Sunday, December 12, 2010

It's All About Family... The Good, The Bad And The Embarrassing

From the suggestion of an old dear friend, I made Pete watch The Family Stone. He would rather have his toe nails ripped out than be forced to look at Sarah Jessica Parker. But since it's Christmas, he obliged. I had actually seen this movie in the theatres when it first came out. I remember leaving with my friend Marissa, both of us crying and pissed because we didn't know THAT was going to happen. Don't wanna give it away but bring tissues. The bottom line of this movie is that families are messed up and messy. Diane Keaton and Craig T. Nelson are parents to a whole slew of misfits, many that we can relate to; The fuck up, the bitchy for no reason one, the "I'm never leaving home" kid, the perfect to a fault one, the deaf gay one... It's an all star cast and everyone really owns their part in the family which is what makes it all so believable. Basically its the story of the oldest son bringing home his stuffy girlfriend (SJP) for the first time cause he thinks "shes the one" and wants his mothers ring. His family is laid back and honest and the type of family we all want to be a part of. But his girlfriend is soooooo awkward and soooo oppressive that it makes your teeth hurt and naturally the family does not approve. Just when you think you can't handle it any more, Luke Wilson (the fuck up brother) steps in after a particularly nasty fight and gets the girlfriend drunk. It all kinda goes down/up hill from there. It's a great story that I think I will have to add to my mandatory Christmas season collection. I would watch Diane Keaton watch drying paint, she's that good and this is no exception. And just a small warning to anyone part of the dead parent club. They love to throw that in at Christmas.
This movie is a staple for sure. Actually Christmas Vacation is one of the few Christmas movies that I have no problem watching any time of year! We all know and love the Griswolds and I'm sure we all think our families are just like them, but make no mistake. MY family are The Griswolds! This movie is the perfect example of what Christmas should be. The hope and joy we all start off with and the flaming mess it usually becomes! This is one of the most quotable movies on earth ( I don't need to sit here and relay them to you.) and I can still hear my father's laughter as Clark steps on that board in the pull down attic and gets hit in the head. Love it. Cousin Eddy is the perfect illustration of "that side of the family". We all have some, somewhere. But you know what? At the end of it all, after the leaking presents, charred turkey, and police attack, it's Eddy that saves the day. Because as screwed up as he is, he's all heart. And that's family. I'm sure at some point in our childhood we all wished that we could run away. I used to pack a bag and write the note and fall asleep with the plan of getting up before anyone woke up. And wouldn't they be sorry when I was gone, and wouldn't they wish they could change it all to just have me back. But the reality was I always slept late and woke up with my mother sitting by bed waiting with a hug - and then it never seemed so bad. But I feel for Kevin. As a middle child I do know what it's like to be overlooked or to feel not as special. In Home Alone 2 Lost In New York, our favorite little movie quoting, trouble maker is back. Not sure why I watched this one first, maybe because it was on TV. But it is one of the rare instances where the sequel is as good, if not better than the original! Once again Kevin gets in a fight with his family and once again he gets split up from them at Christmas, this time in New York City. You feel for him, family can drive you nuts and embarrass you and make you want to scream. But we're stuck with them and we love them, though it is nice to get a break and that's what Kevin gets. So now he's shacked up at The Plaza with his Dad's credit card! I love how independent and fearless this 8 year old is but I can't stand how he talks like he's in Dawson's Creek. No kid talks like that. This movie gives you everything you need; laughs, Christmas cheer and perfect pandemonium, along with a homeless bird lady that resembles Susan Boyle! And I always remember my mother telling me that she lived on the street where Kevin sets up his house of horrors, so that's always fun to watch and think of. Of course Kevin gets the bad guys and all is right in the world once he is back in his mother's arms. The love/hate relationship Kevin had with his mother was very similar to my own relationship with my mother before she passed. We fought like world war three but in the end we were all each other needed. Christmas is definitely the time to be thankful for family, especially because they keep life interesting!

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