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IMDbPro

You Can Choose Your Family

  • 2018
  • R
  • 1h 49m
IMDb RATING
6.2/10
2K
YOUR RATING
Samantha Mathis, Jim Gaffigan, Anna Gunn, Logan Miller, Gage Banister, Isabelle Phillips, and Emerson Tate Alexander in You Can Choose Your Family (2018)
Phillip longs to leave his small town for music school in The Big Apple. His dreams are dashed when his overbearing father, Frank, forbids it. In retaliation to his father's dictatorial parenting, he sneaks away for a wild spring break. However, when he crosses state lines he instead finds a charming lake community where he spots his father with another woman. Turns out, his father lives in this town and has an entire other family. With this new heartbreaking information Philip realizes he can wallow in his father's deceit or take matters into his own hands.
Play trailer2:33
9 Videos
36 Photos
Comedy

A normal father's family life is turned upside down when his son discovers his dad has another family.A normal father's family life is turned upside down when his son discovers his dad has another family.A normal father's family life is turned upside down when his son discovers his dad has another family.

  • Director
    • Miranda Bailey
  • Writer
    • Glen Lakin
  • Stars
    • Jim Gaffigan
    • Logan Miller
    • Anna Gunn
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.2/10
    2K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Miranda Bailey
    • Writer
      • Glen Lakin
    • Stars
      • Jim Gaffigan
      • Logan Miller
      • Anna Gunn
    • 32User reviews
    • 17Critic reviews
    • 41Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 wins & 5 nominations total

    Videos9

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:33
    Official Trailer
    Being Frank
    Trailer 2:29
    Being Frank
    Being Frank
    Trailer 2:29
    Being Frank
    Being Frank
    Clip 0:31
    Being Frank
    You Can Choose Your Family
    Clip 0:22
    You Can Choose Your Family
    Being Frank: Thanks Dad
    Clip 0:31
    Being Frank: Thanks Dad
    Being Frank: You Got Out
    Clip 0:21
    Being Frank: You Got Out

    Photos35

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
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    View Poster
    + 31
    View Poster

    Top cast17

    Edit
    Jim Gaffigan
    Jim Gaffigan
    • Frank
    Logan Miller
    Logan Miller
    • Philip
    Anna Gunn
    Anna Gunn
    • Laura Hansen
    Samantha Mathis
    Samantha Mathis
    • Bonnie
    Alex Karpovsky
    Alex Karpovsky
    • Ross
    Daniel Rashid
    Daniel Rashid
    • Lewis
    Isabelle Phillips
    Isabelle Phillips
    • Kelly
    Emerson Tate Alexander
    Emerson Tate Alexander
    • Lib
    Gage Banister
    Gage Banister
    • Eddie
    • (as Gage Polchlopek)
    Danielle Campbell
    Danielle Campbell
    • Allison
    Hayes MacArthur
    Hayes MacArthur
    • Stan Kempler
    Michelle Hurd
    Michelle Hurd
    • Marcy Kempler
    Theresa Burkhart Gallagher
    Theresa Burkhart Gallagher
    • Shop Girl
    Zach Selwyn
    Zach Selwyn
    • Doctor
    Stephanie Nan
    • Allison's Friend
    Thomas Mulzac
    • Troy
    Jessica VanOss
    • Fesitval Kid
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Miranda Bailey
    • Writer
      • Glen Lakin
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews32

    6.21.9K
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    Featured reviews

    8ops-52535

    quite a pleasure

    Infidelity and adultry, siblings and halfsiblings, a wife here and a wife there, never mind it tastes good, the bitter taste comes in the end whatever you do

    its a comedy with a bit seriousity, alot of hide and seek, some teenage festival humour, and a whole lot of family-business. its the story about the man that has made himself two families, and have lived that life successsfully for nearly 20 years till the day he is being disclosed by one of his somns, and so the blackmailing and the whole charade starts.

    its quite an original turn on the idea, and the sort of filmgenre that is hard to make a good ending on, but i think they do it well, and the acting are allover pretty good and you really feel the desperation at times. some may feel the makers are just scratching the surface of the topic , but its meant to be a comedy, and they have made a good one too( i skiped dinner to end the film)

    so the grumpy old man recommends a view of this family bundle, its good and its fun...
    6bk753

    Clever and creative until a disappointing ending

    I was more than a bit suspect coming into this film, having seen the trailer and having a general idea of the plot. That said, a fairly bizarre story unfolds in a unique and somewhat creative way, and so I have to give the filmmaker a bit of credit for that.

    To me, it goes a bit off the rails near the end... that's not completely fair, it's amusingly off the rails almost from the start. But while I appreciated the creativity of the first 2/3 of the film, much of the last 40 minutes becomes contrived and dopey.. Too bad; there really was a fair amount of witty dialogue and uncomfortably awkward humor to carry the story, and I had hopes that this might turn into a hidden gem. But where it eventually goes was, to me, disappointing. I really wish they had written this a better ending. So we'll say "I liked it, but it wasted its truest potential and settled for slightly above average." So it gets a 6.
    8stevepat99

    They pulled it off!

    Comedy about a man living a double life with two families for 20 years? Movies with such serious seeming themes are not made for comedies. Walking the line if a tough act which, when accomplished, usually results in classic type black comedies. In this case Frank's writers pull it off in fun and also serious fashion. Son Philip and dad Frank are both likeable and do well acting. The remainder of the cast also does well. The writer(s) win the day crafting a dandy back story and current goings on. Frank's effort to convince his son Philip that he did the 'right' thing, embarking on a double life, given the circumstances. What else was a man to do!

    The writers missed a final fun twist. They could have had wife #2 announce her first child was not Franks removing a major obstacle to sibling love.

    That aside, well done!
    5brandonssmith2

    Great movie with a major flaw

    The casting and acting were nearly perfect in this film. If you could take the first 90 prevent of it and stick a new ending on it then it probably would have been one of the best movies of the year. Unfortunately the ending falls completely flat. The viewer gets no reward for the time invested in these characters.

    I can't even really recommend it to anyone because even though the vast majority of the movie is wonderful it ultimately falls short. Completely and utterly.
    Gordon-11

    What a feat

    This film tells the story of a young man who discovers that his father has another family.

    The plot may sound sad and offensive, but the film is actually quite funny. Even though the father has committed such an act, the film portrays him sympathetically and makes you feel for him. It is quite a feat to turn a monstrous life of lie into a comedy.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The premise for this movie sounds a lot like the old Clifton Webb film, "The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker".
    • Crazy credits
      Opening credits are on street signs as Philip bikes by.
    • Connections
      Referenced in The King of Staten Island (2020)

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    FAQ19

    • How long is Being Frank?Powered by Alexa
    • How can I get a copy of the film?
    • When can we see the film? (Release date)

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 21, 2019 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Being Frank
    • Filming locations
      • Congers, New York, USA
    • Production companies
      • Cold Iron Pictures
      • Imagine Entertainment
      • Reliance Big Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $67,343
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $16,392
      • Jun 16, 2019
    • Gross worldwide
      • $67,343
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 49 minutes
    • Color
      • Color

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    Samantha Mathis, Jim Gaffigan, Anna Gunn, Logan Miller, Gage Banister, Isabelle Phillips, and Emerson Tate Alexander in You Can Choose Your Family (2018)
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