The Family Stone (2005)

Director:

Thomas Bezucha

Writer (WGA):

Thomas Bezucha (written by)

Release Date:

16 December 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Feel The Love.

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Christmas | Deaf | Secret | Ring | Farce

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 6 nominations

Cast

Claire Danes	...	Julie Morton
Diane Keaton	...	Sybil Stone
Rachel McAdams	...	Amy Stone
Dermot Mulroney	...	Everett Stone
Craig T. Nelson	...	Kelly Stone
Sarah Jessica Parker	...	Meredith Morton
Luke Wilson	...	Ben Stone
Tyrone Giordano	...	Thad Stone (as Ty Giordano)
Brian J. White	...	Patrick Thomas (as Brian White)
Elizabeth Reaser	...	Susannah Stone Trousdale
Paul Schneider	...	Brad Stevenson
Savannah Stehlin	...	Elizabeth Trousdale
Jamie Kaler	...	John Trousdale
Robert Dioguardi	...	David Silver
Carol Locatell	...	Jeweler

Also Known As:

Hating Her (USA) (working title)
Untitled Thomas Bezucha Project (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some sexual content including dialogue, and drug references.

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | American Sign Language

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS | DTS

Certification:

USA:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | UK:PG | Ireland:PG | Netherlands:MG6 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Finland:K-3 | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Taiwan:GP | Sweden:Btl | Mexico:B | Sweden:7 | Argentina:Atp | Brazil:12 | Iceland:L | Malaysia:U | Hungary:14 | Australia:M | Portugal:M/12 | Germany:6 | South Korea:15 | Spain:13

Filming Locations:

Connecticut, USA

Company:

The Family Stone

Trivia:

Billy Crudup and Johnny Knoxville were expected to play the roles of Everett and Ben Stone before dropping out. The part later went to Luke Wilson. Aaron Eckhart was first cast in the role of Everett but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: Some scenes of the Family Stone's "New England town" were actually filmed in the Borough of Madison, NJ. No problem there - it could pass for a New England town. However, an aerial shot of the town square clearly shows a New Jersey Transit train pulling out of the station - definitely not something one would ever see in a New England town!

Quotes:

Patrick Thomas: [Meredith is up while playing charades] Uh... bride!
Amy Stone: [after giving her the 4-word movie title] Always A Bridesmaid, Never a Bride!... Oh, wait, that's six words.

Movie Connections:

References La mariée était en noir (1968)

Soundtrack:

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

If you mix tragedy and fun, you have to know how

The movie contains a very serious plot part (cancer), which isn't worked into the story at all!!! Only a few movies manage to bridge this difficult combination of seriousness and laughter. This movie definitively doesn't. I am not the person to criticize every movie and I think criticism is often rather self promotion. But I registered extra here, because that movie annoyed me. This is not comparable to good fun/tragedy movies the class of Forrest Gump.

Stay away from this one and watch a funny movie, if you want to laugh. Even the comedy scenes aren't as fun as Meet the parents or the same years 40-year old virgin.