Something's gotta give (Diane Keaton)

(Amazon UK link)

I’ve no idea why Amazon recommended this DVD to me, unless it was because I had previous liked films with Diane Keaton in. It looked like a good film, anyway, and I bought it second-hand from World of Books online to collect during a recent visit to the UK. I had no idea what it was about but we decided to watch it last night.

Diane Keaton is excellent - playing Erica, a rather different kind of character from her usual somewhat harassed mother of several children. In this film she’s a slim, attractive playwright in her early fifties; separated from her husband (Paul Michael Glaser) amicably - so much so that he still works as her agent. They have one daughter, Marin (Amanda Peet), who’s 28. We meet her as she’s on her way to the huge family home for a weekend with her new boyfriend. 

Which would be fine, except that the ‘boyfriend’, Harry, is played by Jack Nicholson, and is 63. There’s nothing wrong with a large age gap between partners, but we quickly learn that Harry is a serial womaniser who only ever dates women under the age of 30. As so often with characters played by this actor, he’s sleazy, and (in my view) entirely unappealing. 

Mild humour emerges when Erica and her sister Zoe (Frances McDormand) arrive unexpectedly and think Harry is a burglar. Once that’s sorted out, they’re both quite accepting of him as a partner for Erica’s daughter, and they agree to stay, keeping out of each other’s way… until a medical emergency sends them all to hospital. Keanu Reeves plays a very helpful, friendly and attractive doctor called Julian, who turns out to be a huge fan of Erica’s plays. I thought he was one of the nicest characters in the film. 

There’s a bit of slapstick, and reality has to be suspended several times. For instance, Erica’s plays are all instant hits… her daughter sells million-dollar art at an auction… Harry has had not just a few or even a dozen but apparently hundreds of relationships with young women. But the most unlikely thing, in my mind,  is Erica being attracted to Harry, who comes across as untrustworthy, unreliable, and extremely unhealthy. 

There’s a lot of ‘adult’ humour and bad language that really adds nothing to the plot; bedroom scenes are not explicit so that the rating is 15; not that anyone under the age of 30 is likely to have any interest in a film like this. There are some partial nudity shots (with a great deal more implied) done for humour rather than being provocative, and we did smile a few times. But the ‘romantic’ threads of this ‘rom-com’ really did nothing for me. 

The film was made in 2003; we had guessed it was at least fifteen years old, partly because Diana Keaton looks so young - and partly because of the very basic mobile phones that do nothing but phone calls and text messages. However it didn’t feel all that dated otherwise. And it’s well done, with a good pace, and a few thought-provoking comments - such as the problems older, intelligent single or divorced women apparently have in finding romantic partners. 

Diane Keaton is perfect in her part; sometimes exaggerating her emotions and actions, sometimes giving her amazing smile, sometimes wise and intelligent. She’s a bit of an uptight character at first - despite being so relaxed with her daughter - and is released from that in a way that feels unrealistic and rather sleazy. I have never much liked characters played by Jack Nicholson, and Harry is no exception. He supposedly realises the error of his ways towards the end of the film, but it appears artificial; I didn’t trust him at all. 

I didn’t like the ending much, either. I would have cut the last brief scene set in Paris towards the end, and then changed the epilogue scenes to involve a different character. The way it ended left me feeling a bit disturbed. I suppose it’s a mark of a good film that the characters got under my skin so much. 

There are a few extras - mainly commentaries, and one deleted scene involving a somewhat schmaltzy song. 

I sound negative - but it’s not a bad film; I felt quite engrossed in the story for most of it. Apparently Diane Keaton won several awards for it.  We may well watch it again in a few years. 

Review copyright 2023 Sue's DVD Reviews

Morning Glory (Rachel McAdams)

(Amazon UK link)

We first saw the film ‘Morning Glory’ back in 2014, and had no recollection of what it was about. We did recall one or two scenes when we re-watched it last night, but had forgotten all the details.

Rachel McAdams stars as the young, ambitious workaholic Becky. She is an assistant producer at a TV company in the United States, and is considered by all her colleagues to be in line for a promotion. So it comes as a huge shock when she’s told that, sadly, they have to let her go. Someone else is being appointed as senior producer, and they have to make cuts.

Stunned, she starts applying for any job she can find - and is eventually offered one at a low-rated company whose breakfast show is not doing very well. She is convinced she can turn it around, although the staff are not exactly encouraging. Diane Keaton is wonderful as Colleen, one of the newsreaders - but Colleen is pretty fed up of the series of producers that have come and gone, some of them good, some of them not - none of them staying long.

Becky’s first move is to fire the other newsreader - or ‘anchor’ as they call them - due to his rather creepy suggestions. And then she’s stuck, needing someone else to work with Colleen, unable at first to find anybody suitable. But she does her research, and realises that Mike Pomeroy, a former serious journalist and newsreader, is under contract to her TV company, and is currently paid for doing almost nothing.

Harrison Ford is excellent as the grumpy, self-centred Mike who thinks breakfast television is beneath him. He cares about serious news stories, but nobody wants those when they’re having their early morning coffee. And he and Colleen don’t much like each other so their ‘banter’ - when he eventually agrees, reluctantly, to do the job - is decidedly unusual.

There’s much more, of course. All the staff throw their questions and problems at Becky in a way that felt quite overwhelming to me, and I was sitting on a comfortable chair just watching! Her energy is astonishing, her commitment and love of her work admirable, though they make it difficult for her to sustain any kind of relationship. I found her style somewhat exhausting, clearly intended as an exaggeration and effective in the way the story is told, with rapid scene changes, and snippets of Becky in many locations, mostly on her phone.

There isn’t a whole lot of plot, but it’s a different story from the norm; there is unsurprisingly a romantic element but it’s kept very low-key. Adam (Patrick Wilson) is great as the guy who is quite attracted to Becky - and even, somewhat, understands her compulsion to keep thinking about her job.

I wouldn’t class it as one of my favourite films, but it was well-made, with some great acting and superb timing by the principal characters. We loved the grumpy Mike, contrasted with the exaggeratedly bright Colleen, and appreciated some insights into a busy American breakfast TV show. It was also good to see Diane Keaton in a role very different from her more normal roles as a harassed but competent mother.

The rating is 12; I wouldn’t be comfortable showing it to anyone under the age of about 14 or 16, as the romantic thread does become somewhat steamy, though there's nothing explicit. But I can’t imagine younger teens or children would be the slightest bit interested. The only ‘extra’ is a deleted scene that wouldn’t have added anything much to the film.

Recommended for a light evening’s viewing that doesn’t need much thought.

Review copyright 2022 Sue's DVD Reviews

The Family Stone

(Amazon UK link)

When I was searching online for some Christmas films, one of the recommended ones was ‘The Family Stone’. I knew we had that on our shelves; apparently we watched it in January 2014 after buying it from a UK charity shop. But neither of us had any recollection of the storyline. So we decided it would be a good one to watch last night.

The film takes place over the course of just three days in the run-up to Christmas, with a brief epilogue a year later. At the start of the film, we see adult offspring arriving at the family home. Diane Keaton is, as ever, wonderful as a slightly harassed but very affectionate mother figure (Sybil Stone). Sybil is happily married to Kelly (Craig T Nelson) and they have five very different children.

Everett (Dermot Mulroney) is the oldest and he’s dressed, at first, like a 1940s American film star, in a suit and tie, looking slightly out of place in his rather bohemian family. He is bringing his girlfriend Meredith (Sarah Jessica Parker) to meet the family for Christmas. She is stressed and uptight, convinced everyone will hate her. She lacks any kind of intuition, tact or empathy, it appears, and continually makes unhelpful comments. It doesn’t help that one of Everett’s sisters, Amy (Rachel McAdams) met Meredith previously, and they did not hit it off at all.

Everett has another sister, Susanna (Elizabeth Reaser), who is there with her daughter Elizabeth (Savannah Stehlin) who must be about eight. Elizabeth is as lacking in tact as Meredith but in rather different ways. Their other brothers are Ben (Luke Wilson) who arrives late, dressed very casually, and makes caustic comments, and Thad (Tyrone Giordano), who is both deaf and gay, who comes with his partner Patrick (Brian White). These characters interact in ways that adult siblings might, with a deep underlying bond of affection but also a great deal of teasing.

Several subplots blend together realistically as we learn more about each of the family members and the dynamics between them. Meredith continues to make herself increasingly disliked, calling her sister in desperation and moving to a local hotel to stay with her. But the sister, Julie (Clare Danes) turns out to be a likeable, attractive person and Everett finds himself liking her increasingly…

There’s not a whole lot of plot as this is a character-based romantic comedy with the romantic element being fairly low-key, and rather muddled at times. But there are some excellent comic moments; the expressions on Kelly’s face are superb, and there’s a brilliantly choreographed (and very messy) scene towards the end which made us laugh - not with schadenfreude, but with the clever way in which one bump or messy surface leads to neatly to a further disaster.

We loved the way that the middle aged parents are so relaxed, on the whole. They accept their offspring’s love lives and friends and welcome them all, with plenty of food and places to sit, and a generally untidy but friendly appearance to the house. So their feeling that Meredith is the wrong person for Everett is all the more telling. We also loved the way that sign language is part of the way the family communicate with each other - something that would happen naturally when one of them is deaf.

There’s also a very sad thread intertwining; it would be a spoiler to say what it is (and actually we don’t know many details), meaning that the epilogue scene, a year later, is bittersweet. It’s delightful - with new members of the family, and their determination to carry on - and also very poignant.

We thoroughly enjoyed ‘The Family Stone’ and also liked seeing some of the ‘extras’ including a few deleted scenes, some; bloopers - mostly when Meredith’s character dissolves into laughter as she’s about to utter one of her tactless comments - as well as some characters discussing their roles, and the film in general.

Rated 12, probably due to several references to intimacy although there’s nothing explicit. Only minor bad language, and minor violence - one character slaps another a few times - but the film is unlikely to be of interest to younger children anyway.

Highly recommended.

You can find other reviews and more information about this film, including a short trailer, at the IMDb site: The Family Stone.

Review copyright 2020 Sue's DVD Reviews

Father of the Bride II (Steve Martin)

(Amazon UK link)

We rewatched the Steve Martin version of ‘Father of the Bride’ about a month ago, so it seemed like a good idea to pull out the sequel, unoriginally called ‘Father of the Bride 2’ which we previously saw in January 2013. We vaguely remembered the story, once it had got going, but that really didn’t matter.

It’s light, it’s a bit schmaltzy, and the whole story revolves around a rather unlikely coincidence… but that really doesn’t matter. Steve Martin is so very good in his comic timing and his facial expressions that we felt quite caught up in the story.

It takes place a year or so after the first film, and Steve Martin, as George Banks, explains that he’s just about paid for his daughter Annie (Kimberley Williams-Paisley)’s wedding. He’s enjoying life, still very much in love with his wife Nina (Diane Keaton), and becoming quite fond of his son-in-law Brian (George Newbern). His house is all paid for, his son Matty (Kieran Culkin) is twelve years old and George realises that in five or six years Matty will be off to college, and then he and Nina will be free to do pretty much anything.

The story opens as Annie and Bryan arrive for a little family get-together where his parents are invited too. It’s obvious that everyone (except the slightly hapless George) assumes they’re going to announce a pregnancy… and his reaction when that eventually turns out to be the case is brilliantly done. As is his behaviour over the next week or two when he determines that he’s not going to become an old, wizened grandfather, but wants to look young and fit. So he surprises Nina with a new haircut…

Much of the humour comes from the way George and Nina react to each other, each becoming frustrated with the other at times, but also both very deeply attached. George loves his children too. He found it very hard to let go of Annie, and he worries about her. But through the film he gradually begins to accept that it’s no longer his role to protect her from everything, and that Bryan is now the first man in his daughter’s life.

There’s much more - to give any more plot would be a major spoiler, although most synopses (and the back of the DVD) give it away anyway. Suffice it to say that Franck (Martin Short) who featured in the first film appears, with his exaggerated enthusiasm and fake French accent. He takes a significant part not just in a baby shower but in events towards the end of the film.

The pace is just right, there are unexpected humorous moments, and also quite a bit of poignancy. When we first saw this film we had a married son, but we were not grandparents, although it was imminent. Now we have grandchildren, we could empathise all the more with the slightly unsatisfactory ending of the film. George has made a decision that is for his daughter’s sake, even though it’s something that is going to break his heart, at least for a while.

There are no extras on our DVD, but that didn’t matter. It was a light-weight and very enjoyable evening's viewing, and made an excellent sequel to the first ‘Father of the Bride’ film.

Definitely recommended if you like the romantic comedy genre and want something that’s almost entirely family friendly. There’s no bad language that I can remember, no violence (although some mild threats in a couple of places), and only the mildest of innuendoes. Unlikely to be of interest to younger children, but suitable for anyone of about ten and upwards. Best seen after the first film.

Review copyright 2020 Sue's DVD Reviews

Father of the Bride (Steve Martin)

(Amazon UK link)

We wanted something light-hearted to watch on an evening when we were both tired. We hadn’t seen the 1991 film ‘Father of the Bride’ since July 2012, and with a nine-year gap we had forgotten most of it. So it seemed like a good idea to see it again.

Steve Martin stars as George Banks, who opens the film sitting in the detritus of a wedding, evidently held in his home. He gives a monologue about his daughter growing up, and just what happens when she decides to get married…

The action switches to six months earlier when his daughter Annie (Kimberly Williams) gets home after an assignment abroad, and it’s clear that she and her father are very close. But she has an announcement to make: she hasn’t just met ‘someone’, she’s fallen in love and they are engaged. Bryan (George Newbern) arrives soon afterwards, very nervous but deeply in love.

George takes Bryan in dislike, not because there is anything objectionable about him; simply because he doesn’t want his little girl to grow up and find another man who is more important than her father. The film is about him coming to terms with that, knowing that he has to let go in order for her to be happy.

But although there are some very poignant moments, it’s also a very funny film. Steve Martin’s expressions and body language are superbly done - his comic timing is always good. Diane Keaton plays his wife Nina, who finds him frustrating at times but loves him dearly; she’s a great foil for his overreactions to situations, and plays the part of peacemaker in the family.

I should also mention Annie’s little brother Matty (Kieran Culkin). The actor was only about nine when the film was made, but he too has excellent comic timing, and a great role, with amusingly mature wisdom at times.

Most of the film covers the preparations for the wedding, organised by ‘Franck’ (Martin Short) who is an over-the-top pseudo-French and rather camp person, brilliant in his artistry but sparing no expense. Annie’s family is quite well off but, as George explains, the wedding cost more than their house - and the amounts discussed seem extortionate even now, thirty years after the film was made.

There are scenes and lines which made us laugh aloud as well as those where I felt a strong sense of empathy, particularly after 18 months of pandemic without seeing my sons or grandchildren. It’s a bit schmaltzy of course, but thoroughly enjoyable too - and exactly what we needed for an evening’s light relaxation.

Definitely recommended if you like romantic comedies with more comedy than romance. It’s rated PG which reflects the lack of violence or anything explicit. There’s almost no bad language, although there are inevitably one or two sexual references. However the subject matter is unlikely to be of interest to anyone under the age of about twelve.

Review copyright 2020 Sue's DVD Reviews

Marvin's Room (Diane Keaton and Meryl Streep)

(Amazon UK link)

It's been ten years since we watched the film ‘Marvin’s Room’. Although I recalled very little about the story, I knew we had liked it when we first saw it. It has rather an all-star cast: Meryl Streep and Diane Keaton play two sisters who have not been in touch for close to twenty years. Leonardo DiCaprio plays the moody teenage Hank, and Robert De Niro is Dr Wally. Even I have heard of these four actors.

We meet the sisters separately; indeed it’s not obvious at first that they are sisters. Diane Keaton is Bessie, who has devoted the last twenty years of her life to looking after her invalid father, Marvin (Hume Cronyn). He had a stroke which left him bedridden and unable to speak, and nobody expected him to stay alive all this time.

Marvin’s sister Ruth (Gwen Verdon) lives with them, and helps with his care, but she’s becoming elderly and absent-minded, and is also seriously addicted to soap operas on television. Ruth provides some gentle humour, which works very well alongside the more poignant and darker main storyline. But Bessie has been getting very tired recently. She assumes she has a vitamin deficiency, but Dr Wally wants to run some tests. And the news is not good…

Meanwhile Lee (Meryl Streep) has been training as a beautician while raising her two sons as a single mother. Charlie, the younger son (Hal Scardino) is a likeable nerdy type, but his older brother Hank is very angry, and we meet him when he tears up some family photos and sets light to them…

When Bessie gets in touch with Lee, she and the boys embark on the long journey to visit her, to see if they are able to help with her treatment. Lee and Hank keep aggravating each other; she seems to have little idea how to communicate with a teenager.

The bulk of the story, then, is about what happens when the sisters are reunited, with Bessie meeting her nephews for the first time. This visit is the catalyst for many things, and we found it a gripping film. The acting is excellent - as one would expect with such a talented cast. The pace just right, and the story heart-wrenching in places. I felt the ending was a tad too abrupt; there are hints at what is going to happen in the future, but it’s not as clear as I would have liked.

The rating is 12; I can’t imagine anyone younger would be interested anyway. There’s no serious violence, no nudity or intimacies, and not a lot of bad language, although there is some (including one or two 'strong' words).  However some of the plot and a few of the scenes could be very disturbing to a sensitive child.

All in all, it was a thought-provoking, very well made film and I would recommend it highly.

Review copyright 2019 Sue's DVD Reviews

Hampstead (Diane Keaton)

(Amazon UK link)

Every so often I browse my recommendations on Amazon, and come across films I have never heard of. That happened earlier in the year when it suggested I might like ‘Hampstead’. Diane Keaton stars, and I have liked some of her other films. The reviews were mostly positive, so I put it on my wishlist and was given it for my recent birthday.

There seems to have been quite a spate of films about middle-aged or elderly people in recent years. Or perhaps it’s just that I’m seeing them because I have liked or bought others. On the whole we like them, as we’re in that stage of life, and this was quite a positive one on the whole.

Keaton stars as the recently-widowed Emily who lives in a pleasant block of flats in Hampstead in the UK. She’s a bit of a misfit; the only American, in the area, although she has evidently lived there for many years. The other upper-middle class very British women in the building try to involve her in their community meetings and campaigns, but she’s not really all that interested. Nor does she want them to introduce her to suitable gentlemen friends…

Wandering around the neighbourhood she comes across a shack where it’s rumoured an old tramp lives. And indeed, when we first meet Donald (Brendon Gleeson) he’s just received a letter from the council, asking him to leave. He has a flourishing garden and isn’t doing anything wrong… but he looks like a down-and-out.

So the main part of the story is about these two misfits meeting, irritating each other, becoming unlikely friends, and learning surprising things about each other. It’s also about a battle to save Donald’s home, one which catches the imagination of the local people and gets quite out of hand. At a deeper level it’s about pride, and independence, and the importance of accepting help sometimes. It’s also about being free to be oneself, to flout conventions, to move beyond the strict confines of society’s expectations.

Diane Keaton’s role is not very different from other parts I’ve seen her in, but she does it very well and her personality fits that of Emily ideally. I didn’t remember seeing Brendon Gleeson anywhere else; he is wonderful in his role, and there’s quite an onscreen chemistry between the two. Other characters are somewhat caricatured in their enthusiastic snobbery or downright unpleasantness, but that allows for some comic moments; the pace is excellent, I thought, and the whole well scripted and beautifully made.

Sometimes I didn’t catch all the conversation. It wasn’t that Keaton’s accent is hard to understand but there was quite a lot of muttering. Perhaps that was intended, so as to give the impression of conversation rather than any important dialogue. I don’t think I missed anything.

The rating is 12, which we thought about right. There’s a fair amount of bad language, although I don’t recall anything else that would make it unsuitable for children; there's a love story but it involves implications rather than anything explicit. However it’s unlikely to be of much interest to anyone below the age of about thirty. Overall we enjoyed it very much.

Apparently this film is based on a true story, but we decided not to watch the extras so don’t know any details.

Review copyright 2018 Sue's DVD Reviews

And So it Goes (Diane Keaton, Michael Douglas)

(Amazon UK link)

Sometimes Amazon recommends DVDs to me based on genres I have enjoyed, sometimes because I’ve rated highly another film with one of the same actors. I suspect that the latter is the case for this one, as Diane Keaton is one of the leading roles. So it went on my wish-list, and I was given it for Christmas a couple of days ago.

Last night we needed to unwind and relax, and this film, ‘And so it goes’ sounded like an ideal one. ‘Funny, heartfelt and delightful’ was the review quotation on the front. Evidently it was one of the relatively recent genre featuring a relationship of some kind between older people, but that’s not a problem at all.

Michael Douglas co-stars as Oren, an estate agent who is trying to sell his mansion after losing his wife. He has a small apartment, where he is generally rude to his neighbours, but they accept him as a cantankerous old man whose heart is probably in the right place. Into the mix comes his estranged son, with a surprise that Oren is not expecting, which is the start of the (admittedly inevitable) softening of his heart.

Diane Keaton is Leah, Oren’s next-door neighbour, who works as a singer. She lost her husband some time ago, and is struggling somewhat to make a living; it doesn’t help that she breaks down in tears any time a song or comment reminds her of her husband. She’s the opposite of Oren in many ways: generous, open-hearted, kind, and extremely emotional. Keaton does this well although I never entirely believed in the character who seemed just a tad too ditzy for someone supposedly in her mid-sixties. It doesn’t help that she looks considerably younger, although the actress is in fact around the right age for the role.

There wasn’t much that we would class as ‘funny’; the occasional mild slapstick didn’t appeal, and while there were one or two places that made us smile, the overall theme and storyline was far from amusing. However it was undoubtedly both heartfelt and delightful. We all became caught up in the story and were pleased that the ending was as predictable as we had hoped. From the point of view of a movie about almost-retired people, it was encouraging and positive about the potential for enjoying life in one’s sixties.

Some difficult themes are touched upon; not just the loss of spouses, but several other issues that arise and could touch emotional chords with many. There are some quite intense scenes, too, including one of childbirth, and intimacies are quite overt, although no nudity is shown.

Language is crude in places, but relatively mild. The rating is 12 and I think that’s probably around right, though I can’t imagine that this would have any appeal to anyone under the age of at least 18, probably considerably more.

Definitely recommended, if you like this kind of film.

You can find out more about the film on the IMBd site: And So it Goes

Review copyright 2016 Sue's DVD Reviews

Morning Glory (Rachel McAdams, Diane Keaton, Harrison Ford)

(Amazon UK link)

Always on the lookout for a new DVD to watch, I browsed through Amazon’s recommendations some months ago, and liked the look of this one. I put it on my wishlist, and was given it for a recent birthday. I watched it with my husband and one of our adult sons, and we all enjoyed it very much.

Rachel McAdams stars as the energetic Becky, who works too many hours for a morning television show in the US. Her workaholic tendencies are clear, and her colleagues are convinced that she will be promoted. It thus comes as a huge shock when she learns that she has actually been fired. Desperate for a job - any job - she leaps at the chance of directing another morning show called Daybreak with another TV station. It's a show which has been struggling in the ratings and may well be axed.

Becky certainly provides a breath of fresh air as she attempts to sort out the many problems and questions that the staff of Daybreak are having, and decides as one of her first actions to fire one particularly obnoxious news anchor. This means that she’s left with just one anchor - Diane Keaton is brilliant as the loyal but cynical Colleen - so she decides to recruit an experienced (but obnoxious) former newsreader. Harrison Ford is a wonderfully grumpy curmudgeon playing a part very different from his usual roles.

It’s all slightly predictable, I suppose; Becky naturally falls in love but makes a hash of it at first; she tries some experiments which have mixed results, and the grumpy anchor finds himself thawing against his better judgement. These are not spoilers as they are pretty much inevitable. There are some humorous situations although I would not call this a ‘comedy’ as such; the busy newsroom filled with equipment went right over my head, but appealed to my husband who has worked in similar situations.

The romance, too is not a huge part of the plot despite it being billed as a rom-com. I do wish the couple hadn’t been seen going to bed together; it seems to be a requirement for modern movies, although it was tastefully done with no nudity and nothing particularly explicit. There’s some bad language, too, which really wasn't necessary; I would have rated this as 15 myself but the censors chose a more liberal 12. I recommend that parents check the advisories at the iMDB website before watching this with young teens, although many will, no doubt, have seen far worse.

That aside, we thought this film was extremely well done, and it made an enjoyable evening’s entertainment for us all. The characters are nicely eccentric, and it’s a 'feel-good' kind of story overall. Definitely recommended to adults and older teens who like this kind of thing, particularly to anyone who has worked in the television industry.

The movie length is 103 minutes, and there are subtitles available in a few European languages. No extras, although there’s the option to turn on a commentary (in English).

Review copyright 2014 Sue's DVD Reviews

The Family Stone (Sarah Jessica Parker, Dermot Mulroney, Diane Keaton)

(Amazon UK link)

I picked up the DVD of 'The Family Stone' in a charity shop in the UK a couple of months ago. The cover showed an all-star cast (not that I recognised anyone other than Diane Keaton) and the blurb on the back sounded appealing. Three of us watched it last night…

Sarah Jessica Parker stars as Meredith, a smart, but rather uptight and socially awkward executive. She is in a relationship with Everett Stone (Dermot Mulroney) and he’s planning to propose over Christmas. He invites her to stay with his rather bohemian family, which makes her very nervous, as she is convinced that they will all hate her.

Diane Keaton is wonderful as the laid-back mother in a long and happy marriage which has produced five children, now all adults. Dermot has two brothers - the rather slobby (but likeable) Ben, and Thad, who is profoundly deaf, and also gay.

There are two sisters as well: Susanna is married and has a small and precocious daughter, and Amy is not currently in a relationship. I found the two girls a bit similar at first but over the course of the 98 minute film, I felt as if I got to know them all, to the extent that I could recall all their names the following day.

The plot revolves around Meredith’s increasingly dreadful attempts at making the family like her, not aided at all by Amy, who makes every effort to make her look even worse than she is. So Meredith invites her glamorous sister Julie to stay, and Everett finds himself liking her very much…

I found the strong American accents slightly hard to get used to at first, but soon my ears attuned and it wasn't a problem. I very much liked the way that the family all used sign language naturally when communicating with Thad, at the same time as speaking. The acting, in general, is believable if (inevitably) stereotyped. There’s some slapstick in the kitchen, which is quite well done, even if it mostly made me wince rather than laugh; there are one or two amusing moments, and also some surprisingly heart-wrenching subplots which I was not expecting.

It was appropriate to watch at this time of year as the theme is Christmas; some secular Christmas songs are included, as is a great deal of snow and general festive decorating. While it wasn’t the greatest film I’ve seen, it makes a good addition to our collection, and is a little different from the average ‘rom-com’.

The rating is 12 in the UK, which seems about right; there’s no violence or anything overtly sexual, nor any seriously bad language, but there are plenty of innuendoes and sexual references. I am slightly surprised to find that the usually more prudish US censors have awarded this a PG rating. However, I very much doubt if anyone under the age of about 15 would be interested in this anyway.

The usual special feature are included - commentary, deleted scenes, and more.

Review copyright Sue's DVD Reviews

Father of the Bride II (Steve Martin, Diane Keaton)

(Amazon UK link)

We enjoyed watching Father of the Bride in the summer, so when I learned that there was a sequel which was mostly recommended, I put it on my wishlist and was delighted to receive it for Christmas. Wanting a light and undemanding film on New Year's Day, while convalescing from various bugs, we decided that 'Father of the Bride II' would be a good choice.

One again, Steve Martin plays the slightly hapless middle-aged George Banks and Diane Keaton is brilliant as his long-suffering wife Nina. In this story, their recently married daughter Annie makes an announcement which is no surprise to anyone other than George... but gradually he gets used to the idea, and even quite excited about it.

Then Nina finds herself feeling unwell. Unfortunately I had read the blurb on the back of the DVD which told me what was going to happen, but it didn't matter over-much, although it slightly spoiled what could have been a surprise.

Meanwhile, they are both feeling rather depressed about their huge house with only their son Mattie (superbly played by Kieran Culkin) and decide to downsize.  Nina doesn't really think it's going to happen, but then out of the blue George manages to sell the family home to a wealthy Arab, with a cash bonus for a quick move... only to realise that it's not, after all, going to be used as a happy family home.

Oh, and 'Franck' (Martin Short), the extraverted and extremely bizarre wedding planner, appears again in this film with new ideas and designs; he seems more human this time, and as he gradually starts to grow on George, I found myself liking him rather more than I did in the first movie.

There's a fair amount of humour, some of which verges on slapstick at times, but it's interspersed with some quite poignant moments which made this less frivolous than I had expected. Towards the end there is a somewhat tense climax, followed all too quickly by a bittersweet ending which we, as empty nesters, could relate to all too strongly.

Theoretically this film could stand alone, but it would be a bit strange to see it without having seen the original 'Father of the Bride', as so many of the characters recur, and themes continue. So I would definitely recommend seeing that first. If you don't like that, you won't like this one either.

The rating is PG in both the UK and US, which seems reasonable; there's no violence and not much bad language; there are inevitably some sexual innuendoes, but nothing overt. I don't think the film would be of the slightest interest to anyone under the age of 11 or 12, and probably not even then as the subject matter is really only appropriate to parents, or at least people who appreciate the importance of parenthood.

Note that while the links to Amazon are to this film alone, it may be better value to buy the two-part DVD set which contains both 'Father of the Bride' movies.

Review copyright Sue's DVD Reviews

Father of the Bride (Steve Martin, Diane Keaton, Kimberly Williams)

(Amazon UK link)

Back in 2007, I watched the original black-and-white version of 'Father of the Bride' on an aeroplane. I liked it very much, and a year or two ago looked for it on Amazon. I couldn't find a reasonable edition of the original DVD, but liked the sound of the 1991 update, particularly since it stars Steve Martin.

We finally sat down to watch it on our anniversary, which seemed like a suitable occasion. I gather that some purists don't like the updated version, feeling it's too different from the original (starring Spencer Tracy). I might have felt the same way if I had watched them within a few months of each other, but with nearly six years' gap I was able to enjoy this with only the most general idea of the storyline.

Steve Martin is, in my view, wonderful as the hapless father, who begins the movie - as in the original version - surveying the chaos that has ensued after his daughter's wedding. Then as he thinks back, the story moves to the time, some months previously, when Annie (Kimberly Williams) returned from college and announced that she had fallen in love...

It’s nicely done with plenty of modern updates. Martin's ideas of a simple wedding, once he finally accepts that it IS going to happen, are gradually eroded by Annie and also his long-suffering wife (Diane Keaton is excellent in the role). From the time they decide to take on a wedding organiser (brilliantly - and bizarrely - played by Martin short)he is reduced to counting the rapidly increasing costs, and giving up on any personal input.

I'm sure the details are very different from the original, but they work well in the context of the 1990s. There are some great choreographed scenes showing Steve Martin at his best. His son Matthew is nicely played by Kieran Culkin, and the family life is shown as strong and closely attached despite the father's obvious eccentricities. It felt warm and encouraging throughout.

There's lots of light humour, a great pace, and then the ending was every bit as moving as I remember the original version being.

Definitely recommended.

Review copyright Sue's DVD Reviews

Marvin's Room (Meryl Streep, Leonardo DiCaprio and Diane Keaton)

(Amazon UK link)

I was going through a phase of wanting to see almost any film with Meryl Streep in it - she is so very good in every role she does. So 'Marvin's Room' went on my wishlist, and one of my relatives kindly bought it for me.

It's the story of two sisters. Bessie (Diane Keaton) is almost too good to be true, caring for her bed-ridden father, and her eccentric Aunt Ruth. Almost, but not quite...

Her sister Lee (Meryl Streep), by contrast, has made her own way in the world as a single mother. She has a rebellious 18-year-old son, and a quieter younger son who is something of a bookworm.

The two sisters have been estranged for nineteen years, but finally get together again when one of them receives bad news.

The production is good, and the acting excellent. Meryl Streep excels herself as Lee, by no means typecast yet totally believable. There are some moments of humour that made us chuckle, and some medical moments that were so realistic, they made us cringe. The family dynamics work well, and it was encouraging to see the potential for healing – no spoiler there; this is part of the blurb on the back of the DVD.

Unfortunately, we thought that the movie ended far too suddenly, leaving far too many threads wide open. It wasn’t a particularly encouraging ending, either, so despite an excellent film so far, it left us with a bit of a bad taste.

Rated 12 in the UK, PG-13 in the USA; this is probably because the subject matter is really unsuited to younger children, plus some fairly minor bad language.

Review copyright Sue's DVD Reviews