Petunia

This is a terrible, terrible, TERRIBLE movie! I didn't believe it could be as bad as previous reviewers said it was, but I was wrong. They were right!

I admire those who held out for 40 minutes and more. They deserve a medal! I hit eject at 9:32, after Christine Lahti (didn't she use to be good?) said, at her son's wedding, "Tell him his ear wax is making me nauseous." I mean, I'm from a dysfunctional family, but even we weren't ALL obnoxious morons like every single person in this horrible movie; and we weren't even rich!

Has there ever been a stupider screenplay than this? A more clumsily wasted group of actors? More incompetent direction?

This is by far the worst movie I have ever seen, and I've seen Plan 9 from Outer Space.

This movie was really something else. I felt like I was watching a bad comedy and Director was trying to mix up all the possible dramas involved in a dysfunctional family -and in some way was kind of funny- but too hard to believe that a family was having so much issues and all of them taking it so welcoming as there was nothing wrong with it. This is what it happens when so much going on is added to the script but with the intention to make the audience laugh or find interesting and in some way sarcastic.

It still was ok, I enjoyed the movie!

Petunia is a mixed bag of family drama. First off, I wouldn't say that this film is a romantic comedy or even a comedy. If anything, this film is an attempt to look at the "modern" family unit. Now there were a few moments of dark humor that made me chuckle here and there. But overall, this film is a drama, and it actually had lots of potential. However, there are too many storylines, and the film keeps getting in its own way. Here, there are three main storylines, the parents who can't communicate anymore, the brother who is hooking up with his brother's wife, and the gay brother. I won't spoil anything but the only one that is really interesting is the Gay brother who finds out his boyfriend is married to Brittany Snow. The interactions between Brittany Snow and the main character are really sweet, funny, and thought provoking. Also, my DVD has Brittany Snow on the cover, and I was very disappointed to find out that she wasn't the main star. But her character and her performance defiantly carried the second half of the film. And while the ending was great, I thought the film had a good message. As Brittany Snow states, "I don't want to be one of those people that settles for a S***** life because the alternative takes too much work."

I'm not sure why this film gets such weak ratings and reviews. I certainly enjoyed it. Maybe it's because I didn't know what to expect so I just "went with it", or maybe it's because I'm older (>50). Regardless though, it's a good little flick.

It's a quirky story told in a quirky way and it works. Everything (direction, plot, dialogue and acting) is exaggerated just enough to make it teeter near an edge but it never falls off and that gives it a fresh, slightly bizarre delivery. There's no doubt it's a dark comedy but it doesn't feel like one. Creating that sort of mood isn't easy but Christian navigates it well and the actors are right in step.

All in all an enjoyable ride. If you get a chance definitely check it out.

OK. Good premise, good cast, good money. And then - a kind of slow, almost leisurely, but basically rather sad, car crash. Nobody cares about anybody. The parents are so self-obsessed I felt like putting a brick through the screen. It's a good attempt, well (enough) done, but there's really just no-one to like. At all. In the press (here in the UK) there have been a few pundits saying there will be fewer films but they'll cost more. This wasn't cheap, and has decent production values. It's the script, I suspect. If you're a BIG fan of a cast member, then go for it. Otherwise it's a stretch.

4 out of 10. Not awful, just a damp squib.