The Family Stone (2005)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Christopher H

  
  The cast give it their best shot, but they can't save this film from a script full of contrived drama and jarring tone inconsistencies. When the film is trying to be dramatic, it feels like a Lifetime channel movie. The relationships are unbelievable and the family comes across… More
  The cast give it their best shot, but they can't save this film from a script full of contrived drama and jarring tone inconsistencies. When the film is trying to be dramatic, it feels like a Lifetime channel movie. The relationships are unbelievable and the family comes across as unpleasant and mean. When the film is trying to be funny, it is humorless slapstick that is usually placed after "serious" moments. The movie is also very blandly directed and the cinematography is TV movie quality. Their is some good acting and a few little laughs but the film does not work as a whole. This movie is not a "feel-good" romantic comedy, it is a "feel-bad" TV movie that somehow missed the Lifetime channel.

• Jameson W

  
  Completely underrated! Great film!

• jay n

  
  A cast full of talented people but the characters are so unpleasant why would you want to spend a hour with them.

• Bethany M

  
  Heartwarming. Everyone in this film was exceptional. The acting was outstanding and the story was cleverly and beautifully written. You don't except the ending and Sarah Jessica Parker really did have a good role in this film. A must see!

• John H

  
  It's always nice to see someone bring his fiance in for the holidays for his family to meet only to have everyone make her feel less than welcomed and come right out and say "we hate you." Not only that but how bad is it for that poor woman's sister to come in and… More
  It's always nice to see someone bring his fiance in for the holidays for his family to meet only to have everyone make her feel less than welcomed and come right out and say "we hate you." Not only that but how bad is it for that poor woman's sister to come in and be welcomed instead and have the dying mother think that she's a better match for him than his fiance. F*CK THESE GUYS! They are horrible people!

• ♥Robyn

  
  It's Christmas, and the Stone family is welcoming back all its siblings for the holidays,Its supposed to be the season of good will, but theres not much of it going round in The Family Stone. Diane Keaton plays the head of the clan and leads the assault on Sarah Jessica Parker as… More
  It's Christmas, and the Stone family is welcoming back all its siblings for the holidays,Its supposed to be the season of good will, but theres not much of it going round in The Family Stone. Diane Keaton plays the head of the clan and leads the assault on Sarah Jessica Parker as the uptight New Yorker who threatens to marry her son (Dermot Mulroney).the entire family instantly dislikes Meredith - except for Ben, who clearly digs her,well various tensions emerge that include Sybils refusal to let Everett propose to Meredith with his grandmothers ring and a distraught Meredith brings in her sister Julie (Claire Danes) for support, and that causes more problems when Everett falls for her.

• Dead A

  
  It started out neat and ended up being messy. That's what I felt about this movie. Did I liked it? Kinda. But not entirely impressed.

• Nicki M

  
  Probably not exactly what you would expect when you sit down to watch a Christmas movie. (Meaning generally they are feel good fluff or kidsy!). This deals with a few issues such as illness (without giving too much away), and mainly centres on Sarah Jessica Parker's character,… More
  Probably not exactly what you would expect when you sit down to watch a Christmas movie. (Meaning generally they are feel good fluff or kidsy!). This deals with a few issues such as illness (without giving too much away), and mainly centres on Sarah Jessica Parker's character, Meredith, who is meeting her boyfriend's family for the first time, (most of whom are really stuck up and full of themselves). Admittedly, she is socially awkward and puts her foot in it a few times, but I still found her sympathetic and the Stone family, with the exception of Luke Wilson as Ben, pretty damn horrible. Great cast including Claire Danes and Rachel McAdams. Though it is not rated all that well, I actually like this one. It does get a bit silly at the end and sentimental, but that is typical of a Christmas film, and I did like how things turned out for Meredith. The thing I liked about this was that it had a bit of depth to the story and something we don't normally see in a film of it's type.

• Cassie H

  
  Funny at times but this is not one of my favorite movies.

• Tony G

  
  One of the worst rom-coms ever made.

• KJ P

  
  I have seen much worse, but I was pretty boring and lacking of storytelling! A for sure skip for anyone!

• Anthony L

  
  It's fair to say that even before sitting down to watch The Family Stone, the chances It was going to be my kind of film were slim. They couldn't have been slimmer. I was open minded, but it fast became clear that this wasn't the quirky little indie that Tom… More
  It's fair to say that even before sitting down to watch The Family Stone, the chances It was going to be my kind of film were slim. They couldn't have been slimmer. I was open minded, but it fast became clear that this wasn't the quirky little indie that Tom 'Bazuka That Verruka' Bezucha thought (thinks) it was. I truly believe that this film and others like it should have a higher rating as I honestly believe that this gives out a dangerous message to young impressionable minds. I regard films such as Halloween and Friday the 13th less harmful to be honest and would rather my kids watch them rather than this horrid mess (although I won't let my kids watch them, I'm just making a point)! The Family Stone develops its characters only to contradict itself halfway through, shattering any drama or humour by firing off a machine gun of contrived relationships, conversations and interactions. It's a complete mess and feels like it's been made up while filming. Its final conclusion is actually insulting to anyone with half a brain over the age of 7. Absolute garbage. PS. Dermot Mulroney is not as good an actor as a piece of wood and Sarah Jessica Parker looks like a foot!

• Thomas B

  
  a very touching story. sarah jessica parker proves that she is worth her weight in gold, playing the almost obsessive compulsive fiance. luke wilson is also brilliant, though it is diane keaton who holds the entire movie together.

• Julie B

  
  A fine rainy-Saturday-afternoon movie. A little hard to see SJP play this type, but had plenty of enjoyable moments.

• Candy R

  
  A man brings his uptight girlfriend home to meet his family at Christmas with disastrous consequences. From the trailer this looks like a funny Christmas movie, but this is not a funny movie. I went to see this when it was released at Christmas and the ending made me sad.

• Jens S

  
  As the family is coming together for the Christmas holidays, the oldest son is bringing his girlfriend which is cause quite a lot of confrontations. While this situation cause a few more or less amusing scenes on the first half, the movie then falls into a whole in the middle part,… More
  As the family is coming together for the Christmas holidays, the oldest son is bringing his girlfriend which is cause quite a lot of confrontations. While this situation cause a few more or less amusing scenes on the first half, the movie then falls into a whole in the middle part, getting unnecessarily sappy and losing most of the drive the good cast gathered in the beginning (except for Diane Keaton who is as annoying as always). With more and more characters acting not exactly understandable for the audience and partners switching somewhat randomly, causing constellations that just do not seem right which turns as quite a big problem for the ending of the film. With a little less political correctness and a little less drama this could have worked just fine, but as it is, the film is not all that much to write home about. Even when you are in the mood for a holiday movie.

• Cassandra M

  
  Thomas Bezucha's 'The Family Stone' surprised me. I expected a catty WASPish family satire ? that, at least, was the impression given in most reviews. I liked this a great deal. The discomfort felt by Sarah Jessica Parker's uptight career girl as she spends… More
  Thomas Bezucha's 'The Family Stone' surprised me. I expected a catty WASPish family satire ? that, at least, was the impression given in most reviews. I liked this a great deal. The discomfort felt by Sarah Jessica Parker's uptight career girl as she spends Christmas with her partner's close-knit New England liberal family is used to good effect, but as much awkwardness is felt as a result of their jibes as by her tactlessness, so she's not marked out solely as a stooge. Dermot Mulroney, Rachel McAdams (the best thing in Wes Craven's 'Red Eye'), Luke Wilson (a much better actor than brother Owen) and Diane Keaton also give fine turns, and Craig T. Nelson - another much underrated character actor ? is perfectly cast Keaton's husband. It's occasionally sentimental, as certain family secrets are revealed, but never in a sickly manner, and works principally because it's that rare Hollywood beast, a genuinely well written ensemble piece. Good work Mr Bezucha. Worth a look.

• Red L

  
  I quite enjoyed this movie. Besides the hilarious interactions between Stone family members, there is a serious story going on. By the end of the movie (a year after the start of the movie), you are half weeping and half joyful.

• Steve B

  
  This movie sucked so much, it made my ears pop. Fuck you, movie!

• Aliyanto L

  
  Love could come in a way we couldn't think!

Read all 20 featured audience ratings