by Frank Calvillo
When some critics were starting to declare The Family Stone an immediate classic which would be treasured now and forever, needless to say, I was skeptical. How can anyone predict what will resonate with the average audience member to such an extent that they would want to go back and revisit it for years to come? This year, as The Family Stone celebrates its tenth anniversary, I understand what those early critics meant, as the film has become one of my go-to Christmas favorites every year since I first laid eyes on it.
In The Family Stone, the tightly-wound Meredith Morton (Sarah Jessica Parker) is accompanying her boyfriend Everett Stone (Dermot Mulroney) back to his childhood home to spend the holidays with him and meet his family for the first time. After a rocky introduction, it becomes clear that the progressive Stones (Mom- Diane Keaton, Dad- Craig T. Nelson, Brother- Luke Wilson and Sister- Rachel McAdams) clash with the type-A Meredith. One awkward, yet hilarious incident follows another, while romantic relationships and familial bonds are put to the test as Christmas approaches.
It feels inaccurate to some extent to call The Family Stone a Christmas movie since it is so much more than that. Yes, the holiday does provide a very touching sequence set against “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” and one present opened on Christmas Day provides one of the film’s biggest emotional moments. But this is first and foremost, a movie about the dynamics of a family. The Stones are a loving unit, but like most families, there is secrecy, fear and resentment under the surface. The film does ask the viewer to absorb a number of plot points containing these emotions, yet somehow you never feel depressed by them, but rather comforted. It’s hard not to see yourself in at least one Stone family member and relate to whatever he or she may be experiencing. It a testament to writer/director Thomas Bezucha that every moment in the film feels genuine, including the dinner scene on Christmas Eve, which remains the film’s most powerful set piece.
The Family Stone has its share of effective comedy to make it a highly enjoyable experience, but its the film’s ability to remind us about the importance of family which makes it memorable. It’s true, there are a great many holiday films claiming to do the same thing. Some actually succeed. Yet none do so in ways this humorous or real.
