Almost walked out of it.

Garbage In - Garbage Out. A movie that has nothing to offer.

Fun story, with a serious element. An enjoyable movie with the appropriate amount of chuckles and identifyable characters. Decent, and worth the $10, but not essential.

This is not a holiday movie. It's a movie about people and events which occur at the holidays, which is the only time when a lot of families are able to get together. This family is as liberal and quirky as they come, honest, openminded, openmouthed and opinionated, diverse and victim to their own sensibilities. What happens in this movie never feels contrived or forced, the elements are set up perfectly, and none of the characters are allowed to get through the movie without the viewer loving them in some way. In short, it's a celebration of human nature. My measure of how well a movie is going is if I feel like I want it to be over and if it seems like it's going on too long. In this casem, the answer was no and yes. I even liked Sarah Jessica Parker in it. Diane Keaton is brilliant, Craig T. Nelson is the perfect mellow patriarch from the 60s, and of course Rachel MacAdams is heartachingly gorgeous throughout. A movie for the DVD collection, absolutely.… Expand

[***SPOILERS***] Is “The Family Stone” a secret Republican plotted film to make America believe that liberals are evil? Was the screenwriter actually trying to make us despise all things “liberal’? First here are the clichés that should be forever retired from films: 1. Character runs after bus, car, train, etc to stop beloved from leaving. Beloved gets in mode of transportation and leaves person bereft. Only to have mode of transportation stop five seconds later for reunion. 2. Character picks up messy food stuff, guaranteed to be wearing it in five seconds in ‘slapsticky’ fashion. 3. Whimsical music played over scene to make it a comedy when nothing actually funny is happening. 4. One year later, all appear at Christmas with new significant others showing that everything turns out okay in the end. Someone must have new baby. 5. Character stares out of window at precipitation to signify cancer. This is rivaled only by someone coughing discreetly to signify tuberculosis. Here’s my evidence of the anti-liberal message: 1. Liberals say that they like black people but they use them like slaves. The one token black character – the saintly gay lover of the deaf youngest brother – appears solely to clean up things in the kitchen. Is this code that while Liberals will allow black people into their homes, they will use them to do all the household chores. Also, in one of the meaner scenes, the youngest daughter sets up Meredith, the ‘outsider’, with a charade clue containing the word black and then accuses the ‘outsider’ of pointing to the black character to portray the word ‘black’. If I were the saintly black lover, I’d be infuriated by the casual racism of the ‘liberal’ family. Who would ever do that? 2. Liberals believe that “Poor Artists = soulful, Rich Business people = soul-less”. The ’Outsider’ is portrayed as a manipulative shrew because she ‘prevents’ the favorite son from going to a Buddhist retreat in Hong Kong by talking all night with him about his business, the reason he is actually in Hong Kong. And her sister who tells him some inane story of a totem pole in Alaska is his soul-mate - he realizes she is his soul-mate after knowing her for approximately four hours. What kind of spineless business man is this guy that he immediately cancels his travel plans for women he just meets and then blames himself several years later? Is the ‘outsider’ to blame because he chose not to go on his holiday weekend? Is this to punish women for being successful business people? Is the screenwriter saying that “Liberals want women to be in squishy artistic jobs that require them to ride the greyhound bus. Real women are not allowed to be successful in business.” Yet somehow this ‘liberal bohemian family’ lives in a mansion in the Northeast and all drive foreign expensive cars – they must have inherited all this money because none of them have jobs that pay well enough to purchase this home in today’s world. And there’s no way that someone who is 22 or whatever age Claire Danes is would have a job like that in the Rockefeller Foundation. That’s an extremely competitive position and most program officers are in their forties. The position also pays quite well and she could obviously take the train out from NYC. 3. Liberals have extremely bad manners. Obviously this is the key message. Because they are “open minded” and “Speak their minds”, liberals obviously don’t understand hospitality and good manners. They can’t even politely but distantly include her in their initial greetings. They are so open-minded to the gay lovers that they all attack the ‘outsider’ at the dinner table and drive her to almost kill herself in a car accident with nary a thought in their heads. And the liberal sister of the ‘outsider’, thinks nothing of letting her distraught sister race out into an unfamiliar town in a snow storm and have a car accident. She’s much more concerned with reading in a saintly manner to a young girl and then stealing her sister’s fiancée. So she’s saintly enough to come out and rescue her sister from this horrible family but not saintly enough to try to find her emotionally distraught sister and make sure she doesn’t’ do something she’ll regret? She also sits passiively by while the family allows the ‘outsider’ to dig herself into a deeper hole at a family dinner. 4. Liberals believe the only way you can be yourself is to do drugs and have sex. Everyone treats this as a necessary angle to happiness. The mother of the liberal family openly praises the man who ‘took her daughter’s cherry’. The family INSISTS that the son and his fiancée share a room and treat the woman who thinks that sleeping together without being married under the parent’s room as disrespectful is treated as a freak. The only way you can find happiness is if ‘you let your freak flag fly, drink a bunch of tequila, and smoke some pot’. Only then can any of the characters actually be happy. The ‘outsider’ realizes that she really loves the slacker brother and starts wearing her hair down and jeans as soon as she gets drunk and smokes some pot. This is a woman so clueless that she doesn’t even know whether or not she had sex the night before even though she wakes up in her bra and underwear. Did she have sex and then put her bra and underwear back on? 5. Liberals want everyone to be gay. I can’t even begin to describe the scene at the dinner table where the mother says she wishes all her sons were gay so they won’t ‘leave their mama’. What a stupid cliché that all gay men want is to live with their mommas and go shopping for couture. And when the ‘outsider’ notes that it is difficult growing up gay in today’s bigoted homophobic America where gay men are harassed, lynched, and beaten with casual cruelty, the family treats her as if she were suggesting lynching the saintly gay son right there and then. What’s wrong with acknowledging that yes, its difficult being a young gay man in this world–particularly if you don’t grow up in a Hollywood film? 6. Liberals hate women. The men in this film are all calm and quiet and accepting. The women attack each other and act like raging harpies. The only women who aren’t raging bitches are either pregnant (the doormat older daughter who waits patiently while workaholic obviously abusive husband comes home for Xmas) or obsessed with children (see saintly sister reading to little girl instead of being mad that ill-behaved little girl ruins $400 Jimmy Choo shoes) 6. So, in conclusion – the lessons I drew from this film is “It’s better to die of cancer and be mean than to have good manners and live”. The saintly mother (the only woman in history to have sex and sleep in a crisp starched white shirt) is dying so she is allowed to manipulate her family into doing her very bidding. And then they all think of her mistily the year after she dies. Were she to live and be polite to her family, they would all be miserable. Merry Christmas – or should I say “Happy Holidays”?… Expand

Great movie, but Christmas setting and holiday release date probably made viewers expect anything other than the edgy tone and tragic circumstances from mid-way on.

Hallmark Hall of Fame on Steroids.

A group of good actors try, unsuccessfully, to breathe life into an awful script.

WOW. If you looked up the definition of "HacK' in the dictionary, the writer & director of this film, Bezucha's picture would be there. Cliche comment I realize, but so is the entire movie. The only redeeming aspect of the film is also it's saviour - DIANE KEATON!

Have you ever wondered if it's possible to sleep in a theater. If you wanna find out you have to see this movie. This movie was awful, there were only like 2 funny momments that weren't even that funny. I saw people walk out in the middle of the movie , and I couldn't wait until it ended. I actually tried going to sleep but the theater was too loud. The only reason I give it a 1 is because I feel sorry for the producers.… Expand

This is a movie only a mother could love. That is of the Director and the other poor souls who had their reputations ruined by this poor film. I wanted to like it so much but there isn't much there. It's like a bottle of flat soda in which the fizz evaporated into thin air. The audience was actually walking out as the film dragged on. Do not spend your money as you will regret it if you buy a ticket.… Expand

A lovely heartfelt film, with strong performances and both comic and sad themes.

It's amazing how anyone can like this film. It's not the bad editing, nor the predictable plot, nor the outlandish storyline, it's the super annoying, sad family. The filmmakers cluelessly seem to be celebrating this family, when it should be reviling them. It's reallly messed up.

Very unimpressive. Dull and boring. Avoid.

Convuluted contrived and boring. Just an awful experience with everything predictable in which you care nothing for any of the characters. Pretty hard to do considering the time and the intent. A complete and utter disaster.

Really, really bad. Almost sad it's so bad. Luke Wilson kept it from being a 0 instead of a 1. Sarah Jessica Parker is an intolerable actor.( and is not aging well, by the way.) This thing is a real mess, from start to finish.

What is really funny is how different the ratings from "real people" vary from the critics. This film is just awful. Another attempt by the Hollywood gay mafia to force their agenda on us through awful scripts, portraying phony families and situations. The viewers hated it and the critics - many of them - liked it. Must be hell being afraid of retribution from the PC crowd.

Great holiday film - funny but not over the top. Touching but not sappy. Luke Wilson gives a great performance - as does Diane Keaton and Rachel McAdams. Good film to see before Christmas. Safe to take the older relatives - no sex or violence.

A thoroughly great movie; one of the year’s best…funny and heartbreaking. An excellent cast. Certainly has more than a few things in common with HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS (which was great), but a lot more serious. Not a silly comedy as the previews would have you believe—this film is much, much more.

People who gave it a good rating were probably high when they were watching the movie. I'd rather do my homework than watch this movie, and I never do my homework.

Although the previews portray this movie to be a hysterical family reunion, it really is just an emotional rollercoaster with most of the actors in tears. A poor and confusing attempt to re-create Meet the Parents. A typical hollywood production of big names and poor plot. I would not recommend it, if you are looking for a fun, family oriented holiday movie.

If you saw the trailer where Sarah Jessica Parker slips in the kitchen and spills the food then you saw the entire movie. Without question this is a predictable tedious boring film with substance or character. Avoid at all costs.

The movie was so bad that I was fidgety. Two people in front of my girlfriend and I walked out midway through this disaster. If that wasn't bad enough, my girlfriend Carol gave me the business as we walked to the car afterward about me yawning repeatedly and making noise while moving around impatiently. It's bad enough to be subjected to this crapola, but to be scolded for involuntarily being bored is too much to take. Guys beware.… Expand

This was the serious side of "Meet the Family." Family relationships are messy in the real world, even among families that love each other. It was a pleasure to see a Hollywood movie that dealt with a family, warts and all.

Was this movie a joke? You feel nothing for anyone. People walked out in the middle. Boring as hell.

Not just a screwball comedy as it's billed, but a great holiday movie with a lot of heart.

Without question a most boring movie devoid of any soul. Avoid.

Awful. Just awful!!

Well cast, believeable issues. I cared about these characters and how there lives ended up. Diane Keaton was fabulous. Loved it!

Not your run of the mill family flick! Alot of truly heartwarming moments! Super comic acting by all! Very tender from beginning to end!

A thoroughly enjoyable movie that liberals will love and conservatives will hate. Bezucha isn't a polished a writer-director yet, but his work on this movie is still better than 90% of what's out there. Diane Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Sarah Jessica, Parker, Luke Wilson and Craig T. Nelson deserve the SAG ensemble award. They are a joy to watch.

The Family Stoned is more appropriate or the only way to watch this crap.

Here is a prime Christmas turkey. The story is lame and unoriginal, there is nothing likeable or sympathetic about any of the characters, the film is full of stereotypes and cliches. The film tries to be many things - romantic comedy, slapstick (the ending), heartwarming - but ends up being just nothing. All this despite a good cast who work hard but ultimately cannot get anything worthwhile out of the script. Save your money - or at least go with very low expectations.… Expand

Family Stone is a little over the top situationally, but it tells a story as true or truer than most stories at a family gathering. The performances are uniformly strong - Rachel McAdams notches another appealing character, Diane Keaton makes mincemeat of other actors of her vintage, Craig T. Nelson is more nuanced than usual, Luke Wilson continues to make it a real race for which brother is the better onscreen presence. The script is excellent and the dialogue well presented.… Expand

Sarah Jessica Parker plays frigid so amiably in "The Family Stone", but it seems to be a successful performance in the wrong movie. Her character would be more at home in a black comedy. [***SPOILERS***] It makes no sense to me why the father(Craig T. Nelson) apologizes to his son(Dermot Mulroney) for his adamant defense of Thad(Tyrone Giordano) when Meredith offends the gay Stone and the gay Stone's boyfriend at the dinner table. Kelly is just being a good father. Meredith gets drunk and transforms into a nice person with vulnerabilties, even after she sobers up. According to "The Family Stone", slipping on a lot of food is what will break the ice between you and your potential in-laws. Meredith's transformation doesn't feel organic. It's just what the screenplay calls for.… Expand

I thought the movie was cute, it was real and except for the whole switch thing, which i forced myself to accept because otherwise i wouldn't have given it a chance, i realized, it made me laugh, it made me cry, what more could i ask for?

and the character reactions are not approriate to the dialogue. The relationships are not believable not realistic. A very painful movie to sit through.

Trite plotting, uneven performances, seriously misplaced editorial sympathies and wildly miscalculated attitudinizing cause writer-director Thomas Bezucha's would-be hilarious and heartwarming holiday-centered comedy-drama to...well, sink like a stone. Hidebound, somewhat uptight corporate supervisor Meredith Morton (Sarah Jessica Parker), who's established in the opening scenes as a Scrooge simply for making some tough calls that ANY businessperson would normally have to make during the Christmas season, visits her fiance's 1960s-throwback, let-it-all-hang-out family, and that's what the movie's central problem starts: neither they nor Bezucha even make a pretense at giving her a chance. As played by Parker, Meredith stuck me as a little high-strung, maybe trying a bit too hard, but fundamentally a decent, well-meaning person whose main flaw (besides, in Bezucha's view, letting her subscription to The Politically Correct Newsletter lapse) is that she doesn't seem to find the most socially acceptable phrasings in order to voice opinions that she and many, many Americans have every right to have and express, and yet the Stones treat her as rudely and judgementally as Robert DeNiro did Ben Stiller in the Meet the Parents movies. (At least the makers of THOSE films were clearly sympathetic to Stiller, and at least Blythe Danner was there as a tempering force.) Some posters on this site have commented that this a movie that blue-staters will love and red-staters hate, and that's precisely the problem: look, I'm a moderate Democrat who loves Michael Moore, detests Wal-Mart and mostly agrees with John Murtha's recent Iraq stance, but I also know that just as the current pendulum swing of excessive anti-tobacco laws treating smokers as social pariahs resulted largely from their callous disregard for nonsmokers' rights and comforts, so also the extreme popularity of Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter and Fox News is in large part the result of an often all-too-true perception on the part of good, decent conservatives that liberals patronizingly treat them as social and intellectual Neanderthals. It's interesting and ironic to observe that another current holiday release, the not-as-controversial-as-anyone-predicted Brokeback Mountain, may actually be bringing some members of opposing political and social factions together in honest, courteous discussion and debate because it treats all of its characters fairly (and because many moviegoers, regardless of their viewponts on homosexuality, simply love a good weeper), while this movie, in its insistence that Meredith needs to change her views rather than having the Stones treat her with the respect, dignity and decency that a guest, a future family member and a human being warrants, may be driving people apart. Of course, some of this may be attributed to Parker's deservedly Golden Globe-nominated portrayal; she obviously doesn't see Meredith as a one-dimensional ninny, but imbues her with the same measure of empathy that she regularly brought to her signature character, the much-loved Carrie Bradshaw of TV's Sex and the City. And even though this movie includes one of those tireder-than-tired sequences where a character permanently drops all her inhibitions after being treated to an aquariumful of brew, Parker's Dos Equis-fueled bunny hop to Maxine Nightingale's hit "Right Back Where We Started From" was about the cutest thing I've seen in a non-animated feature film since Jennifer Garner's extended dance number to Michael Jackson's "Thriller" about a year and a half ago. As far as the rest of the cast goes, Diane Keaton, Craig T. Nelson and Luke Wilson acquit themselves honorably; you can't blame Bezucha for yet another humorless, one-note Dermot Mulroney performance (as Parker's betrothed), but I'll do exactly that for getting a completely colorless one out of Claire Danes (especially after being so luminous in Shopgirl) and the first really bad one ever in the heretofore perfect career of Rachel McAdams (Red Eye, The Notebook) as a snotty younger sister. Oh, yes, let's not forget: The Family Stone throws in that old standby, a fatal disease, in order to give all this some Deeper Meaning. All it ends up doing, besides leading up to the most predictable final shot in years, is prove that while Wilson's character contends that Parker's "needs to fly (her) freak flag", Bezucha obviously kept his originality flag folded up, locked in a drawer, and completely out of view throughout.… Expand

Not even good actors can save this cliched, colour by numbers film. The story has Sarah Jessica Parker playing an annoying Christmas house guest, meeting her in-laws for the first time and saying as many inappropriate things as possible to as many characters who will listen - the matriarch, the grumpy sister, the deaf gay brother (why deaf?) and his multi-racial "modern" family. How this most improbable plot was conceived is amazing. Surely this could never happen in a day and everyone still love each other at the end. Avoid.… Expand

I was expecting this movie for a long time. I mean, look at the cast, there's DIANE KEATON for god sakes!. Anyway, I was really dissapointed, and here's why: the movie tries too hard, and I mean TOO HARD to be a charming holiday movie, but it doesn't succeed at all. You're like, watchign this very funny scene and 30 seconds later one of the characters is making a devastating announce. Thomas Bezucha wants you to laugh (in which he succeeds) and cry (he doesn't), the screenplay is what's wrong here. The actign is ok, I was expectign more, specially from Keaton but you can't expect ore from such a bad script, so the cast does just fine (though SJP is really great). It was entertaining but when it ends you feel like they have cheated on you.… Expand

Both very funny and heartwarming. The acting is wonderful, and the move is very entertaining. The movie portrays a family reunion at Christmas, with more sweet than bitter, and plenty of drama and laughter to keeping you watching with pleasure till the end.

The worst movie I saw in 2005. With the exception of Luke Wilson's character, I was hoping they'd all get cancer and die at the end of the film. I found the notion of a gay, deaf couple trying to adopt a baby, only to be insulted at the dinner table by the vacuous, yet emotional (feel sorry for me, please) Sarah Jessica Parker character extremely insulting to all gay, bi-racial and deaf people. Actually, it's insulting to anyone with a brain. Between the overtly sadistic mother and daughter, Sarah Jessica Parker's pathetic character, the unbelievable storylines and contrived slapstick, it was unwatchable. This is a terrible, terrible movie.… Expand

[**Spoilers**]Gah. I really wanted to like this movie, and for the first act I did. I admit it. Even though Parker was patently unlikeable, the family circus into which she's thrown was intriguing. Rachel McAdams plays the harpie well and Diane Keaton the shrew. And Luke Wilson plays Luke Wilson, so what's to complain about? But come on--did the screenwriter have to take every shortcut and cliche in the book? Claire Danes' character is completely extranaeous! Why are we rewarding Dermot Mulroney's character for treating Parker so poorly? Where's the law that says everyone has to match up nicely at the end? The Luke WIlson/Parker + Mulroney/Danes thing was apparent from the moment Danes was introduced, but why was she even necessary? Why couldn't this be a movie about the Family Stone, with their intriguing and beguiling cast of characters, and the efforts of Parker to be accepted and Mulroney to stick up for his choice in women? Why did this have to suddenly dissolve into a ridiculous love quadrangle? And what was up with the slapstick climactic scene? Who in their right mind punctuates an explosion on Christmas morning with a mad dash to the casserole dishes? Ugh. I'm sorry--this movie annoyed me, broke my heart even, because there was a well-written, funny, and even heart-warming film underneath, but it was ruined when the writer/director decided to hit every cliche he could think of on the way to mediocrity.… Expand

A lot of weak moments and too much plot crowding out the characters, yet there are a few incredibly strong moments that make the film worthwhile. The quality of the acting is far superior than the writing/directing.

If you think cancer makes a great plot twist in a holiday comedy, this is the show for you. If not, run away. Note re: the guy who wrote it (who's also, I believe, the guy who directed it): this is why they coined the phrase "Don't give up your day job." Watch "Home for the Holidays"; leave this charred turkey on the shelf. Absolutely cringe-inducing.

This movie hurts. The hero and only likable character in this movie is cancer.

My new holiday fix. The ensemble cast is great. The script has some trouble balancing between the comedy and the drama, but, in the end, you get to feel good about it.

This movie might not be a 10, but three people have given it a 0 which is complete idiocy. The Family Stone might not be what everyone is looking for, but its extremely watchable and has a few great characters (eg Rachael McAdams) even if they are a bit unbelievable.

I liked it. If you just take it as what it was meant to be which is entertainment and don't read too much into it, you just get just that - entertained.

SJP should stick to NYC.

This movie was horrible. The uncomfortable situations were overwhelming and uncomfortable to watch. One can identify with the characters, but there are too many "characters" which puts you in sensory overload. Overall the movie was horrible, but my wife loved it.

Surprises abound in this dramedy, which avoids the usual cliche traps of home-for-the-holidays tripe. The acting ensemble is aces.

Acting was phenominal but it fell flat when they tried way to hard to make it funny and thoughtful. Although some scenes were very thoughtful like the one under the Chrismas Tree.

Two words- DIANE KEATON.

Absolutely the worst film of the year, and that's really saying something considering 2005 has been the worst year for films, oh, EVER. Laugh-free, heavy-handed, contrived, puke-inducing...no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Avoid like ebola.

Not as funny as I had hoped...it was pretty predictable but sweet, overall a fairly average story with some big screw ups, like how did it turn into Christmas night so quickly? One minute it's broad daylight and they're going to the bus stop, but it's pitch black when they get there. Did anyone else notice that? And did that poor kid open gifts all alone or what? A 7 might be too generous...but it's Christmas, right?!!!… Expand

Tragically failing comic

Bittersweet 2 or 3 hankie romantic comedy well worth going to see. One of the best movies of the year. This film goer is over 18 which might explain some of the negative reviews. The movie is much more enjoyable to those who have actually experienced life beyond a video game, so only you can decide if you qualify.

I had to apologize to my husband for taking him to see this dreck. It was awful. After an hour we joined the other people walking out of the theater too. Too appease my husband we snuck into KING KONG. Half way through my husband whispered in my ear can we sneak back into the Family Stone. Both movies are atrocities of the highest order. Beware!

I found it fantastic. If you're conservative you will hate this. If you're liberal you'll love it. If you want to compare your crazy relatives to these, you'll probably find the movie worth it.

A solid predictable holiday romantic comedy. Rachel McAdams, and Luke Wilson, shine in great character roles. This film has more depth and raises more issues than many romantic comedys.

Tried so hard to be a chick flick feel good movie for the holidays. Failed miserably on all fronts. It was just plain boring and had no sentimentality. Everything was predictable within minutes of seeing the boring characters. Sarah Jessica Parker never looked worse than she did in this film. Horrible as many in the audience walked out early.

Totally unoriginal and manipulative.

A schizonphrenic movie. It couldn't decide whether to be a comedy or a drama.

One of the worst movies I have seen in a long time. Not funny, not believable, not enjoyable. I just kept wondering "When is it going to be over?"

Dismal... and just plain miserable. Thank Christ I didn't spoil my Christmas by going to see this family-drama-gone-wrong in the cinema.

Why do writers and producers think such mush is entertainment? Boring, silly and sad. This couold have been a great movie, but the overall impact is a movie to forget. Keaton shines, as always.

Bring your No Doze if you intend to try to watch this awful drek?

Completely unoriginal idea, done thousands of times over.

I really liked this movie. It was laugh out loud funny and sweet too.

I loved this movie! it was absolutely fantastic, it has just about everything you could want in a movie including a holiday!!