The Family Stone

Townhall.com ^ | 12/21/2005 | Megan Basham

[moviewatcher]

Pot-smoking, gay adoption, and mothers gleefully discussing how their daughters lost their virginity. Ahh, just what the Christmas season is all about. What? Not in your family?

Then you must not work in the film industry. Because apparently there, like doorbells and sleighbells and schnitzel with noodle, these things add up to a heartwarming holiday.

The Family Stone is yet another case of movie marketing bait-and-switch. Playing on Christmas nostalgia, which most Americans share, the trailer promised a rollicking, good-natured comedy about family foibles and the frustrating moments that eventually become our favorite memories.

What the film delivers is a ham-fisted primer on blue-state values.

[mlc9852]

I do read about movies. I just rarely waste my money on them.

[derllak]

Do you think the Hollywood elites will get a clue soon?
I think I'll treat myself to some classic movie dvds this year. I love the old black and whites! You know, the ones where actors actually had talent and didn't have to rely on special effects and shock value to sell a movie. I won't be wasting my money at the theater anymore.

[mlc9852]

You aren't missing anything since Hollywood has little to offer except redone movies. Not much original. Lots of violence, profanity, nudity, mix well and charge $8 a pop.

[dfwgator]

See "March of the penguins"-amazing flick. The penguins treat their young better and sacrifice more for them than most parents I know.

Only movie I saw in the theater this year. Morgan Freeman was perfect as the narrator.

[Bernard Marx]

I think I'll check it out. From the review it sounds as if Blue State 'values' are being viciously satirized and held up to ridicule. I'd agree that promoting it as a feel-good Christmas movie is probably wrong. Unlike many FReepers I understand -- and greatly appreciate -- deft satire.

[fizziwig]

"I wonder what audience they had in mind. Certainly not Everyday People..."

Good one! We gotta relay going...

Even though I started it, still, I am no better and neither are you...

[PogySailor]

Wow, glad I found out what this stinker was about. Mrs. PogySailor was hinting at wanting to see it. Knowing that Diane Keaton and Sara Jessica Parker are grade A moonbats should have been enough to wave her off, but this will surely open her eyes.

[hdstmf]

The many closeups of Jessica were horrible to see. Put a witch hat on her head and move the mole to her sharp chin. Now that would be perfect casting for a horror movie.

[Jack Deth]

I just checked Rotten Tomatoes.com for it's review-based rating of "The Family Stone"

56%

RT's standard is that anything under 65% is considered rotten.

I hadn't planned on seeing it anyway. It's nice to know that my opinion is re-inforced.

Jack.

[AmishDude]

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? was high drama about liberal intolerance. But even if it exposed a little hypocracy, it's the hypocritical liberals that are the heros.

[hdstmf]

You have made the right choice in not seeing the movie. You save money AND avoid contributing to a deceptive piece of crap.

[AmishDude]

Hollywood has been making this same movie over and over lately. The only thing missing is Ben Stiller.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

[hdstmf]

They also portrayed the only one to question gay adoption as a bumbling fool.

[Albion Wilde]

Thanks for the heads-up. Hollyweird regulators apparently insist that every film now have a gay-promotion subplot. I'll save my $7.50 on this one.

[hdstmf]

I did see it with the expectation of a holiday comedy. I was really pissed at the blatant homosexual plot.

[hdstmf]

There was another sneaky scene that apparently was used to generate sympathy for masectomy victims. Keaton and Nelson are having a tender moment in bed when she pulled her top open. She pulled his hand over the vivid scar. It had nothing to do with anything about the movie.

[hdstmf]

It is not a deep movie. It is simply gay bs.

[hdstmf]

Me too. I was totally sandbagged.

[sully777]

It's been done before with Home For The Holidays
http://imdb.com/title/tt0113321/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnx0dD0xfGZiPXV8cG49MHxrdz0xfHE9SG9tZSBGb3IgdGhlIEhvbGlkYXlzfGZ0PTF8bXg9MjB8bG09NTAwfGNvPTF8aHRtbD0xfG5tPTE_;fc=1;ft=20;fm=1

MPAA: Rated PG-13 for thematic material, language and brief drug use.

Trivia: Robert Downey Jr. publicly admitted to using drugs during the making of this film, and to having great difficulty filming his scenes. Jodie Foster tried to intervene but could not.

Interestingly, at the start of the movie Holly Hunter (playing Claudia) is showering. Robert Downing Jr (playing the part of brother) takes pictures of her naked, then runs to his mom and says, "Mom, Claudia is flashing me..." Of course, the viewer is not aware that Robert Downing Jr's character is a flaming drug-addicted homosexual. So, your left watching what appears to be a brief but graphic incestous encounter. The movie earned a nomination at the GLAAD media awards for best film.

The movie was a DElight. Pure joy/ sarc

[dbehsman]

"Do you think the Hollywood elites will get a clue soon?"

No. I don't think they will get it any time soon. They are way too arrogant and proud to even consider that they may be wrong. In a sense, I think this is a good thing. Perhaps this will drive more people to read instead of just watching the tube or screen. Hollywood is going to drive themselves into poverty and obscurity. I cannot help but to cheer it on; for it could not happen to a more deserving bunch of creeps.

"I think I'll treat myself to some classic movie dvds this year. I love the old black and whites! You know, the ones where actors actually had talent and didn't have to rely on special effects and shock value to sell a movie."

Those are about the only movies that I watch anymore. I have always been a stickler for historical accuracy in films. I used to make fun of the gladiator movies from the 50's in which all of the gladiators had crew cuts. But as time has passed and as I've gotten a little older, I look at those movies now as really good. The acting I think was better, along with the directing, and along with the script. Some of the latest movies that are "technically correct" (in so much as they don't wear costumes with zippers, etc.), just stink in every other way.

Whatever happened to dialog? Have you noticed that the same lines get used over and over again until it just numbs your mind. Examples "Don't die on me now, (fill in the name)." "Who duh man!" "It's more (fill in the blank) than you can possibly imagine." "You can't kill me... I'm already dead!" and on and on. My God, I think I just typed up the main plot outline for a Hollywood quality script.

"I won't be wasting my money at the theater anymore."

I intend to go to the Narnia movie soon, but after that, I have no desire.