Familiar Strangers

Familiar Strangers tells the story of the Worthington's family. Brian ( Shawn Hatosy) is the older brother who left a long time ago to pursue his dreams and ambitions. He ended up writing a technical book but feels like he hasn't archived much.When he returns home, he tries to re-connect with his family but his father Frank (Tom Bower ) is still angry at him for leaving and not helping with the family business, his brother Kenny (DJ Qualls) refuses to grow up,his sister Erin (Cameron Richardson) is falling to pieces after a failed marriage and his mother Dottie (Ann Dowd) is trying to keep the family together. On top of this,Frank seems to have replaced his estranged son with a dog. The Worthington's manage to re-connect over a game of donkey ball and Brian tries to help his family as much as he can before he leaves again.Familiar Strangers seemed to have all the right ingredients but didn't really worked. This small indie tries to capture the everyday life and the family dynamics but due to some awkward dialog and bad direction it falls flat.The script is not very solid and the narrative seems to disperse every now and then. Also Shawn Hatosy character lacks charisma and personality which makes hard to relate to him. Good performance by Tom Bower as Frank,the patriarch though. In conclusion, a weak and poorly directed film that had some potential but didn't deliver.

6/10

My wife said we should go see this film when it was being shown at a local film festival. I did not know what I going to see or to expect. I thought it was going to be a 15-minute short amateur effort. What I saw was one of the most enjoyable movies I've seen in years. A story about a family (emphasis on story and family) and not a big budget film where the special effects were the best thing in the film. It is a film that tells in a light hearted way the story of a disjointed family. As in any family, dysfunctional seems to be normality. In truth, the family members do not know the 'real person' in each other, hence the title, "Familiar Strangers." The story is set in a small rural Virginia town that fills in for anywhere, USA because the characters will seem, well, like some of our own close neighbors or family members.

Georgia Mae Lively's performance as Maddy tells me that we will be seeing her in more films in the future. Each character was wonderfully acted and believable. The level of acting made each character seem real and brings you into the film. This is what a movie is supposed to do. Suspend reality and emotionally pull you into the characters' lives. The story has twists and turns that keep you hanging on to each line to ensure you don't miss anything.

In today's whiz-bang world, I found the pace to be a bit slow, which is why I gave this film only a 9 of 10 stars. I do want to get a copy of this movie on DVD so I can watch it again and see if I missed some nuance. The only sad part is that this movie has not yet found a distributor and is only being shown at small film events. I hope it does so I can tell my friends and family a nice way to spend time with someone you love.

This film masterfully avoids the Hollywood glitz and hype (and message-drivenness of late) by following the antics of a slightly dysfunctional but not ridiculous American family. (no 'Royal Tenenbaums' here) The scenes are 'everyday' and easy to relate to while carrying meaning, engaging and moving the audience forward.

The "everyman" sense you get from the father especially and the "everytown" feeling you get from their small town really connect with almost anyone from a "real" family with generic problems.

Good script and casting.... love the "D-ball" town rivalry and simplicity of relationships - in all their evolving glory. The awkwardness and sports-talk speaks volumes of truth about the divide yet understandings between generations.

I can't believe this was produced on a low-budget. Really a breath of fresh air, this year. See and support this film! I hope we can see more of these produced.

I attended the opening of the film for the public in Fairfax, VA. This film is an especially good movie if you're looking for characters of depth and a good story. I was impressed with the development of the characters, the level and quality of the acting and the overall production value for an independent effort with a limited budget. The script and story line were well developed, had rich content. They especially ring true to those that have undergone, or are undergoing, changes in their family relationships as parents grow older and children become adults.

Set in any town America, during the Thanksgiving holiday, it is a touching story, with a poignant ending. But it is also liberally sprinkled with slightly off-beat and light hearted humor. A very good effort by the fledgling Cavalier films, and I hope to see more films of similar quality from this promising enterprise in the future.

I saw this film with no expectations one evening with my boyfriend and we were both pleasantly surprised. The story is eerily familiar as the characters are not-such-strangers since they can remind you of your own acquaintances...a fun yet frightening realization. My one criticism would be that there seems to be some parts that lack soundtrack or background noises. Maybe this was a creative decision to force us to focus on the uncomfortable moments?

This movie is a fantastic portrayal of the beauty in family dysfunction. Witty and sometimes painful, this film has you falling in love with its characters before you even realize it. A great movie with a great message! I definitely recommend watching this fun film!