Surviving Family

Surviving Family, is as good as a movie comes for indie productions, I thoroughly enjoyed watching, it was well written, well shot and well acted, a breath of fresh air compared to the Hollywood factory. With actors portraying family members we can all relate to, it draws us into the movie with compelling performances scene after scene. The good reviews it has received so far are purely fair comment on a deserving piece of work. I especially found the actors believable, which is often lacking on low budget films where casting is often an afterthought. Unsurprisingly it has had it's fair share of prizes and awards. If you haven't watched an indie film before then this will be a revelation to see what can be done without big names and even bigger budgets.

About halfway through this film, as we were continuing to unravel the mysteries of Tara, her family, and her past, it occurred to me that the script had to have been written by a woman. Nothing wrong with that, but the men seemed to pop in for a few minutes and then disappear. The father, literally. The brother, most of the time, except for his reappearance at the wedding. An old boyfriend at the bar, her sister's first husband "for about six weeks."

Not sure why Aunt Mary's role had her heading to Atlantic City with the senior citizens, rather than making the wedding, but her disappearance seemed odd as well.

Okay, I get it. Families are hard, esp. when mom is bipolar. Oh, and now the niece is too. Will this same malady be visited on the newborn?

Then there were the actors: easy on the eyes but somehow missing the touch of reality that comes from better acting. The sister in particular looked like her face was pinched. The Say Yes to the Dress scene added very little to the film, and the wedding cake bit didn't provide much either.

The entire film felt like someone had a bipolar member in the family, it hit hard, led to years of therapy, and was turned into a film.

Thumbs down.

This film is a great film from Writer/Producer Mara Lesemann and Director Laura Thies. This film kept my interest from start to finished. It was well written and well filmed almost like it was done by a major studio. I love the story of how Terry found happiness with a new husband even with all the bad things in her life. I am looking forward to seeing more films done by this writer and director. I found out about this movie through another writer/director that referred me to Mara and love having a good friendship with many actors,directors, writers and producers. I strongly feel that films done by independent film companies can be just as good as ones done by major studios. I highly recommend everyone to watch this film. You will love it as much as I do.

Surviving Family paints a realistic view of a dysfunctional family and the resultant baggage each member carries. It demonstrates how children can be affected by tragedies especially when their "whys?" go unanswered and how the consequences of family secrets can distort the truth and affect their relationships as they grow up. Every once in a while a movie challenges you to think.This is that kind of movie. The actors are great. Phyllis Somerville, a veteran actress finally clears the air about the Malone family for niece Terry played by talented Sarah Wilson. Her fiancée is played by Billy Magnussen who went from this movie on to Broadway and is now debuting in Steven Spielberg's INTO THE WOODS.Incidentally, he's a hunk. For those of you who are Soprano fans Vincent Pastore plays the mayor of the town. This is a well written, well acted, well photographed unpretentious movie that makes you think.See it. You'll like it.

The subject matter in "Surviving Family" was so relate-able right from the start, and I immediately connected with Terry. Her conceptions and beliefs about her family relationships were without question. But as the movie develops and secrets revealed, the transformation of each character's vulnerability is unveiled and changes your first impression of each family member. The subject matter is sensitive and everyone can relate to at least one of the issues that families tend to sweep under the rug.

The movie is well written and directed, has the right balance of humor, anger, communication and lack thereof, and the actors perfectly cast to their characters. And I must say, the final scene blew me away - totally was not expecting it! Well done!!