Keaton's aging matriarch is as sharp-tongued as she is affectionate. And I think this gets to why The Family Stone is such a perfect annual rewatch. The Stone family may bear the designation at first glance, but if you really dig in to the movie - if you watch it every year for a decade and a half - you'll find they're actually quite functional. Then there's the dysfunctional family piece, a prerequisite of holiday fare. She's a "spoiled, crazy, racist, bigot bitch from Bedford" (her words). You see, Meredith's chignons are supertight. The wonderfully messy, raucous, bohemian Stone family, which includes very-pregnant Susannah (Elizabeth Reaser), fun-loving pothead Ben (Luke Wilson in a scarf), NPR tote bag-toting Amy (Rachel McAdams), and the sweet (and deaf) Thad (Tyrone Giordano) take an instant disliking to Meredith. Oldest son Everett (Dermot Mulroney) is bringing home his partner, Meredith (Parker), to meet the family for the first time, and, as Sybil correctly intuits, to ask for his grandmother's heirloom wedding ring so he can propose. If this movie has provided me with anything, it's the hope to someday procure five adult children of my own so they too may return home for the holidays and re-create the utter warmth and cheer this film radiates. It's Christmas, and their five adult children are returning home for the holidays. Sarah Jessica Parker as Meredith in The Family Stone.įirst, the setting: The Family Stone almost entirely takes place in the sprawling and charmingly cluttered New England home of empty nesters Sybil (Diane Keaton) and Kelly (Craig T. A criminally small one, in my estimation, because it's the perfect Christmas movie. While audiences (also me) enjoyed the highs and lows of the film's quirky love triangle - nay, rhombus - critics said, "Um, what?"īut over 16 Christmas seasons, the comfy-coziest of holiday films has attracted somewhat of a cult following. Where audiences (ahem, me) saw an elegant seesaw of comedic hijinks and tearjerking poignancy, critics saw tonal whiplash. A vastly underrated little gem.The festive Sarah Jessica Parker vehicle received mixed reviews when it premiered. Skilfully handled by everyone involved and the kind of film that warrants more attention. However, this is a small gripe in what is otherwise an inventive and sophisticated little drama. To go from an 18min short to a 100min feature is a bit of a stretch and as a result, the film meanders toward it's conclusion. The only apparent problem is over-length. Ellis is a director that has now caught my attention and he draws excellent performances from a relatively unknown cast. It's a cleverly constructed and stylish debut with sharp dialogue and genuinely touching and hilarious moments. Such a shame, that this hasn't gained a wider audience. However, it's also a prime example of how films can be almost completely buried if it doesn't receive the right marketing campaign. It's a good comparison as this film is as fresh and engaging as Smith's earlier work. a background in poetry and painting instead of Comic-books and bestiality jokes". The New York Post compared Sean Ellis to "Clerks" director Kevin Smith, if he had ". This is an imaginative and thoroughly rewarding little film from a promising new director. And so begins, the journey of insomniac Ben Willis who stops time and undresses women to paint and sketch their female form. Not unlike the feeling of somebody walking over your grave". And when it started back up again, the invisible join would be seamless except for a slight shudder. Nobody would even know that time has stopped. The best way to describe this film lies in a direct quote from the protagonist himself "Within this frozen world I'm able to walk freely and unnoticed.
As sleep is hard to come by, he takes on a night-shift at the local supermarket where he develops ways to alter time and indulge in his artistic imagination. Young artist Ben Willis (Sean Biggerstaff) breaks up with girlfriend Suzy (Michelle Ryan) which leads to him developing insomnia. Because of this, he decided to expand it to feature length and delivers a delightful little independent film. Director Sean Ellis made an 18 minute short film in 2004 that won a plethora of International awards and received an Oscar nomination.