Esprit de famille

The Family Stone was a mixed bag. It had great acting, laugh out loud scenes, and heart breaking moments, but in the meantime, I felt it didn't know what it wants to be, some of the characters were stereotypes we've seen a hundred times before, and I thought some of things happening were totally unbelievable.

The film tells the story of uptight businesswoman Meredith (Sarah Jessica Parker) who meets the parents of her boyfriend Everett Stone (Dermot Mulroney) for the first time during the Christmas celebrations. From the get go, The Stones don't like Meredith, so she calls her sister Julie (Claire Danes) to come back her up.

The picture didn't know whether it wants to be a slapstick comedy, or a heartfelt drama. One minute we see pratfalls, the next we wee people crying and talking about the freedom of sexual orientation. These fast mood swings really hurt the movie, as it was at its best when it kept the same tone for more than 10 minutes; I was laughing out loud at the Chritmas morning scenes, and I was really touched by the scene between Sybil (Diane Keaton) and Kelly (Craig. T Nelson) in the bed.

The movie had a lot of characters, but unfortunately, only half of these characters were interesting. The best character was Sybil, the loving and strong mother who keeps all the family together. I also liked Everett, the man who wasn't sure of the decision he's going to make. Anyway, there also some stereotypes like Meredith and Amy (Rachel McAdams), the annoying sister who was just there to hurt Meredith. I felt Susannah (Elizabeth Reaser) and her daughter Elizabeth (Savannah Stehlin) were in the picture just to add a cute little girl to the mix. And I think the film could have used more time to give us a better idea of some characters like Julie and Ben (Luke Wison). But it's always a good sign when you wish a film was longer; Frankly, I was entertained throughout the film.

The Family Stone had a great cast, with some actors giving their best performances in a long time, and I'm surprised no one from the cast was nominated for an Academy award. Diane Keaton was terrific as the mother, and her first and last scenes in the movie are truly heartbreaking. And although I'm not a fan of Parker, I thought she pulled of her role quite well. In fact, I think Danes is the only cast member who gave a so-so performance.

So, I'd recommend The Family Stone, but with a cast like this, I can't help but think this film could have been much better.

Having seen the previews on a number of occasions I went to see this film because I was in the mood for a comedy. I guess the preview were all of the funny scenes. However, this turned out to be one of the most touching and sensitive movies I have seen in quite some time. The family stone could be almost anyones family and especially mine. The funny scenes were truly that, funny and very believable, one liners you wish you had said. The acting was first rate, I most enjoyed Diane Keaton and Craig Nelson. The movie moves along well with no dead time and while it is predicable in its storyline with no big surprises it is a very enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours. You get your moneys worth.

This is from someone who has seen FAMILY STONE THREE times!

But BEFORE diving in.....FIRST: Let us FOCUS on the Title's Content and Context:

The Previews of The Family Stone seemed to hold out the promise of a genuinely light and thoroughly amusing comedy, perhaps a bit over-the-top, but focused on the cultural differences between a very liberal family, (giving the impression that the parents were, perhaps, "Hippies" back in the 60's) and a super-conservative and tightly wound woman, engaged to one of their sons.

The problem is that the film showcased in the theatrical trailer plus the marketing campaign launched to promote it, vs. The actual movie you see in the theater have absolutely nothing in common! Unfortunately, previews sole raison d'etre apparently is to get people into the theater. It doesn't seem to matter in the least to these people if the expectation generated by the short is totally out of sync with the experience given by the film.

Thusly, it is easy to understand the plethora of reviewers who were livid with these bait and switch tactics! At its core, Family Stone is much more of a serious film that attempts to underscore the importance of cohesive family life, and how family unity can overcome obstacles that initially seem insurmountable, such as sharing and then getting over the pain of the loss of one of their own.

The cast is remarkable. Sarah Jessica Parker, Luke Wilson, Dermot Mulroney, Claire Danes, Diane Keaton, Rachel McAdams and Craig T. Nelson. Almost all of them renowned actors, who conform a superb ensemble cast. If you enjoy family dramas with a healthy dose of comic relief, Family Stone is far and away better than most films of its kind...

8******** STARS.... ENJOY! / DISFRUTELA!

Any comments, questions or observations, in English o en Español, are most welcome!

Diane Keaton, Craig T. Nelson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Dermot Mulroney, and Luke Wilson star in "The Family Stone," a 2005 holiday movie. Parker plays Meredith, the uptight girlfriend of Everett Stone (Mulroney) who accompanies him home for Christmas. She doesn't fit in with his family which consists of his tell-it-like-it-is mother (Keaton), his deaf gay brother Thad and his lover (Ty Giordano and Brian White), his brat sister who already doesn't like Meredith (Rachel McAdams), his fun brother (Wilson), his pregnant sister (Elizabeth Reaser) and her young daughter waiting for her husband to arrive, and his quiet, accepting father (Nelson).

Meredith gets off on the wrong foot when she feels uncomfortable sharing a room with Everett and displaces Amy from her room. It goes from there, including a game of charades in which Meredith attempts to act out "The Bride Wore Black" and is accused by Amy of pointing to Thad's black lover. In desperation, Meredith moves to a local inn and calls her sister (Clare Danes) to join her for moral support.

This is a sentimental, sometimes funny, predictable film with some good performances. It's a little overdone with the stereotypes -- it could have been effective without hitting us over the head. Diane Keaton is wonderful as a free-spirited mother who worries about Everett's choice of girlfriend and fearful that he's going to marry her. Craig T. Nelson is sympathetic as her husband, trying to keep it all together. Owen Wilson gives a funny performance as the laid-back brother, and Sarah Jessica Parker is appropriately an uptight wreck as Meredith. Dermot Mulroney vacillates between being tense and angry throughout as he deals with his family and Meredith. As the confused, pretty sister, Clare Danes doesn't have much to do but what she does is very good.

Get ready to shed a few tears if you get into this film, which you might not. It's not for everyone, just us saps.

Nevertheless, it's a lovely holiday film that emphasizes the importance of family, of finding out who you are, and of taking a risk.

I admit, I only rented this DVD because I like the Wilson brothers and one of them (Luke) is in it. I don't even remember this film being in the theaters. But I loved it! It was one of the most entertaining movies I've seen in quite awhile. Cinematically, it was nothing impressive, but the writing and the acting was quite good and the end actually made me cry (that's pretty hard to do). It is a rare movie where I can honestly say, everyone in the cast did a great job. And the screenwriters did a great job too. One problem with a lot of Hollywood films, for me at least, is the unbelievability of the characters or the one-sidedness of characters. All of the characters in this film were believable and had good and bad aspects to them. I guess if you are looking for a more fantasy-based storyline, this wouldn't be the film for you. The interactions are all very realistic and it plays out like a realistic holiday that could occur in just about any family. You won't come away from the film learning any great, deep lessons, but you will come away feeling entertained, and wishing that you could keep in touch with the characters to see where their lives take them.