The Family Stone – Filtered
Synopsis
Christmastime has come for the Stones, including Kelly (Craig T. Nelson) and Sybil (Diane Keaton), and their children, rebellious Amy (Rachael McAdams), stoner Ben (Luke Wilson), deaf and gay Thad (Tyrone Giordano), pregnant Susannah (Elizabeth Reaser), and businessman Everett (Dermot Mulroney), who is bringing his uptight girlfriend Meredith (Sarah Jessica Parker) home with him for the holidays. The Stones immediately dislike Meredith, finding their tight family ways conflict with her frigidness and unease with their lifestyle. As the holidays wear on, and Meredith calls in her sister (Claire Danes) for reinforcement, the drama escalates in the household, altering the family dynamic in ways nobody was expecting in what was to be a nice, quiet Christmas.
Dove Review
There is a good plot to this movie about how a family comes together to realize that they need to be respectful. They learn that their mother is sick and things change for the better. The thing that prevents it from being a family-friendly film is the inclusion of a homosexual couple and how they are accepted by the whole family and they decide to adopt a baby. And pot is mentioned a couple of times. The film was slow at first but then towards the end it picked up. It is somewhat touching when they learn about their mother’s illness and how she isn’t there the next Christmas and she is missed.