Many years ago, 15 to be exact, I took a trip out of town to watch The Family Stone. There was a lot to like about the film from just watching the trailer. Usually, I tend to turn away from the complex family storylines since they tend to always be the same. There’s always the siblings who don’t get along, there’s a new love interest who may or may not be liked by the family, the goofy sibling who is the comedy relief, the mom and/or dad who try to keep everything together, and of course the better than everyone else sibling who is the one who stirs the pot.
I pretty much summed up all the characters in The Family Stone without mentioning who played what character. All you need to know is a few things. Sarah Jessica Parker is the worse character in the story. She’s annoying, and despite her best intentions, has the worse luck. Her character was never given a chance to make a great first impression, which was alright with me since I never warmed up to her.
My favourite character is a toss-up between Ben (Luke Wilson) and Amy (Rachel McAdams). Ben is the goofy sibling who spends most of his time smoking weed and hitting his brother’s girlfriend. Meanwhile, Amy is just oozing negatively, and it brings a bunch of excitement to every scene she’s in.
People who come from large families can sit back and appreciate the efforts of the writers who tried to jam pack as much action and drama as you can in a small window. Christmas is a special time where people get together to celebrate the best and worse times. Even the tightest family has its issues, which usually make these gatherings worth it.
There is a lot to take away from The Family Stone. No matter who is in your family, you need to take a moment to appreciate the time you have together because no one can say when it will be the last Christmas. You will probably chuckle, and you may cry a little. A great cast with interesting characters makes this journey a fun time. 6/10
Ten Stars or Less 