
Everett Stone, who made it on Wall Street, returns home for Christmas with his new girlfriend, Meredith Morton. His ultra-liberal, anti-conventional rustic Connecticut family doesn't exactly warm to the outsider, who despite her best efforts to please the prospective in-laws, looks, sounds, and acts like the conservative bigots they hate, while various Stones have their own problems. Only matriarch Sibyl Stone's unshakable maverick other son Ben gives her a chance, and as Eve... (Full plot summary below)
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Everett Stone, who made it on Wall Street, returns home for Christmas with his new girlfriend, Meredith Morton. His ultra-liberal, anti-conventional rustic Connecticut family doesn't exactly warm to the outsider, who despite her best efforts to please the prospective in-laws, looks, sounds, and acts like the conservative bigots they hate, while various Stones have their own problems. Only matriarch Sibyl Stone's unshakable maverick other son Ben gives her a chance, and as Everett won't actively turn against either, she feels more supported by him and a weird romance blossoms. Feeling beleaguered, Meredith calls in help from her easygoing sister Julie, who proves no help to her but soon develops a chemistry with Everett, so everything may now shift if they dare follow their hearts.
Leave your thoughts about The Family Stone.
| Toledo BladeChristopher BorrelliThe movie feels sentimental but never cheesy: Our allegiances shift throughout, until we decide everyone deserves our sympathy, everyone has reasons. |
| Reeling ReviewsLaura CliffordWith a few more polishes, ...may have almost sparkled, but it's been left with too many flaws to quite make the grade. |
| Laramie Movie ScopeRobert RotenA wildly uneven, poorly-written film without much entertainment value. |
| Kalamazoo GazetteJames Sanfordjust when it seems we're going to be stuck with nothing more than a well-played, holidays-are-hell comedy, Bezucha spins the story in a different, far more rewarding direction. |
| Hollywood.comKit BowenAs one of the more likable holiday films to come around in a long time, the comedy The Family Stone will also surprise you with its depth and emotional appeal. |
| Supercala.comJohn VenableI don't mind being manipulated as long as it's done well, and writer/director Thomas Bezucha knows how to steer an audience. A great first 'studio' film for Bezucha! |
| Film BlatherEugene NovikovA terrific screwball comedy in its own right, like a more erudite Meet the Parents. |
| Philadelphia InquirerCarrie RickeyThe slapstick weeper The Family Stone is a lump of coal brightened by four diamond-sharp performances. |
| eFilmCritic.comErik ChildressBezucha's film accurately captures the forlorn hysteria of those few days when love should be the primary emotion and not judgmental claustrophobia. |
| Premiere MagazineRachel ClarkeThe Family Stone may not be super-serious or even, well, sly, but none of that matters: this is a warm and engaging film that is sure to become a perennial Christmas favorite. |