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The Family Stone 2005 TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX Starring Claire Danes, Sarah Jessica Parker, Diane Keaton, and Rachel McAdams Some movies I anticipate hating. This doesn’t happen a lot, but every once in a while, I’m presented with a concept and a story that I just know I will not enjoy. When faced with The Family Stone, I began to get that surge of discontent. I immediately lumped it into the “cliché Christmas flick” category, and assumed it had the same basic elements as any made-for-tv movie you’d find on Lifetime or the Hallmark channel this time of the year. Even the ABC Family network has cashed in on these films. However, I would soon find all the good in The Family Stone. It would have a lasting effect on how I look at movies now, nearly three years after the first time I saw it. There must be a definite challenge to making a Christmas movie like this one, and not making it appear like so many of the others. Forgetting all the “holiday magic” and “miracles” that seem out of the realm of possibility, we’re left with yet another movie that consists of your run-of-the-mill family, each with their own unique quirks, reuniting for the holidays. So what makes this different than anything else you’ve ever seen? For starters, it feels far to real sometimes. We‘re slowly introduced to each member of the Stone Family, starting with eldest son, Everett, who is preparing to bring his girlfriend Meredith (Parker) to meet the family for the first time. Meredith is a busy and uptight working woman, who can‘t seem to just relax. Upon arrival to the family home, which is run by Everett‘s terminally ill mother, Sybil, Meredith is immediately and unanimously received to lackluster reviews. Sons Ben (Luke Wilson) and Thad (Ty Giordano), as well as daughters Amy (McAdams) and Susannah (Elizabeth Reaser) dislike her for everything she is, but don’t really give her much of a chance to become one of the family, if only for a moment. Everett brought Meredith to his house the holidays with good intentions. Despite knowing how they would receive her, he planned to make her a family fixture by proposing marriage. The only thing standing in his way was an apprehensive Sybil, who held on the family ring that Everett wanted to give to Meredith. Her apprehension is justified at times, as Meredith seems to have an altercation with everyone from deaf/gay Thad and his partner to her continuous tiff with Amy. At her wits end, Amy invites her sister Julie (Danes) to try to offset the sides a little bit. The outcome is highly unexpected, which is a nice twist on a very popular formula. It’s a film that I think most people could relate to. Large families tend to be set in their ways, often skeptical of newcomers and outsiders. The overall feel of it all, everything from the decorations within the house, the dialogue, right down to the characters subtle interactions with everything their faced, it all feels like you’re watching a real family having real family issues. The terminal illness helps put some personal stock into the film as well, giving you that warm feeling when watching some of the cast get a little vulnerable. The Family Stone was an eye-opener for me, both on a personal and emotional level. Personally, its shown me that my gut instincts aren’t always right, and that some of today’s holiday movies can still be enjoyable. Emotionally, it’s helped put my family situations into perspective. Getting past each quirk and each argument will ultimately bring you back to the fact that you’re family means the world. And without so much as one of them, something seemingly as small as Christmas will never be the same. MOUNT CRUMPIT RATING: 4 / 5 |
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