The Family Stone (2005)
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A tense holiday gathering in a New England town becomes complicated when a man's uptight girlfriend meets his bohemian family.
The story
The plot follows the Christmas holiday misadventures of the Stone family in a small New England town when the eldest son (Mulroney) brings his uptight girlfriend (Parker) home with the intention of proposing to her with a cherished heirloom ring. Overwhelmed by the hostile reception, she begs her sister to join her for emotional support, which triggers further complications. The story follows the interactions between the rigid Meredith and the bohemian Stone family, including her brother's friends and the family's internal dynamics during the holiday season.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Everett Stone brings his anxious girlfriend, Meredith, to his bohemian family's home in New England for Christmas. Meredith feels like an outsider among the siblings and parents, particularly facing coldness from Sybil and Amy. After a series of mishaps, Meredith's sister Julie joins her, and the family warms to her. Meanwhile, it is revealed that Sybil's cancer has returned. During a tense Christmas Eve dinner, a discussion about adoption leads to a confrontation where Meredith's comments offend the family. After a car accident, Meredith spends time with Ben, leading to a misunderstanding about their intimacy. On Christmas Day, Sybil offers her ring to Everett, who is actually interested in Julie. A misunderstanding leads to a moment where the sisters believe a proposal is happening. After a series of mishaps, including a physical mess in the kitchen, the family reconciles. One year later, the family reunites; Sybil has passed away, and the siblings have formed new relationships, with Meredith and Ben and Everett and Julie now as couples.
- First release year
- 2005
- Runtime (minutes)
- 103
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Thomas Bezucha
- Writers
- Thomas Bezucha · writer
- Cast and characters
- Claire Danes · Sybil; Diane Keaton · Sybil; Rachel McAdams · Amy Stone; Dermot Mulroney · Everett Stone; Craig T. Nelson · Kelly; Sarah Jessica Parker · Meredith; Luke Wilson · Ben
- Genres
- comedy-drama; romance
- Themes
- family dynamics; holiday traditions; identity; illness
- Tone and mood
- comedy; drama; screwball
- Premise and plot tags
- holiday; dysfunctional family; romance
- Content notes
- LGBTQ-related
- Reception
- The film received mixed critical reviews but was a commercial success.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 52% · scale: percentage · review count: 159; CinemaScore · score: B+ · scale: A+ to F
- Awards and nominations
- Golden Globe Award · performance · nomination; Satellite Award · nomination · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was originally titled F---ing Hate Her.; The film was based on an experience with the director's own family.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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