Dir: Thomas Bezucha. US. 2005
SJP (image: David Shankbone wikicommons)
Between a rock and a hard place
Sarah Jessica Parker’s debut feature film, following her award-winning turn as alter ego Carrie in ‘Sex and the City’, was eagerly awaited by columnists keen to see if she’d sink or swim. The outcome isn’t that simple… While Parker, a highly-experienced comic actress of many years, is note perfect in her portrayal of the uptight Meredith the film itself flounders between genres – not sure quite what it wants to be.
The Family Stone is ostensibly a ‘rom-com’, centring on Meredith’s first trip to her potential future in-laws at Christmastime. Meredith is highly-strung, reserved city girl. The Stones, a close-knit bohemian family, take an immediate dislike to her deciding she’s all wrong for eldest son Tom (a rather wooden Dermot Mulroney).
Misunderstandings and miscommunications abound in a frantic slapstick manner as Meredith proceeds to offend and alienate the whole family, including boyfriend Tom. Eventually she realises she needs back up and phones for her sister (Claire Danes at her charming and kooky best). Her sister’s arrival provides little comfort to Meredith as she’s immediately welcomed and accepted by the Stones and then, to cap it all, proceeds to fall for Tom.
So far…we’re still on track for a rom-com resolution. But then swiftly in from left-field comes a shock revelation about terminal illness, Tom’s gay, deaf, brother struggles to adopt a child and the sisters casually swap partners. Suddenly the light-hearted, if chaotic, mix becomes something horribly different.
Other films have managed to bring gentle humour to difficult subjects, or successfully mixed unexpected genres, but The Family Stone mixes pratfalls with pathos to excruciating effect.
Rating: 2/5
IMDb entry
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