Customer Reviews

A Family Affair

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(27)

 

 

I rented this dvd with very high hopes when I was first craving films that were at all lesbonic, and it was such a let down. The screenplay was awful, the acting offensively bad, and the technical aspects-well, I realize that it was a low budget film, but come on people. The sound was especially bad, to the point of distracting.
Aside from the movie being bad, the special features included interviews with everyone EXCEPT the chic who wrote/directed/starred in the thing. I agree with another reviewer: buy this ONLY to help promote the making of more, hopefully better, movies with a lesbian subject matter. For actual entertainment value, go elsewhere.

I knew when I ordered this it had received mixed reviews but as always went ahead and ordered it with an open mind. Knowing that as with most things that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. When will I ever learn, good quality lesbian films are few and far between and sadly this is one of the misses. The fact that you cannot give zero or minus stars gives this poor film a falsely high rating. The acting is wooden, scenes and script uncomfortable. Other reviewers mention great sexual content, steamy scenes and sexy performances. Which film is all that in then, as I didn't see any of that in A Family Affair. If you can I would rent this DVD rather than buy or borrow would be even better, that way your hard earned cash remains safely in the bank and no one gets hurt.

This is honestly one of the worst films I have ever witnessed...gay or straight. I am amazed it actually got made, let alone distributed!
I hate to be mean, but it was hard to watch Ms. Lesnick. Her talents must lay elsewhere. She can not act her way out of a box. Oy!! She should have stuck to her Rabbinical Studies. Seriously folks....you should just rent it to see how bad it is...you will be fascinated.
I am sure Helen Lesnick is a lovely hard working woman, but what a flat actress. Her heavy black and blue makeup made her look like a Drag Queen and the fact that she says she's 34 in the film is insane! She clearly looked 45 +. I am all for accepting yourself as you age, but the woman had such deep lines in her face, she looked like road map. If you force us to stare at your face for 2 hrs (and tons of annoying Close Ups!! Oy again!)please consider Boxtex next time.

Well she got a film made and out there, starring herself as the lead. I am sure a great accomplishment for her...BUT, PAINFUL for us.

A FAMILY AFFAIR is another fun lesbian release from Wolfe Video. In this film, Rachel is a diehard New Yorker who moves to San Diego after ending a bad relationship. Her mother, a devout member of PFLAG, set Rachel up on a blind date with Christine. As times goes by Rachel believes she has finally found a compatible partner until their one-year anniversary when Christine begins discussing marriage and religion conversion. All of a sudden Rachel's world turns upside down as she must face her fears of commitment. To make matters worse her New York ex-girlfriend makes an unexpected appearance before the wedding to lure Rachel back to the Big Apple.

This film is fresh and is full of fun and humor that any lesbian could relate to (i.e., jokes about U-Haul dating). The acting is good and the screenplay is realistic. A FAMILY AFFAIR is a testament that the quality of lesbian films has greatly approved over recent years. Kudos!

Also worth checking out is WATCHING YOU, another recent Wolfe Video release that is also fun and fresh.

I had seen this film once before in a festival in Washington DC.I thought it was funny and extremely well written,loved the characters and the romantic conflicts were real not some fictious hollywood story line. Then I saw it was for sale and read some of the reviews. I was surprised at some of the negative ones (likely someone who did not see the film). So I bought the DVD and had a girls night at the house to see the film. We all loved it! This film is funny, sexy and captures romance perfectly...The characters are great!! As is the story a Love triangle with all the humor, heartache and sexual trysts that accompany one.This is the perfect holiday gift, I know I am buying some for friends.This is a film you will want to have in your DVD library.A Family Affair is a GREAT LESBIAN Film.

Yeah, this was one of the worst lesbian films I have seen. The only good actors were the REAL actors. The star over acted and still didn't put any emotion into her performance. Which is sad since she was the one who wrote the lines! The fiance was way too cutsey (and was that a wig she had on or what?) and unbelievable. The loving couple barely touched eachother and were horribly stilted in their conversations. And we were supposed to believe they had been living together for over a year?
The only believable and entertaining scenes were the ones with the parents or the ex-girlfriend which was played by the only eye candy in the whole movie, Michele Green. I could believe that she would get off on making this old chick chase her around.

The humor was tried for so hard that it fell flat. I love sarcastic humor but this was not it. It was a bunch of horribly cliched lines that were not delivered at all well. And some how the lead characters gay friends all delivered their lines in the exact same tone and cadence.

On to some technical issues. The sound was horrid. They must have had at least three different sound guys all working with different equipment. There were scenes that made you think your ears were popping - sometimes their voices were muddled, sometimes not. Incredibly annoying!

Now I am a huge supporter of lesbian films. I know that we do not have the budgets to make "so called" blockbusters but come on! We don't have to all love it just because there is so little out there! Saying that it was "the best lesbian film this year" is like saying a dead dandylion is the best flower on a glacier. Watch "The Incredibly True Story of Two Girls in Love" (catch one of the stars, Laurel Hollowman in The L Word)for real lesbian cinema. It's funny and entertaining. And the director was able to find real talent. Hell, I could find better talent in a high school drama class than what was in "A Family Affair".

Short and Sweet: Buy it if you must support the genre but please don't lead others to think that it was actually good.Even better: check out http://www.lesbianfirstweekendfilmclub.com/ to find out where the lesbian movies are playing and support them in the theaters. Now that will help our movies get better!

I am a movie lover!! I have seen practically every lesbian movie made, from dramas filled with tragic figures to love stories. A Family Affair is the best lesbian film I have viewed in recent years. The lesbian community finally has a well written, funny and accurate portrayl of our love lives funny, dramatic and well not much different than our straight counterparts. It is time people got to see we are not so different just because of who we choose to love. This is a film every lesbian let alone person needs to see. You will likely see yourself in it in one of the well developed characters. The story is about a girl torn between two girls the new love and the old love. With a great cast and sexy actresses this film should not be missed. You will want to see this one over and over again and share it with everyone you know. Everyone I know who saw this film is literally in love with it. Here in Miami it is hard to find this film due to it selling out, I had to buy it on Amazon :)

This will be the lesbian film we all look back on in years to come, plus it contains issues of gay marriage which are rather timely now. Go see it Go buy it This is a keeper!!

I was totally disappointed by this movie. Although there were some parts that made me laugh, the majority of the movie was a big letdown. I found the acting and the dialogue amateurish and totally unbelievable. This is one that I should have rented before I bought it. Well, live and learn. I wish I could give Ms. Lesnick a big thumbs up for this because there is a great need for good lesbian movies. However, this just isn't one. Maybe next time.

DO not buy this film. I rented it the other night and it was a waste of four dollars. My girlfriend fell asleep within 5 minutes, but I actually watched most of it.

The story is drawn-out and boring. There is no chemistry between the actresses. The humor is deliberate and unfunny. You can look forward to jokes such as "I stand corrected- or rather-sit corrected." (the character is sitting.)

buying this film will only encourage these people to make more movies. It's up to you.

I just picked this up last week in my local Blockbuster & am probably going to buy it now because I want to own it!! You don't need to be gay to appreciate excellent delineation of culture clash of gays v. straight, West Coast v. East Coast, Jewish v. other! Really, really funny w/ some GREAT lines - I spit out some Diet Coke on my husband. And well-acted, including Michelle Green of LA Law fame (still looks fab!! -darn her), who my husband appreciated (even though a little damp from Diet Coke). Lead character's parents were especially priceless/adorable.