Official Movie Website Theatrical Release 12/16/05 Home Video 05/02/06 MPAA Rating Rated PG-13 for some sexual content including dialogue, and drug references Running Time 1 hour 42 minutes Genre Romance, Comedy Director/Writer Thomas Bezucha Cast Claire Danes, Tyrone Giordano, Diane Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Dermot Mulroney, Craig T. Nelson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Elizabeth Reaser, Paul Schneider, Brian J. White, Luke Wilson Studio 20th Century Fox |
THE FAMILY STONE
SYNOPSIS
THE FAMILY STONE is a comic story about the annual
holiday gathering of a New England family, the Stones.
The eldest son brings his girlfriend home to meet his
parents, brothers and sisters. The bohemian Stones
greet their visitor – a high-powered, controlling New
Yorker – with a mix of awkwardness, confusion and
hostility. Before the holiday is over, relationships will
unravel while new ones are formed, secrets will be
revealed, and the family Stone will come together
through its extraordinary capacity for love.
Sybil Stone (DIANE KEATON) is the strong-willed
matriarch who is at the heart of the Stone family, an
outspoken woman who wants only the best for her five
children. Strikingly beautiful, her face now reflects a
recent note of brittleness or fatigue, suggesting that
perhaps Sybil carries a secret.
“I was drawn instantly to the character of Sybil
because of the many layers to her personality,” says
Diane Keaton. “This role allowed me to explore so
many – often conflicting – emotions. It was fun playing
the character who maintains a semblance of order
within the chaos that prevails in her household. Sybil is
the glue that holds the family together.”
THE FAMILY STONE is a comic story about the annual
holiday gathering of a New England family, the Stones.
The eldest son brings his girlfriend home to meet his
parents, brothers and sisters. The bohemian Stones
greet their visitor – a high-powered, controlling New
Yorker – with a mix of awkwardness, confusion and
hostility. Before the holiday is over, relationships will
unravel while new ones are formed, secrets will be
revealed, and the family Stone will come together
through its extraordinary capacity for love.
Sybil Stone (DIANE KEATON) is the strong-willed
matriarch who is at the heart of the Stone family, an
outspoken woman who wants only the best for her five
children. Strikingly beautiful, her face now reflects a
recent note of brittleness or fatigue, suggesting that
perhaps Sybil carries a secret.
“I was drawn instantly to the character of Sybil
because of the many layers to her personality,” says
Diane Keaton. “This role allowed me to explore so
many – often conflicting – emotions. It was fun playing
the character who maintains a semblance of order
within the chaos that prevails in her household. Sybil is
the glue that holds the family together.”
Sybil and her family are not pleased with the arrival of eldest son Everett’s girlfriend, Meredith Morton
(SARAH JESSICA PARKER). Meredith is an immaculately composed, contemporary New York City-based
career woman whose tailored suits, upswept hair and subtle makeup speak volumes about her
personality, making an indelible impression on both friends and strangers. When she meets the Stones,
the results are chaotic and unforgettable.
“Meredith is different from most of the characters I’ve played,” says Sarah Jessica Parker. “She’s
controlling, rigid and tightly wound. She’s also intractable and inflexible, and when she finds herself out
of her element at the Stone house, she turns into a wreck of a person.
“Meredith tries very hard to relate to the quirky members of her boyfriend’s family, and she works hard
to join in their conversations,” Parker continues. “But she simply does not understand the ‘room’ she is
trying to become a part of, so she doesn’t realize when she should stop talking. When she tries to dig
herself out of these awkward moments, she only makes matters worse.”
After her initial trial by fire with the Stones, Meredith enlists the help of her younger sister, Julie Morton
(CLAIRE DANES). Julie, who works at a foundation awarding grants to artists, isn’t nearly as tightly
wound as Meredith.
“Julie is not under the same pressure that Meredith is experiencing,” says Claire Danes. “She’s just
there to provide moral support. She arrives when her sister’s life is in a state of chaos, and the Stone
family – quite eccentric in the first place – seems to be unraveling, and Julie is initially disoriented.”
Danes calls attention to the film’s delicate balance of comedy and drama, saying that it challenged the
cast to walk a fine line between the two styles.
“I found working on the film an exhilarating experience, because it forced me as an actor to be as
honest as possible,” she explains. “You can’t hide behind a comic or dramatic acting approach,
because you would never be able to create and sustain the wide spectrum of dynamic moments
throughout the film.”
Julie enters the “lions’ den” with much more ease than her sister, but Julie’s visit ultimately leads to
further complications, especially for Everett Stone (DERMOT MULRONEY). Everett is a successful
executive in Manhattan whose charm comes from the fact that he seems to be utterly unaware of the
effect his attractiveness and easy-going nature has on others.
“Playing Everett was a challenge because he starts out very button-downed and straight-laced, but by
the end of the story he returns to his real personality,” explains Dermot Mulroney. “Deep down in his
heart, Everett isn’t the over-achieving, submissive ‘suit’ we see at the start of the film; he is really like
the rest of the Stone family: loose and kind of Bohemian, with a fondness for free-flowing candid
conversation and the laughter that often results.”
Everett’s brother, Ben Stone (LUKE WILSON), seems to have strayed the furthest from his family’s
New England roots. A film editor living on the West Coast, Ben’s unpredictable, sometimes mischievous
nature is reflected in the ultra-casual clothes he wears.
“Compared to his siblings, Ben is a looser character,” says Wilson. “He’s the free spirit of the family
who lives in California, and he doesn’t have a girlfriend. Ben provides a dramatic contrast to his straight-
and-narrow brother Everett.”
Ben’s and Everett’s sister, Amy Stone (RACHEL McADAMS), is the passionate, outspoken and youngest
member of the family. She bears her luminous natural beauty with an aggressive indifference – and with
a near open hostility toward Meredith.
“I was drawn to the dramatic arc that Amy goes through, which eventually brings her full circle,” says
Rachel McAdams. “Amy sees herself as honest, not mean, and expresses that uncensored candor in
her sardonic wit.
“Amy instantly rejects Meredith as unsuitable for her brother, because Meredith represents a whole
way of living – fashionable yuppie success – that Amy has worked hard to reject,” McAdams continues.
“Eventually, she comes to realize that she would reject anyone who was brought into the family from
outside, because outside is about change. Amy wants everything to stay the same.”
The family patriarch, Kelly Stone (CRAIG T. NELSON), is a college professor in his sixties who is still an
impressive figure. Kelly has an obvious love for his family that drives his every move.
“I was attracted to this character because Kelly appears to be the traditional titular head of the Stone
household, but it is Sybil who really dominates the family,” says Craig T. Nelson. “Despite his low-key
personality, Kelly’s calming yet offbeat influence on each of his five children is obvious.”
Elizabeth Reaser plays another Stone sibling, Susannah, and Ty Giordano portrays Thad Stone, the
youngest son, who is both deaf and gay. Giordano is a deaf actor who, like his on-screen character,
reads lips and speaks, in addition to signing. Brian White plays Thad’s partner, Patrick.
“This is not a story centering on a deaf character,” Writer-Director Thomas Bezucha explains. “Thad
just happens to be deaf. With a deaf member in the family, it is natural that the Stones would be
proficient at sign language.” (Bezucha recruited the services of a sign language teacher who worked
closely with each actor in the instruction of American Sign Language – ASL – during rehearsals and
throughout production. The language is well-suited to films, because it is so visual.)
“The Stones, and Meredith and Julie, are people you could meet in real life,” says Producer Michael
London, whose credits include the much-honored pictures “Sideways,” “Thirteen” and “The House of
Sand and Fog.” “They can be shortsighted and even kind of nasty to each other. But these flaws make
the characters feel real."--lTM and ©2005 Twentieth Century Fox. All rights reserved.
(SARAH JESSICA PARKER). Meredith is an immaculately composed, contemporary New York City-based
career woman whose tailored suits, upswept hair and subtle makeup speak volumes about her
personality, making an indelible impression on both friends and strangers. When she meets the Stones,
the results are chaotic and unforgettable.
“Meredith is different from most of the characters I’ve played,” says Sarah Jessica Parker. “She’s
controlling, rigid and tightly wound. She’s also intractable and inflexible, and when she finds herself out
of her element at the Stone house, she turns into a wreck of a person.
“Meredith tries very hard to relate to the quirky members of her boyfriend’s family, and she works hard
to join in their conversations,” Parker continues. “But she simply does not understand the ‘room’ she is
trying to become a part of, so she doesn’t realize when she should stop talking. When she tries to dig
herself out of these awkward moments, she only makes matters worse.”
After her initial trial by fire with the Stones, Meredith enlists the help of her younger sister, Julie Morton
(CLAIRE DANES). Julie, who works at a foundation awarding grants to artists, isn’t nearly as tightly
wound as Meredith.
“Julie is not under the same pressure that Meredith is experiencing,” says Claire Danes. “She’s just
there to provide moral support. She arrives when her sister’s life is in a state of chaos, and the Stone
family – quite eccentric in the first place – seems to be unraveling, and Julie is initially disoriented.”
Danes calls attention to the film’s delicate balance of comedy and drama, saying that it challenged the
cast to walk a fine line between the two styles.
“I found working on the film an exhilarating experience, because it forced me as an actor to be as
honest as possible,” she explains. “You can’t hide behind a comic or dramatic acting approach,
because you would never be able to create and sustain the wide spectrum of dynamic moments
throughout the film.”
Julie enters the “lions’ den” with much more ease than her sister, but Julie’s visit ultimately leads to
further complications, especially for Everett Stone (DERMOT MULRONEY). Everett is a successful
executive in Manhattan whose charm comes from the fact that he seems to be utterly unaware of the
effect his attractiveness and easy-going nature has on others.
“Playing Everett was a challenge because he starts out very button-downed and straight-laced, but by
the end of the story he returns to his real personality,” explains Dermot Mulroney. “Deep down in his
heart, Everett isn’t the over-achieving, submissive ‘suit’ we see at the start of the film; he is really like
the rest of the Stone family: loose and kind of Bohemian, with a fondness for free-flowing candid
conversation and the laughter that often results.”
Everett’s brother, Ben Stone (LUKE WILSON), seems to have strayed the furthest from his family’s
New England roots. A film editor living on the West Coast, Ben’s unpredictable, sometimes mischievous
nature is reflected in the ultra-casual clothes he wears.
“Compared to his siblings, Ben is a looser character,” says Wilson. “He’s the free spirit of the family
who lives in California, and he doesn’t have a girlfriend. Ben provides a dramatic contrast to his straight-
and-narrow brother Everett.”
Ben’s and Everett’s sister, Amy Stone (RACHEL McADAMS), is the passionate, outspoken and youngest
member of the family. She bears her luminous natural beauty with an aggressive indifference – and with
a near open hostility toward Meredith.
“I was drawn to the dramatic arc that Amy goes through, which eventually brings her full circle,” says
Rachel McAdams. “Amy sees herself as honest, not mean, and expresses that uncensored candor in
her sardonic wit.
“Amy instantly rejects Meredith as unsuitable for her brother, because Meredith represents a whole
way of living – fashionable yuppie success – that Amy has worked hard to reject,” McAdams continues.
“Eventually, she comes to realize that she would reject anyone who was brought into the family from
outside, because outside is about change. Amy wants everything to stay the same.”
The family patriarch, Kelly Stone (CRAIG T. NELSON), is a college professor in his sixties who is still an
impressive figure. Kelly has an obvious love for his family that drives his every move.
“I was attracted to this character because Kelly appears to be the traditional titular head of the Stone
household, but it is Sybil who really dominates the family,” says Craig T. Nelson. “Despite his low-key
personality, Kelly’s calming yet offbeat influence on each of his five children is obvious.”
Elizabeth Reaser plays another Stone sibling, Susannah, and Ty Giordano portrays Thad Stone, the
youngest son, who is both deaf and gay. Giordano is a deaf actor who, like his on-screen character,
reads lips and speaks, in addition to signing. Brian White plays Thad’s partner, Patrick.
“This is not a story centering on a deaf character,” Writer-Director Thomas Bezucha explains. “Thad
just happens to be deaf. With a deaf member in the family, it is natural that the Stones would be
proficient at sign language.” (Bezucha recruited the services of a sign language teacher who worked
closely with each actor in the instruction of American Sign Language – ASL – during rehearsals and
throughout production. The language is well-suited to films, because it is so visual.)
“The Stones, and Meredith and Julie, are people you could meet in real life,” says Producer Michael
London, whose credits include the much-honored pictures “Sideways,” “Thirteen” and “The House of
Sand and Fog.” “They can be shortsighted and even kind of nasty to each other. But these flaws make
the characters feel real."--lTM and ©2005 Twentieth Century Fox. All rights reserved.
BRENDA AND DAVID
Getting the family together for the holidays is never an easy task. Everett Stone (Dermot Mulroney) is
bringing home his new girlfriend, Meredith Morton (Sara Jessica Parker) with the intentions of asking for
her hand in marriage and presenting her with the "family stone". The family doesn't warm up to Meredith,
especially Mother Sybil (Diane Keaton) and spoiled little sister Amy (Rachel McAdams) but when
Meredith's sister Julie (Claire Danes) arrives, Julie is welcomed with open arms. Meredith has the knack
of pushing everyone's buttons without trying. The only person Meridith seems to click with is Everett's
brother Ben (Luke Wilson), a pot smoking film editor. Sarah Jessica Parker is great as the misfit that
finally fits in. The Family Stone is a very funny and touching film and be sure to bring plenty of tissue.
Getting the family together for the holidays is never an easy task. Everett Stone (Dermot Mulroney) is
bringing home his new girlfriend, Meredith Morton (Sara Jessica Parker) with the intentions of asking for
her hand in marriage and presenting her with the "family stone". The family doesn't warm up to Meredith,
especially Mother Sybil (Diane Keaton) and spoiled little sister Amy (Rachel McAdams) but when
Meredith's sister Julie (Claire Danes) arrives, Julie is welcomed with open arms. Meredith has the knack
of pushing everyone's buttons without trying. The only person Meridith seems to click with is Everett's
brother Ben (Luke Wilson), a pot smoking film editor. Sarah Jessica Parker is great as the misfit that
finally fits in. The Family Stone is a very funny and touching film and be sure to bring plenty of tissue.
© 2003 St. Louis Movie Review Weekly. All rights reserved, except where indicated.
All movie titles, pictures, etc...are the property of their respective studios.
All movie titles, pictures, etc...are the property of their respective studios.
| ST. LOUIS MOVIE REVIEW WEEKLY |
