Synopsis
An uptight, conservative businesswoman accompanies her boyfriend to his eccentric and outgoing family's annual Christmas celebration and finds that she's a fish out of water in their free-spirited way of life.
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Cast
- Dermot MulroneyEverett Stone
- Sarah Jessica ParkerMeredith Morton
- Diane KeatonSybil Stone
- Luke WilsonBen Stone
- Claire DanesJulie Morton
- Rachel McAdamsAmy Stone
- Craig T. NelsonKelly Stone
- Tyrone GiordanoThad Stone
- Brian J. WhitePatrick Thomas
- Elizabeth ReaserSusannah Stone Trousdale
Recommendations
- 75
Rolling Stone
Keaton, a sorceress at blending humor and heartbreak, honors the film with a grace that makes it stick in the memory. - 75
Entertainment Weekly
Parker has a great time being the anti–Carrie Bradshaw while Keaton-as-matriarch is a particular joy -- funny, beautiful, elegant, touching, and at ease with a familiar, get-out-your-hankies holiday subplot. - 70
Dallas Observer
As ridiculous, as mawkish and schizophrenic as The Family Stone is, it's also surprisingly endearing. - 60
Empire
Although in danger of being unable to decide what kind of film it wants to be, a well-written script and well-judged performances make this a family outing worth taking. - 50
Newsweek
Lurching uncertainly from slapstick to tears, The Family Stone works hard to warm the cockles of our hearts. The cast is attractive. The sentiments are commendable. But the love Bezucha wants us to feel for the family couldn't possibly compete with the love they already feel for themselves. - 50
Variety
Keaton embodies the formidable Stone matriarch with an offhand sense of humor that cuts like a knife. - 50
L.A. Weekly
A potentially interesting tale flailing haplessly in the quicksand of holiday-movie formula. - 50
The Hollywood Reporter
Spends too much time on unconvincing romantic-comedy contrivances to be consistently engaging. Throughout the uneven film and its mixed bag of performances, the compelling point of focus is Diane Keaton's smart, funny, spot-on natural portrait of the formidable Stone matriarch.
