosexuality on their children considering prevailing attitudes in our society? However, it gets big points with me for showing the deaf son and his male partner in such a positive loving relationship, even looking forward to adopting a child.But how can anybody not LOVE the scenes toward the end where Meridith thinks she has slept with Everett's brother, confessing as much, and then is soon covered with egg goop when she is accidently bumped from behind while balancing two large pans on their way to the oven? And better yet, the chase/fight scene between the two grown brothers around the dining room table, through the living room and into the kitchen. It was like a couple of ten-year olds and such fun. So yeah, I liked it a lot. Lighten up, gang.

2012-05-05 04:48:26

Could have been FUNNIER

Gimme that screenplay, I could have made it a lot more funnier, and i hate when they try to mix drama within a comedy movie. Diane Keaton gave a very good but predictable performance. Sarah Jessica Parker too bad they cancelled Sex and the City have not seen you in anything worth watching since. Not a typical holiday flick.

2012-05-04 17:20:02

Drama, not a comedy, but a good family drama!

I think that the largest misconception about this movie has been that it would be a comedy, that every scene would be funny, witty, or action packed. While there are numerous very funny moments, THE FAMILY STONE is much more of a thoughtful family drama. THE FAMILY STONE is about a loving, intelligent, emotional family, and their reluctance in permitting the oldest son to give the coveted family diamond ring -- The FAMILY Stone -- to the annoying, uptight, judgmental nutcase who he wishes to marry. The family's response to his chosen bride is emotional and understandable. The merits or originality of the plot andf writing aside, I was impressed and I enjoyed the characters and the plot. I am glad I didn't let other reviews dissuade me from renting THE FAMILY STONE. I though that Meredith Morton, the crazy bride to be played by Sarah Jessica Parker, was very interesting and complex, and even when she was being an uptiight judgmental witch, I felt for her.

aforest 2012-04-30 17:09:24

like watching a gang of bullies tear a little girl apart

There were so many things about this movie that were done extremelypoorly. But so are many other movies, so on that issue alone, I wouldhave given it 5 or so.What seriously offended me was the meanness. It truly was like watchinga shy little girl with no social skills being bullied by a gang ofself-righteous, immature kids, while supposedly her friends betrayingher (I mean her fiancé and her own sister - i.e. worst sister in thewhole world!).I have no idea what kind of message writers were trying to send outwith such a story filled with malice. I'd let my children watch SinCity before I'd let them watch this film! (OK, just in case some peoplehave no sense of humor, I do not let my kids watch Sin City) It shouldnever be OK to treat people like that. Never.And Rachel McAdams played the mean girl way too well, now every time Itry to picture her face, she is sneering. This film totally ruined herfor me.

Ruby Liang 2012-04-30 00:06:09

There is life after "SATC" - Sarah Jessica Parker is alive and well in heart-warming romantic comedy land

I thoroughly enjoyed w-d Thomas Bezucha's "The Family Stone" 2005.Awesome ensemble cast and a funny, entertaining script - not withoutemotional substantial drama. Bezucha is able to, as in "Big Eden" 2000,juggle a good mix of lovable characters and caring storyline with dosesof unsuspecting delight. The movie may be at times 'offbeat' (dependingon one's viewpoint), yet savory, somehow, at the end of it all. (I likethis film much more than "Rumor Has It" - another year-end releaseboasts of a stellar cast with a flimsy plot).The ensemble cast includes steady performance from Diane Keaton asSybil Stone the 'matriarch' of the family, lively Rachel McAdams as Amythe riotous younger sister to Dermot Mulroney's Everett, who broughthome for the holidays fiancée Sarah Jessica Parker's Meredith. There'salso Craig T Nelson as the supportive father/pillar of the family,Claire Danes as Meredith's sister Julie supposedly to the rescue, andLuke Wilson as the 'offbeat' brother who has more than an eye onMeredith. Well, the role of Meredith befits Parker to a tee - thenervous energy, the compulsive-obsessive constant state - Parker wentto town with it and hesitated not to make a complete fool of herself onscreen. She was generous in making fun of herself. The film does remindone of "The Royal Tenenbaums" 2001, but Bezucha's story is more down toearth and tangible, celebrating family and holiday traditions with somuch heart.The recent "Failure to Launch" 2006 playing opposite MatthewMcConaughey sure proves that Parker is alive and well after "SATC" andhas a flair for comedy without limit. I recall what an absolutespirited one she was in Steve Martin's "L.A. Story" 1991. (Ah, Martin2005 - his "Shopgirl" novelette became a wonderful showcase of ClaireDanes' talent - a blossoming role for her to be the center of attentionthroughout that film.)

Mooball 2012-04-25 16:40:51

Insipid Garbage

This movie was another stereotypical Hollywood shocker with totallypredictable plot. I cringed so many times in this movie and felt theentire movie was a disappointment. I especially disliked the way the movie moved between being a seriousfamily tale and a substandard comedy. What does it want to be? Perhapsit's "Meet the Parents" with a splash of "Smith Family Robinson".Whatever the case, the comedy was abysmal and the serious parts totallyout of context.And please, no more tripping gags. It isn't funny when someone tripsover. It's irrelevant.Worst movie in a while for me. Not recommended.

emnizzle_18 2012-04-25 09:56:59

I kinda want my money back...

Okay so, there's a gay deaf brother with a black boyfriend, a dad whosmokes pot with his middle aged son, a mother with breast cancer,another son with an annoying fiancé (I don't like Sarah Jessica Parker-this role certainly doesn't help her at all), and a daughter whodoesn't do much of anything and they all get together for Christmas.This is supposed to be funny? All they needed was an abortion story andthey would practically have an ad for Democrats.I have no problem with a liberal philosophy, but the way the issueswere addressed in this movie was just rather irritating and awkward.The premise of the movie being a comedy seemed like just an excuse totry to draw some more people into the theaters. The romance was alsoextremely thin and I didn't really care about it (also exceedinglypredictable).The flimsy excuse for a plot causes the movie to drag from one awkwardsituation to another with nothing to really captivate a viewer (exceptMcAdams who, as always, does a great job with what she has). The filmseems like an excuse to try to push the envelope with issues, but theissues are presented in such a way that seems like "think liberal, oryou hate everyone." This disengaged me from the movie, and I wasthankful for the ending credits.

fabioso_007 2012-04-25 10:35:42

boring

I'm sorry but this was a waste of time. 2 hours lost in my life. slowpaced movie with no real action or intrigue. predictable in any aspectof it. Only good point is that Claire Danes looks amazing and so doesRachel McAdams and Sarah Jessica Parker is acting her role wonderfully.I feel like this idea has been overexploited, read the outline on IMDband a smart person can figure out the rest by themselves. 1hour and 45minutes than should have been maximum 50 minutes. The movie has a lotof length.i mean my girlfriend liked it and i think it fits the chickflick 'requirements' of any boring movie with an happy ending. in theend...don't waste your time on this movie read any good extendedsummary and you should be fine.

2012-04-24 19:49:54

Keaton and Others Shine Even Though the Predictable Plot Turns Divert Any Genuine Interest

Writer-director Thomas Bezucha has assembled such a strong, surprisingly compatible ensemble cast that you root for him to produce a holiday classic blending family comedy hi-jinks and soap opera pathos. However, his mixed bag screenplay does not quite hit its marks, especially the predictable fish-out-of-water set-up that dominates the first half of the film. Set mainly in a wintry New England household right out of a Hallmark Christmas card, the story revolves around the Stone family's holiday preparations, which focuses on the arrival of oldest son Everett who is bringing his intended fiancee Meredith with him.The decidedly raffish Stones are a close-knit, exclusionary clan who have an immediate discomfort with the tightly wound Meredith, an obsessed prig of an overachiever who does not like to be touched or cajoled into situations where she doesn't have full control. Everett's need to look and act perfect is the reason why he is drawn to her, but the family sees an obvious mismatch, especially the salty, take-no-prisoners matriarch Sybil. Everett's snappish sister Amy already hates Meredith from a previous encounter, but laid-back brother Ben is oddly sympathetic to Meredith's outsider status. Meredith seeks emotional reinforcement by begging her sister Julie to come join her. There is also Everett's pregnant sister Susannah with young daughter in tow, as well as Thad, the ebullient youngest son who happens to be deaf, gay and trying to adopt a child with partner Patrick.That's quite a few characters to track over the course of a 102-minute movie, and one of the main challenges for me is to feel engaged enough with their individual dilemmas. For a holiday film, I do like how the Stones are portrayed not as pretentiously convivial but more as a dynamic, temperamental family unit. Bezucha provides one surprisingly powerful dinner table scene where Meredith makes an unfortunate comment about Thad that she fruitlessly tries to justify to an increasingly enraged Sybil. This oddly insular 2005 film could have used more scenes with the emotional honesty of that exchange, but it unfortunately defaults to well worn comedy elements to ensure the viewer is not put off. Even the poignant ending feels slightly disingenuous for the stacked-deck approach to the inevitable fate of one of the key characters.The acting is mainly solid, though in a few cases, quite predictable, and in one case, affecting to the point of transcendent. As Meredith, Sarah Jessica Parker seems to overplay her unlikable role toward stereotype. Besides, her straight-laced character's transformation is just a little too jarring to be believable, as she first channels Miranda and then shifts to Carrie in a flash. Dermot Mulroney seems to be stuck in a rom-com rut playing the handsome leading man yet again, though as Everett, he does manage a few moments that delve more than skin-deep toward the end of the film.As comic foil Ben, Luke Wilson seems to be doing a parody of his brother Owen. Back in "Mean Girls" mode, Rachel McAdams makes a vivid impression as the vitriolic Amy, while Claire Danes, despite an introductory pratfall of no consequence, is called on to be either supportive or smitten as Julie. It's good to see Craig T. Nelson again (even though we certainly heard him in "The Incredibles") as he plays family patriarch Kelly with sympathetic aplomb, but it is the redoubtable Diane Keaton who makes her moments count in likely her best dramatic part since "Marvin's Room". In what could have been a stoically masochistic role, she provides sharp bite and torrents of mother love with honest fervor.The DVD has a surprisingly robust set of features starting with two commentary tracks - a spotty, anecdotal one by Parker and Mulroney, and the other a somewhat more informative one by Bezucha, producer Michael London, editor Jeffrey Ford, and production designer Jane Ann Stewart. There are also three featurettes - two brief Fox Movie Channel specials focused on the casting and the movie's premiere, a Q&A session with much of the cast, a rather dull gag reel and relatively worthless deleted scenes. There is even a recipe for Meredith's wholly unappetizing strata included.

secretlysmiling 2012-04-23 16:35:59

I need closure.

The cast was amazing. I did enjoy the move in that respect. I didn'thate it, but I didn't love it either. That is why I gave it a 5. It wasjust different I guess. At the end I just felt like there should besomething more. There seemed to be a lot of unfinished story lines orjust aspects of the movie that could have been more or less part of themovie. I wanted to smack Everett. I know you can't help who you fall inlove with, but your girlfriend's sister? He had every intention ofasking Meredith to marry him until Julie showed up. It was definitelymore realistic than fantasy, like most romantic comedy type movies.However, I didn't feel a sense of happiness or closure at the end.

Zachary Barksdale 2012-04-23 02:19:55

America IS big enough to deal with 'real' issues!

The movie speaks, and what is has to say is that we Americans are proud of who we are: we have problems...as big as the world...and we ARE big enough to deal with them face to face when those faces are the ones who hurt the most--those of ourselves and of those we love. In the end, we overcome prejudices and embrace diversity, we deal with and accept reality, and we hold it together...because we're a family. An "A" for America--this one has earned it!