The Family Tree

Name: The Family Tree
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Released: August 26, 2011
Duration: 95 min
Rating: 24

2011

METASCORE

Generally unfavorable reviews based on 7 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 7 Ratings

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7.1	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 7 Ratings

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The Family Tree

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Movie Details & Credits

Entertainment One | Release Date: August 26, 2011 | Not Rated

Summary: Life in suburban Serenity, Ohio is never quite as serene as it appears. The dysfunctional Burnett family – Bunnie, Jack and their twin 17 year olds Eric and Kelly – seems like a lost cause. When a freak accident leaves Bunnie with a case of amnesia, the Burnetts get an unexpected second chance at happiness. Meanwhile, next door neighborLife in suburban Serenity, Ohio is never quite as serene as it appears. The dysfunctional Burnett family – Bunnie, Jack and their twin 17 year olds Eric and Kelly – seems like a lost cause. When a freak accident leaves Bunnie with a case of amnesia, the Burnetts get an unexpected second chance at happiness. Meanwhile, next door neighbor Simon is relieved that his tryst gone wrong with Bunnie remains undetected, at least for the moment. Before long, a slew of past relationships, kids with guns, a suicidal teacher, a very zealous religious club, misinterpreted advances, corporate down-sizing, and one fateful squirrel combine to create enough mayhem to test the resolve, sanity and future of any family! (Entertainment One U.S.)… Expand

Director: Vivi Friedman

Genre(s): Drama, Comedy

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 95 min

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Critic Reviews

Gary Goldstein

Aug 25, 2011

Director Vivi Friedman's inability to successfully reconcile the film's duality undercuts an eclectic cast gamely committed to Mark Lisson's thematically ambitious, if scattered, script. Read full review

Mark Holcomb

Aug 23, 2011

Thin as it is, Family Tree is no slog - the droll, attentive performances by Davis and Mulroney are endearing, and the extraneous guest-star bits (including Christina Hendricks as a secretary, no less) and rambling B stories aren't overly distracting. Read full review

Alissa Simon

Aug 20, 2011

Suffers from severe problems of tone, a surfeit of undeveloped plot points and characters, and bland direction. Read full review

Andrew Schenker

Aug 24, 2011

Surprise! The upper-middle-class family is still rotten to the core. In Vivi Friedman's overstuffed farce, the parents cheat on each other, the daughter dresses like a streetwalker, and the Bible-thumping son starts carrying a Glock. Read full review

Chuck Bowen

Aug 22, 2011

A few trite race and religion jokes goose up what's mostly a sentimental story of a dysfunctional family suddenly and magically learning to function again. Read full review

Sara Stewart

Aug 26, 2011

Family Tree, which seems to have been written using indie-film Mad Libs, devolves into way too many quirky subplots. Read full review

Stephen Holden

Aug 25, 2011

The only reason I can think of to watch Vivi Friedman's flat, satirical farce The Family Tree - and it's not a good enough reason - is the opportunity to play a game of spot the semi-star. Read full review

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User Reviews

argybargy

Aug 31, 2011

This movie has a great cast and heart. Not a perfect movie, but a very fresh and funny look at what it takes for a family to survive in suburban American chaos. I especially liked the young actors (Brittany Robertson, Max Thieriot, Madeline Zima) and also Hope Davis. And Mad Men's ChristinaThis movie has a great cast and heart. Not a perfect movie, but a very fresh and funny look at what it takes for a family to survive in suburban American chaos. I especially liked the young actors (Brittany Robertson, Max Thieriot, Madeline Zima) and also Hope Davis. And Mad Men's Christina Hendricks adds enough spice to keep men awake at night. All in all, a refreshing indie change from the summer's same old same old.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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