Esprit de famille

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.

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!

The premise of "The Family Stone" sounds a little shopworn: Everett Stone brings his uptight girlfriend Meredith home for Christmas to meet his large family, who instantly dislike her. Even worse, the trailer reveals most of the plot's complications. However, this premise has been used so often because it reliably provides opportunities for comedy, drama, and insight into family dynamics. "The Family Stone" proves itself a better-than-average example of the genre because of its talented cast and reasonably intelligent script.

Sarah Jessica Parker's presence ensures that Meredith always remains sympathetic, even when we can also perfectly understand why she irritates the Stones. The various Stones-- Diane Keaton, Craig T. Nelson, Dermot Mulroney, Rachel McAdams, Luke Wilson--make the most of their roles, and, more importantly, they really do start to seem like a family, not a random collection of actors. The only actor who fails to make an impression is Claire Danes, who can't do much with the underwritten role of Meredith's sister Julie.

"The Family Stone" is not a groundbreaking movie, but it goes beyond the fish-out-of-water clichés that its plot might suggest. It finds the emotional truth, as well as the humor, in Meredith's situation. Plus, it's extremely evenhanded: all of the characters are flawed but likable, and in a climactic argument at the dinner table, both Meredith and Sibyl make valid points. Reviewers on this site have accused the movie of pushing a liberal agenda via its sympathetic portrayal of an interracial gay couple and a semi-bohemian family--and of pushing a conservative agenda via its portrayal of the Stones as hypocritical liberals who pay lip service to tolerance but are prejudiced against people like Meredith. Personally, I'm not sure if "The Family Stone" has any agenda, other than to cast good actors in a holiday comedy-drama that doesn't insult its audience's intelligence. And it succeeds pretty well at that.

The Family Stone (2005) surprised me in a very good way. All of the actors did very well with the script and with both the funny and dramatic scenes. Sarah Jessica Parker earned a golden globe nomination for this movie, very well deserved! Sarah nailed both her dramatic and humorous dialogue in the various scenes. Of course Diane Keaton did very well in her own character, along with Craig T. Nelson (Poltergeist). Rachel McAdams did a great job as well, and Claire Danes was my favorite character in the entire movie. The script, storyline, and dialogue between characters was all very sharp and well written in my opinion. This movie actually has some pleasing surprises and twists that you definitely do not see coming, at least I didn't! Overall this is a fun, entertaining, funny, dramatic, well acted, and well written holiday film that will warm your heart and for sure make you laugh! 7/10 for The Family Stone.

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.