2025 Blind Spot Series: The Family Stone

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Official Synopsis: An uptight businesswoman (Sarah Jessica Parker) accompanies her boyfriend (Dermot Mulroney)to his eccentric and outgoing family's annual Christmas celebration and finds that she's a fish out of water in their free-spirited way of life.

20 years is a little "young" to be a Blind Spot, but we're approaching the holiday season and this film always gets brought up in annual Christmas lists. I was never compelled to watch this back then, but now I'm curious to see what I've been missing.

On one hand, this film is surprisingly progressive for its time. I wasn't expecting there to be a gay couple ( Tyrone Giodano and Brian White) much less a gay couple where one of then men is deaf?! We love that representation (though it is painfully obvious no one in this film aside from Giodano actually knows sign language) I also loved bratty Rachel McAdams, and that the closest thing this film gets to a love scene is between the oldest couple. (Diane Keaton and Craig T Nelson) There's small touches throughout that I really appreciated. And overall, I enjoyed this film, but I had one big problem with it and unfortunately I have to use spoilers to discuss it. 

None of the couples in this movie have any chemistry. It makes sense that Parker and Mulroney don't. After all, the film is essentially about how they DON'T work as a couple. And admittedly, I don't care for either of them as actors, so that didn't help, but I did not buy for one single second Luke Wilson's character falling in love with her, and Claire Danes falling in love with him. Wilson's character comes on to Parker's so hard, so early that he ends up looking desperately horny. Even after they spend time together, it still doesn't make sense that they would end up together. Opposites don't attract that much.

And Danes? She also looks confused on why her character is falling for Mulroney's. She's very charming in this, but whenever she has to go one on one with Mulroney she just looks like she's waiting for the director to yell "psych!" instead. It's a weird performance from her. 

I suppose this does have everything a holiday film needs. Holiday cheer, Judy Garland singing "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" shenanigans, tear jerking moments, but this one definitely isn't making it into my list of favorites.

Grade: C

Comments

  1. thevoid99November 23, 2025 at 4:02 PM

    It is a messy film but I like it. It's not perfect but I had fun. Especially for Rachel McAdams and the late, great Diane Keaton. Especially that scene where SJP says something that upsets everyone including the deaf, gay son and SJP leaves the room where Keaton tells her son in sign language to not buy into SJP's bullshit and how proud she is of him. That got me in the feels.

    I really do not want a sequel to this. Just leave it alone. Plus, SJP is persona-non-grata because of And Just Like That... as I feel the whole thing should've ended with a wrecking ball hitting Carrie to her death. The End. Reading about that show was infuriating. No wonder Kim Cattral didn't want to do it and ended up doing a cameo as she knows there was nothing to gain from it. She's the smart one. And I've always had a thing for Samantha.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamNovember 23, 2025 at 7:32 PM

      Yes! I did like that scene. Are they actually thinking of making a sequel to this? We do not need that at all.

      Delete
  2. joel65913November 24, 2025 at 7:27 PM

    I'm with you on this, it was underwhelming to say the least. I waited years to watch it as well since Parker is someone I find completely risible, her fame baffles me. But I finally caved for Diane Keaton and Craig T. Nelson and for me they were the best part of the film (not a high bar).

    If I need a Diane Keaton fix I would never turn to this but automatically to the endearing "Baby Boom" or if I'm more in the mood for serious Diane the woefully unsung "Shoot the Moon".

    I've been terribly busy of late, is this the first of these you've done in a while or have I missed some?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamNovember 30, 2025 at 10:13 PM

      I'm so glad you stopped by! It's been the first in a while. The last one I did was in June. I'm really slacking with older films. I just had so many new ones to catch up on. I really should see Annie Hall, despite my dislike for Woody Allen. Maybe I'll bump Baby Boom or Shoot The Moon ahead. I am also baffled with Parker's fame lol.

      Delete

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