In the spirit of the holiday season, I pulled out my holiday centered movies the other day and watched The Family Stone. It stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Dermot Mulroney, Claire Danes, Diane Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Craig T. Nelson and Luke Wilson. The basic premise of the movie is that all the Stone children come home for Christmas with some bringing a spouse or significant other. The movie focuses on Sarah Jessica Parker's character - Meredith Morton - who is a successful executive from Manhattan who comes off as very conservative. She goes home for the holidays with her boyfriend, Everett Stone - who is quite different from Meredith. He comes from a liberal and boisterous family who keeps tabs on all the siblings. After a few awkward attempts to get to know the family Meredith ends up running out to a nearby pub where Everett's brother, Ben, goes to check on her and ends up spending time with Meredith. Ben becomes intrigued with Meredith and quickly falls for her. Meredith checks into a nearby bed and breakfast and calls her younger sister Julie to spend the rest of Christmas with her and the Stones.
Without any knowledge of the matriarch's failing health, Meredith gifts everyone a framed candid photo that she saw on Everett's desk at work. Everyone kind of relaxes until the siblings found out that Meredith slept in Ben's bed and that Everett has essentially fallen in love with Julie. Havoc ensues and Amy's almost boyfriend - who is a paramedic - is called to the house to bandage up Ben.
One year later, all the siblings reunite in the Stone house. Meredith and Ben are a couple as are Everett and Julie and Amy and Brad (the paramedic). The other two Stone siblings, Thad and Susannah have also forged ahead in their own lives. Thad and his partner have adopted a baby boy, and Susannah who was pregnant the previous Christmas has since had her baby. It's hinted that Sybil - the matriarch - has passed away. The framed photo is on the wall next to the Christmas tree and the movie closes with Amy having a quiet moment to herself thinking about her mother.
Now, I know that this movie is about a white family. Patrick is the only person of color - aside from baby Gus at the end - but the movie deals with homophobia, preconceived notions of nature vs. nurture, and a dying matriarch. The Stone family has made it known that they are more than okay with Thad being gay. They all share similar political views. Meredith was bound to not fit in initially. At the end of the movie, the Stone family sees that some of their opinions were flawed and they open their hearts to let Meredith in.
Family structure is the foundation in this movie. The Stone family all felt that they could openly share their feelings with each other whether the others would agree or not. Meredith grew up in a way that she censored in public and even in private with her family and friends. Becoming part of the family, Meredith let go of some of those old ways that were keeping her back.
I give this movie two thumbs up!
Beucha, Thomas; London, Michael; Danes, Claire; Keaton, Diane; McAdams, Rachel; Mulroney, Dermot; Nelson, Craig T.; Parker, Sarah Jessica; Wilson, Luke (2005) The Family Stone.
Without any knowledge of the matriarch's failing health, Meredith gifts everyone a framed candid photo that she saw on Everett's desk at work. Everyone kind of relaxes until the siblings found out that Meredith slept in Ben's bed and that Everett has essentially fallen in love with Julie. Havoc ensues and Amy's almost boyfriend - who is a paramedic - is called to the house to bandage up Ben.
One year later, all the siblings reunite in the Stone house. Meredith and Ben are a couple as are Everett and Julie and Amy and Brad (the paramedic). The other two Stone siblings, Thad and Susannah have also forged ahead in their own lives. Thad and his partner have adopted a baby boy, and Susannah who was pregnant the previous Christmas has since had her baby. It's hinted that Sybil - the matriarch - has passed away. The framed photo is on the wall next to the Christmas tree and the movie closes with Amy having a quiet moment to herself thinking about her mother.
Now, I know that this movie is about a white family. Patrick is the only person of color - aside from baby Gus at the end - but the movie deals with homophobia, preconceived notions of nature vs. nurture, and a dying matriarch. The Stone family has made it known that they are more than okay with Thad being gay. They all share similar political views. Meredith was bound to not fit in initially. At the end of the movie, the Stone family sees that some of their opinions were flawed and they open their hearts to let Meredith in.
Family structure is the foundation in this movie. The Stone family all felt that they could openly share their feelings with each other whether the others would agree or not. Meredith grew up in a way that she censored in public and even in private with her family and friends. Becoming part of the family, Meredith let go of some of those old ways that were keeping her back.
I give this movie two thumbs up!
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