Christmas and a boring family

The Family Stone attempts to be a ensemble piece that is both melancholy and romantic and comedic all in one film. It pretty much fails on all levels. It aims for melancholy in the fact that a family member is dying. Of all the possible ways to make a holiday movie depressing, this to me seems the most generic and cliche.

Unfortunately the romantic comedy aspect isn't any better. From a premise of comically mismatched people getting together and the importance of finding "true" love, the film reaches its dramatic climax with such an absurd premise that I abandoned any interest in the film. Of course all the actors do wonders with the roles they have been given, but the roles they have been given are fairly one dimensional. The problems of the people are mostly petty and much dramatic conflict is drawn out of the uptight Meredith (Sarah Jessica Parker) and the absurdly bohemian family Stone.

Only one moment in the entire film actually intrigued me. In a series of montages, we view one of the daughters, Susannah (quite pregnant, and already having one child)talking on the phone with her husband who has apparently relayed the information that he won't be coming to Christmas until late. She accepts this and continues watching a late night movie Meet Me In St. Louis (1944). As the montage of different characters goes on, we see everyone in different states of depression, but only Susannah seemed interesting.

I wanted to know why she looked so sad. Why was her husband delayed? Was their marriage in trouble? The family Stone which is clearly obsessed with finding the right person for the right child surely would have weighed and measured Susannah's husband before the married. How could they make such a miscalculation? Of course in the end, the husband shows up and everything is actually fine. A cheap cop out for what could have been a powerful subplot.

In the end it was this scene that made me dislike the movie even more. So much could have been mined here for effect. Myth of Fingerprints (1997) is a great example of a holiday movie that is darkly tragic. But god forbid a Christmas movie not be cheerful. Wouldn't want to bring anyone down. The death of the sick character is only strongly alluded to. I had lost interest in the family fairly quickly and no amount of sweetness or slapstick could keep me entertained once that happened.