Review of The Family Stone

I went to see The Family Stone yesterday. I thought it was going to be a light-hearted, sentimental Christmas comedy but it was actually more of a drama than a comedy, and not that light-hearted. (It was a little sentimental but hardly at all compared to most American Christmas movies). The synopsis is nothing particularly new: guy brings his uptight girlfriend home for the holidays to meet is eccentric family in their big New England home. As expected, pretty much everything goes wrong.

The characters were really interesting though and the cast were amazing. How many big names can you have in a movie??? They worked really well together though and the family felt very much like a close-knit family. I found Sarah Jessica Parker's character (Meredith, the girlfriend) to be too prickly, but I know that's how she is meant to be. Rachel McAdams (as the feisty sister Amy) was excellent. I think she's going to be very successful. Diane Keaton and Craig T. Nelson as the parents were very good and very believable.

There were some funny moments and there were some sad moments. I cried in it (but then I do cry at a lot of films). I never really know how much I like a movie until I look back on it afterwards and I think I really liked this one. The couples switch round a bit which some people may find annoying but in the end they all end up with who they're suited to so you're (at least I was) happy for them.

The bit at the end (won't give anything away) was very well done and I think it needed that kind of epilogue, even though it was very sad. The movie has been compared to Meet the Parents but I enjoyed this one much more, it had more depth and wasn't nearly so slapstick. It gives a very nice sense of family and Christmas, which I always like in a movie, even if it is sentimental.

To sum up, it was pretty good, but don't go if you want to see a bubbly comedy, 'cause its not.

I'd give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Talliestar

P.S. I'm going to see The Chronicles of Narnia tonight. I'll post a review of that tomorrow.