Family Weekend (2013) Reviews

• A refreshingly funny comedy about a psychotic break turned family event

  thepotatoHasEyes2013-04-30

  I didn't think this was going to be funny at all, i passed over it at least three times.... what a mistake, I found this movie to be very funny and entertaining, It also -to me -- points the finger at each and every character and shows their character flaws, you start out thinking each character might be the "normal"one, only to find yourself asking - is this character a little off? So , while , to me , it was at times , laugh out loud funny, i never lost the feeling that I was learning a little about people.It also carries a good family feel throughout the whole movie. The acting and production values are great , There is an emotional aspect to this one also. It's a movie about a psychotic break- which is a tragic thing --but there are some funny situations that can arise from that. So, there is a "roller-coaster" feel. Ultimately, it is about real life, which ebbs and flows. It made me laugh, I gave it a seven out of ten

• Family Weeked, Not Family Comedy

  My_Pet_Mongoose2013-06-23

  This was a pretty solid and unexpected comedy. I laughed out loud quite a bit and enjoyed the nicely drawn character interactions. The whole production was several steps above what I was expecting (for a film with not much fanfare). The cast is excellent top to bottom. Kristin Chenoweth brings her usual spark. Matthew Modine, an actor I've found to be more miss than hit over the years, brings a self-absorbed charm to his part. But it's Olesya Rulin who fully inhabits her character that really propels the movie forward and serves as the heart, soul and brain of the movie. I fell in love with the character as soon as she compiled and presented a neat three-binder of The Plan. The other characters in the family are a bit too obvious in their stereotypes but the actors manage to elevate the material enough to avoid broad caricatures. The story beats are familiar and expected, but I was charmed enough by the production to not really mind. The movie does suffer from an odd identity crisis, though. It's rated R--a soft R with slight profanity and sexual discussion (such as anal sex) but no gore, sustained raunchiness or similar content. It's a wonder to think that this rather innocuous movie has the same rating as the Saw or Hangover films. I'm not sure if they were going for a PG-13, missed the mark, and didn't have enough cash to re-cut it or if this was planned as an R movie. The movie probably would have done better with the larger potential audience of a PG-13 rating, especially given the 16-year old protagonist and the family-based storyline. Recommended for those who like quirky family comedies with a slight edge to them (Little Miss Sunshine-ish) and for competitive jump-rope enthusiasts (which I did not know was a thing).

• left my spirit

  najwa-sky-limit2013-06-30

  it's been a long time since I've watched a comedy with a message, i wouldn't call this a comedy though it's filled with crazy funny moments because there were also dramatic moments which were very touching and brought me closer to the characters as they were not characters that i laugh at but people with stories and lives worthy of exploring, the film is full of lessons about family, love, what's important in life, and how to be true to yourself. the performances were excellent especially of the main character our queen of weirdness olesya rulin who was completely capable of fixating our eyes on her and waiting anxiously for what she's going to do next but there was also a gem shining all over the movie the personification of talent and awesomeness joey king an amazing brilliant actress who will blow your minds and make you fall in love with every crazy thing she does. the movie left me with a big smile on my face

• Dark comedy turns a kidnapping into a sweet coming-of-age story

  napierslogs2014-01-27

  "Family Weekend" is a dark comedy about a 16-year-old girl, Emily (Olesya Rulin), who takes her family into her own hands to turn them into a normal family. But it's not going to be easy; Samantha Smith- Dungy (Kristen Chenoweth) is a workaholic mom, Duncan Dungy (Matthew Modine) is a hippie artist dad, and her brother and sister are maladjusted kids who think they are perfectly well-adjusted. Emily takes after her mother and plots and schedules the success of her teenage life. One of which is her plan to win a jump rope competition, but her family isn't there to watch her compete because they can't think of anything beyond themselves. At the beginning, the film works because we care for Emily, we feel bad for her, and it's time to whip these idiots into shape. She talks her brother and sister into taking her side, and they take their parents hostage and hold them captive inside their own house until they learn to think, talk and act like real parents. It sounds juvenile but it doesn't seem so bad in execution because Emily has a plan for how to reach maturity. Surprising, or rather unsurprisingly, things don't go according to plan and Emily has made drastic changes to a drastic undertaking. I definitely could have used with a few less detours in Emily's strategy as it hurts her credentials as a sympathetic leading character, which is already on shaky ground, what with the whole kidnapping her parents idea and all. Things then get dramatic which follows Emily losing her sympathy, but the comedy gets back on track with a happy medium between her current family and her ideal family and a resolution which is un-Hollywood but still uplifting. There's also a joke (which I will leave unspoiled as I think it's one of the better ones I have seen) that gives a resolution to her brother's dissatisfied life that is funny, original and meaningful all in one. All in all, "Family Weekend" works well as a dark comedy indie even with a few dramatic and comedic missteps because the beginning and ending are clever enough to keep it cute and entertaining.

• Much better than its rating would indicate, a really fun and quirky family comedy with heart.

  TxMike2013-07-17

  I found this on Netflix streaming movies. I watched it on a rainy morning just to kill time, expecting it to be a "dumb" comedy but came away somewhat amazed how good it is. Each role is acted just right and the situations are always surprising and interesting. This is a nice little gem of a movie. A movie like this thrives or dies on the lead role, and Olesya Rulin is just perfect as 16-yr-old Emily, even though the actress is in her mid-20s. Tiny at 5 feet tall, and with a youthful face and big eyes like Zooey Deschanel, her acting style fits the part. Emily is an organized person and as the movie starts she is getting ready to compete in the sport that is her passion, solo speed jump rope. She places first at the regional, in her home area in Michigan, but in spite of the post-it note reminders she left for her mom, her dad, her sister, and her two brothers, none of her family showed up to see her compete. Most 16-yr-olds would just mope, maybe take drugs, maybe tell everyone how uncaring her family is, but Emily is not your usual 16-yr-old. She decides an intervention is called for so she prepares an evening meal, forces each family member to sit at the table, then spikes the wine of her parents. When they pass out she does the only sensible thing, she ties them to chairs, making them her prisoners until they can all get a better understanding and commitment to making their family work better as a unit. Kristin Chenoweth is the hard-working, driven business woman Samantha. Matthew Modine is the hippy-dippy artist Duncan who has his studio upstairs in the home. Emily's younger sister is Joey King as Lucy, who is always dressing up as some movie character, but she is delightful. For me it was fun seeing one of my favorites from an earlier generation, Shirley Jones as the grandma, "GG ". This is a very funny comedy with novel writing, but it also has a good core of a message, that family members listening to each other and doing important things together matters.