Holidays with the Family?

Enter Claudia (Holly Hunter), a mom who just lost her job and has going back to her crazy family on the East coast to look forward to for Thanksgiving. Not to mention, her 16 year old daughter (Claire Danes) just admitted she is going to have sex, Claudia made out with her ex-boss for no reason and she just lost her coat at the airport but she doesn't know it yet.

Claudia is having one bad day.

"Home For the Holidays" is director, Jodie Foster's (yes, THE Jodie Foster's) idea of what family is all about -- sweet dysfunctional bliss. It is a heartfelt movie with a bit of overly nostalgic sentimentality that can be easily swallowed with the acting of this cast:

Holly Hunter, Robert Downey Jr., Dylan McDermott, Claire Danes, and Anne Bancroft, just to name a few.

Be that as it may, it is not the cast alone that keeps this movie as great as it is, it is the script.

"Home For the Holidays" is written in a format of something you would see on stage, but in this film the story does not drag once you get through the first five minutes. In fact, it makes you laugh almost 3/4 of the way till the end when it hits you with some sentimentality which may cause tears to well up in your eyes.

There are many characters, but they all relate somehow to Claudia through her family or by being her extended/immediate family. Here's a basic run-down of the characters...

A. Tommy (Robert Downey Jr.) is Claudia's younger gay brother who is notoriously a trouble maker. He is the closest sibling to Claudia.

Ex.: Tommy wakes Claudia up by taking polaroids unde rher shirt in the middle of the night, he also breaks into his parent's house.



B. Claudia's Mom (Anne Bancroft) is a somewhat distraught woman who worries too much about her kids. She is close to Claudia but has a very strong mother-daughter power struggle relationship. She babies her daughter yet tells her all she wants is for her to be happy.

Ex.: Mom, about Claudia, "So you're not gonna eat my meatloaf because it once was a cow?" and " I don't know how you walk around without a coat, here put this on."



C. Claudia's Dad, Henry, (actor who played father in the movie "Tootsie", Charles Durning) is a laid back, pumpkin-pie-loving, goofy dad, the complete opposite of Claudia's mother. Claudia and Henry have a very close relationship akin to being Daddy's Little Girl. They can discuss life together and always appreciate each other's company without taking things too seriously.

Ex.: Henry at the dinner table saying grace, "Dear Lord, we thank you for the little things we do like SHOVELING the turkey and STUFFING the snow."



D. Aunt Glady is the nutcase of the family. She has too many plants and is secretely in love with someone in the movie. She gives away lamps she won off the Price is Right and wears bright red.

Ex.: Tommy to Aunt Glady, "That's a sporty necklace you got there Aunt Glady, what's it made out of?"

Aunt Glady to Tommy, "Fruit Loops!"



E. Kit (Claire Danes) is Claudia's daughter who decides to stay home for Thanksgiving. She has a very small role, but we know that Claudia loves her very much. She is one stable force in Claudia's life, reminding her to remember to "just float" above the stress.

F. Claudia's sister Joanne and brother-in-law...all I can say is watch how the sparks fly! Joanne is insanely jealous of Claudia and unhappy in her marraige. She secretly is ashamed of her brother Tommy and very insecure about her role as a mother, sister, daughter, etc.


G. Last of all, Dylan McDermott shows up as a very adorable love interest, Mr. Leo Fish. He sees Claudia's family for what it is and reminds Claudia that holidays are all about not relating to your family, but loving them anyway. Leo is obviously attractive, cynically hilarious, and you'll end up liking him just as much as Claudia by the end of the movie, I guarantee it! Personally, he's my favorite male character.

Ex.: Leo to Claudia, "Give me the G-dam time of day, would ya?"

I enjoy this movie every Thanksgiving because it is one of those warm, heartfelt films that leaves you smiling and feeling better. The story line is basically about the dysfunctional ways of family dynamics, but it is a well-written script with a lot of humor to make the idea easier to swallow.

Claudia's family is both dysfunctional and tolerant, filled with love tainted by sibling rivalry, i.e. a typical family!
This film has to do with just relating to people in general as well whether they are in your family or not, that's what makes it so good.

In addition, Jodie Foster's choice of casting Holly Hunter for the role as Claudia could not have been better.

Hunter naturally oozes sympathy and brings another dimension to Claudia, a woman who has many roles in life - sister, lover, mother, child, friend. Hunter can do more without speaking than most big screen names while maintaining both strength and vulnerability in this role.

Another fine choice is Anne Bancroft as Claudia's mother. Bancroft has not lost her wit from "The Graduate" with age, just added maturity to her acting abilities. She transforms herself into the strong centerhold of a family who sometimes falls apart. She is both proud and loving in this role.

I loved all the actors cast in this film and I still love this film. It's one of those sleepers that you may not have heard of, but should never have missed and it is definitely a holiday favorite. If you see it available to own, you will enjoy keeping it on your list of what to watch around the holidays.