The Family Stone - A Movie Review

Christmas will be here before you know it. Time to start the holiday with my family.

The Family Stone arrived in theaters in 2005. A new soon-to-be member is introduced to the Stone family. Meredith’s uptight and conservative nature does not mix with the eccentric family’s lifestyle. What will this Christmas teach everyone?

You can never go wrong with a chaotic family holiday film. That’s what intrigued me to watch The Family Stone. It is an entertaining film, but there were too many segments and often not enough character development.

To make it seem like they were a real family, the cast of The Family Stone spent weeks configuring their relationships and backstories. They did a fantastic job.

The cast included some of my favorite actors. Sarah Jessica Parker did a great job as a conservative woman. This is a role that I have never seen Parker in. Though, I had some issues with her character and her opinions. She could have been a little more open to the family.

That is where the film tests you. The Stone family is not open to Meredith right when she is introduced to them. Characters like Amy (Rachel McAdams) had a problem with her for no reason. And they never met until that moment. That’s what bothered me.

Diane Keaton and Craig T. Nelson were wonderful as the parents. There’s always someone who you can relate to in family Christmas movies. Here’s where the film may have too many subplots. With all the characters, some of them don’t get the screentime they deserve.

For example, there’s almost no point in Julie’s (Claire Danes) character. She hardly had any development. As soon as she is introduced, she is involved with Everett (Dermott Mulroney). Either she could have had a better direction or there was no point to her character at all.

With the inclusion of Thad (Tyrone Giordano) I liked how there was a deaf member of the family. That’s a rarity. The entire cast took a crash course to learn sign language for the film. Upon its release, the sign language was praised among audiences.

Thad and Patrick (Brian White) had a vital part, but not enough attention was given to them. Implying that Patrick had a similar issue when joining the family, that storyline could have been fleshed out more.

I was excited to see Luke Wilson! Ever since I saw him in The Skeleton Twins, my opinion of him has changed. As always, Wilson brings his trademark charm. There’s always more to a person. We all have hidden traits. It’s not right to judge someone before getting to know them.

Thomas Bezucha focused on the dynamic of the family. That and change. A lot happens in a year. His best direction was conquered in the finale. Viewers are in for a hectic confrontation amongst the family members as they run about the house, toppling over tables and spilling food.

Since Christmas has had a different turn of events within the last year, families should be thankful to be getting together this year. Christmas is always a time to make memories.

Aside from occasional missed opportunities to expand roles, The Family Stone is an entertaining story. It will remind you of yoit family this holiday season. Bezucha sold the emotion of the story. Once scene between Keaton and Mulroney brought tears into my eyes. The story was constructed well along with the festive setting.

Give The Family Stone a chance and watch it with the whole family this holiday season. It will have you laughing in its whirlwind of adventures.