A Christmas movie in January

Film review: The Family Stone

The trouble with the popularity of special effects driven films is that they tend to diminish the charms of movies that deal with the day-to-day lives of ordinary people. Just in case some of you have forgotten the likes of Pretty Woman, Home Alone and Saving Private Ryan have no superheroes nor spectacular battle scenes and are not set in mythical kingdoms. But these and others like them move us to tears, laughter and can every bit be as exciting. In fact, they send us fantasizing about reachable dreams like shopping sprees on Rodeo Drive or the virtues of valor in every man.

Watching Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City elicited a number of fantasies. Think of an apartment in Manhattan, a rich and handsome boyfriend’s like Big and of strutting down Fifth Avenue in Manolo Blahniks while Moon River plays in the background. Dreamy. But like all dreams, they also come to end. Parker has put Carrie to rest and is now dealing with more mundane things like getting accepted by the family of a boyfriend in the romantic comedy The Family Stone.

Parker turns in a wonderful performance as Meredith, an uptight executive who also wants marriage. She expects to put this plan into action by spending the Christmas holidays with her boyfriend’s family. Now, there is something about Christmas vacation that brings out the worst in everybody. Maybe because, unlike other holidays, this one is spent with families, which can be made up of people you will never choose to be with. I do not think Meredith will choose to spend time with the Stones, but she does because she is in love. She is looking for the acceptance that will firm up the relationship and is willing to go the extra mile or more.

Everything seems perfect. Cold outside like New England in December is meant to be but warm inside with the solid nurturing presence of the father Kelly played by Craig Nelson and the seemingly fun and quirky mother Sybil played by the eternally watchable Diane Keaton in another memorable performance. But meeting future in-laws can be an excruciating experience and Meredith’s is one for the books. Sybil is obviously not pleased with her son Everett’s choice. Too rigid. Too different. Besides, at that point in her life, Sybil is not really prepared to admit any outsider into the tight circle she has erected around herself and her family.

Everett’s siblings are also of no help. One sister Susannah is as dull as anybody can imagine. Ignore her. A brother, Ben seems nice although unpredictable. Just smile and move along. Another brother Thad is gay. He has brought along his partner Patrick and they are planning to adopt a baby. That is OK by some and the straight-laced Meredith will just have to grin and bear it. She would have preferred to do the same with Amy, but the youngest sibling has decided to do away with the niceties for their guest. After all, the whole family thinks Meredith is unsuitable for Everett so she sees nothing wrong with being open about it. Sybil, of course, heartily approves.

Director Thomas Bezucha wrote The Family Stone as a screwball comedy where awkward domestic situations get the laughs. Think hilarious bedlam in the  kitchen with pots and pans flying. This works most of the time. But this is all on the surface. The story is also very sad and Bezucha is able to elicit heart-wrenching reactions for what his pathetic characters are going through alongside the madcap humor.

Not to forget. Throw in exasperating alongside sad and funny because these characters will not be in deep trouble if they can only be accepting of what they have. Meredith is exasperating because she is a successful career girl willing to do anything to be liked. Sybil is exasperating because she puts all her efforts into trying to show why Meredith cannot be part of her family. The men of the family are also exasperating for being dull, limping dependents.

The strength here comes from the women, particularly Sybil and Meredith, who would have been instant friends had they met in a different situation. Then they would have been without all the excess baggage they are bringing into their potential relationship. After all, all they need is the ability to accept their own selves and others as they really are. No secrets. No hang-ups.

All those are going to be revealed at the end of the film where a note of optimism says that happiness is in store for everybody because they have learned to become better people. Remember this is a Christmas movie about a family. By that time, every girl set to meet future-in-laws in the audience would have collected a mini-arsenal aimed at her boyfriend’s family. No way will they do a Meredith. On the other hand, by that time too, they would have seen the warm intimacy Sybil shares with Kelly. This is how married people should be when they grow old. For that, they might just be willing to salaam to any in-law.

Come to think of it, I have yet to see a spectacle radiate that sort of warmth on the screen. Can this mean that we are losing out on the exploration of human nature as films get bigger and bigger every year? All that those monsters ask us to do is ooh and aahh at the technological wonders of moviemaking. Quite likely. That is why the sight of Parker and Keaton in a sparring match set in New England Christmas spells relief even if we Pinoys only got The Family Stone this month.