The Family Stone
Review by Zachary Keith Parker

    Where's the Christmas meat? Last minute Christmas shopping? Santa Claus impersonations? Off-key Japanese waiters singing "Jingle Bells?" In writer/director Thomas Bezucha's, The Family Stone, Christmas is only an added marketing tool for the film. The holiday's potential use (and religious meaning) in the movie’s story mostly wastes away – like the missing Christmas meat – even though the snow constantly falls for extra romantic effect.

    It does not focus on Christmas. Family Stone wraps in the typical Christmas-y "feel the love," but Bezucha nicely avoids "typical" by packing the characters with convincing personalities, flaws, and dilemmas. On the other hand, like the lack of meaningful Christmas atmosphere in the first, these characters hang from a somewhat shaky premise, modeled similarly to 2004’s Meet the Fockers.

    Meredith’s boyfriend, Everett Stone, has brought her to meet the open-minded parents, and several siblings, for Christmas. From Meredith’s perspective, the family treats her with a stonehearted “politeness.” Most formidable is the irrationally bitter Amy, while both mother Sybil and father Kelly admit concerns for Everett’s personal emotional awareness.

    While supposedly given smaller focus than in Bezucha’s previous film, the deaf brother Thad Stone and his partner Patrick provide the film’s mouthpiece for homosexuality. At the same time, pregnant sister Susannah Stone Trousdale seems to have marriage issues with her husband. Adding to the dysfunction, the actual family’s gathering peaks with the arrival of Ben Stone, who has been stoned, and is thus asked by mom to avoid pot for the holidays.

    While Meredith tries to win the family's favor, Kelly and Sybil suspect Everett really wants to ask Sybil for the family stone – her grandmother’s wedding ring. He wants to propose. Surprisingly, someone else in the family begins to love Meredith - Ben. Family tensions arise, and Meredith calls for help from her sister, Julie. Even though Sybil at first wants Ben and Julie to get together, Everett and Ben providentially swap girlfriends for one evening.

    Ben is the most intriguing (and intuitive) character in the film, presented as a compassionate brother by Luke Wilson. Runner-up is Sarah Jessica Parker’s Meredith, clearing her throat, meticulously picking out clothes, and being a nervous wreck is amusing to watch. Each reveals a smidge more emotional complexity than one would expect.

    The remaining characters do not excite interest as much. For example, Julie is a bland character, who should have been developed more since we are expected to like her as an alternative to Meredith. Susannah Stone's character background is hinted at, but not clearly explained or resolved. We do not know much about these characters, and the concern we have for them never pays off as it does with Ben, Meredith, Sybil, or even Everett and Amy.

    However, the last character, Sybil, tries to attract and satisfy our character-worship. Diane Keaton plays the role convincingly enough, making Sybil not only appear real and loving, but showing the warm heart of a mother’s role in the lives of her children. Moreover, we begin to see Sybil as not only the mother, but as the family stone that lays down her life and supports her loved ones.

    At the end, note the rings on Amy’s fingers and their connection. Figuratively, the family stone is also the generational tradition of giving and sacrifice. A tradition we know is based on the life of the person who set the ultimate example of sacrifice and became the chief family cornerstone – Christ, that complete and satisfying Christmas meal, who doesn't waste.