The Family Stone: Bring on the Holiday Cheese
The Family Stone. 20th Century Studios (2005). Image by Nick M. W.
By R. J. F.
Sometimes you just need that cheesy holiday movie.
I’m a sucker for an ensemble cast, especially if it’s filled with actors that I enjoy. The Family Stone has one of those ensemble casts that features some amazing talent. Diane Keaton, Sarah Jessica Parker, Luke Wilson, and Claire Danes are just some of the familiar faces in this movie. It’s kind of a complicated plot to sum up, but essentially, a family comes together for Christmas. The family is full of unique personalities, but they get each other intrinsically. There is only one person who doesn’t belong, SJP’s character, Meredith, but that’s because she’s the girlfriend of one of the sons, Everett, played by Dermot Mulroney.
The title of the film is a play on words because Stone is the last name of the family, and Everett wants to propose to Meredith with the family ring, or, the stone. As with any dramedy, laughter, tension, and tears abound in this holiday film.
One thing that I thought was really great about this movie was the inclusion of deaf actor Tyrone Giordano, whose character, Thad, is not only deaf , but is also in an interracial gay marriage. Representation matters in movies, and I am drawing a blank to think of any other holiday movies that includes not only a deaf character, but one that is gay, and also married to a Black man. This is also a factor that created the most uncomfortable scene in the movie.
Meredith is, to put it lightly, not well-liked by a majority of the Stone family. They feel she is downright wrong for Everett. So, when she misspeaks at dinner on the issue of being gay, it creates an immediate backlash and reprimanding from not only Sybil, portrayed by Keaton, but Sybil’s husband, Kelly, played by Craig T. Nelson. This scene is one that makes me cringe every time I see it because Meredith just cannot shut up!
The tension is broken when Meredith dramatically tries to drive away in the deep snow and ends up plowing into a tree or two, which doesn’t sound funny, but the way it happens is humorous. I can never figure out if I feel bad for Meredith because she is so far out of her comfort zone, or if she got what’s coming to her for being slightly stuck up.
Another thing I think of when I watch this movie is that a good dramedy can be hard to pull off. They can easily swing into the overly cheesy category. The Family Stone does have some plot points that delve into the cheese, but it’s the good kind of cheese. Take for instance the tough, youngest sister, Amy, played by Rachel McAdams. Her mom is desperately trying to get Amy to give her ex-high school boyfriend another chance. Sybil even embarrassingly reminds the family that the boyfriend “popped Amy’s cherry”. Amy is totally resistant to the idea of giving her ex another chance, but ultimately ends up with him. The way in which he comes back into her life is through a drunken faux pas by Meredith, but it all ends up working out. I will say that it’s fitting and cute to see Amy melt from a frosty and feisty bitch, to a more soft-hearted person.
Yes, the cheese is strong with this one.
SPOILER ALERT
The film takes a turn when it’s revealed to the audience that Sybil is a breast cancer survivor who was just told that it has returned and that she, more than likely, will not survive. Some of her kids figure out what is going on with her health, and as they do, they have small moments with her to show her that they know what is coming down the line.
The most heartbreaking moment is when Sybil is in bed with Kelly, and she opens her blouse to reveal her mastectomy scars as he caresses her chest. This is such a tender and melancholy scene to watch, but also quite beautiful in its realism.
Sybil dies.
After the chaotic holiday is over, and fences are mended within the family, they gather again for the next Christmas, but Sybil is notably gone. I was talking with one of my bff’s, who also loves this movie, and we both noted that the end always makes us bawl our eyes out.
I only watch this movie once a year around Christmas time. Every time I do, I’m amused, and also heartbroken at the end. I’m not an overly sentimental person, and I don’t cry at the drop of a hat, but this film brings out the sentimental in me, and also the tears. So, in the next couple of weeks, I will snuggle up on my couch, shroud myself in a blanket, get a hot mug of tea, and watch one of my favorite, cheesy, holiday films.
