Customer Reviews

Stuart Saves His Family

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The first time I saw this movie was when it was in theatrical release, (which lasted about a week). I was in a movie theater in Times Square with a friend, and there were only two other people in the audience. Al Frankin has referred to this movie as a "disaster" because it was pulled from theaters after not even reaching one million dollars. Note to Al: THIS MOVIE IS NOT A FALIURE!

Every detail of this film, from the opening montage to the marvelous acting, (these are TOP NOTCH actors in this film), to the hilarious comedy to the story to the music...everything is hysterical. I only wish they had chosen a different title. Stuart does not save his family, he can only try. The movie should have been called "Stuart Smalley."

I was so astounded by how wonderful this movie was, yet practically no one saw it and Al Frankin calls it a disaster. I honestly, truely, unexagerratedly believe that this movie should have been up for several Oscars, including Best Director and for the supporting cast. The actor who plays the father was especially wonderful. I only hope that more people discover this movie.

When the movie was over in the theater, (I have since seen it again on video several times), the two other people in the audience came up the aisle and also expressed how good the movie was. I wish I could have direct addresses for director Harold Ramis and Al Frankin so that I could write to them and tell them how proud they should be of this movie.

Sadly, a lot of folks have never heard of this little gem. It had a very short theatrical release but has been gaining a wider audience, largely among members of 12-step programs, through its various video releases.

To describe the story line of this very funny movie would be to sell it short, because the premise doesn't sound like it would lend itself to such a delightful comedy. But the film grabs one's attention from the very beginning with its montage of 50s and 60s family photographs during the opening credits. Are these possibly family photos of the lead actors at an earlier stage of life? When Vincent d'Onofrio's name is on the screen, the guy in the photo looks an awful lot like him. And then we're off and running, with Stuart telling us on his television show that he has just received a sweater that one Melissa D. knitted for him. Melissa is a recovering sex addict and knitting the sweater "gave her something to do with her hands."

From that point on, the pace only rarely slackens, as we are introduced to Stuart's various friends and nemeses, beginning with Roz Weinstock, very possibly the meanest and most sadistic boss since Captain Bligh, and deliciously played by Camille Saviola. Roz has fired Stuart for maligning her on the air, and she is only the first of a series of people Stuart manages to annoy as he lives out his affirmation of "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough and, doggone it, people like me." Perhaps not everyone likes him, certainly not the customer in the restaurant (an unbilled role, possibly director Harold Ramis?) who has to wait while Stuart explains his latest predicament to his best friend and Al-Anon sponsor Julia, wonderfully played by Laura San Giacomo.

From there, it is a constant back-and-forth for Stuart between Chicago, where he lives, and Minneapolis, ironically one of the chief centers of recovery programs, and the home of his very dysfunctional family. Stuart's beloved Aunt Paula has died, setting in motion an ever-muddier chain of events that eventually teach Stuart in a big way that the only one he really has the power to change is himself. Nevertheless, the ever-optimistic Stuart continues to offer his gifts to others, some of which are eventually picked up and appreciated.

Just as the setting goes back and forth from Chicago to Minneapolis, so the time frame goes back and forth from the present to the past through black-and-white flashbacks, some happy, some less so. These give us some idea of how Stuart has come to be the way he is today, and of the ghosts that he has to grapple with while living out his affirmation.

The film does take a rather serious turn near the end, but Al Franken as Stuart Smalley helps to keep the tone somewhat light during this section. And, as in real life, not all the loose ends ever get neatly tied up, but Stuart has nevertheless made his impact, as we see in a very heartwarming ending.

While most of the actors in the film are not household names, a number of them are quite experienced and turn in some memorable performances. Harris Yulin, Shirley Knight, Lesley Boone and Vincent d'Onofrio are all good as Stuart's family members, the men in particular. There are also a number of memorable cameos, particularly Julia Sweeney as the constantly apologizing Mea C., and Walter Olkewicz and Jeremy Roberts as the Skoag brothers who try to force the teetotaling Stuart to drink beer at a bar.

The music is fun also, beginning with the codependent song that is played during the opening credits. And it was great to hear Ethel Merman blasting her way through "Everything's Coming Up Roses," during one of the scenes where Stuart is trying to pull himself up by his bootstraps.

This picture has some of the funniest lines I have ever heard in any film. My particular favorite is Stuart's brother Donnie's attempt to define for him what an "easement" is, despite the fact that he obviously doesn't have the slightest notion. But many will like even better Stuart's comment to his sister about the pound cake. While there is plenty here for audiences in general to laugh at, there are also a number of jokes that are targeted toward members of 12-step programs, and especially those programs geared toward helping friends and family members of those addicted to alcohol and drugs. It's obvious from the writing that these are topics near and dear to screenwriter Franken's heart.

So, I recommend this movie with just the caveat that you will find it funnier and closer to home if you have some familiarity with the programs that the film gently pokes fun at. And even if you don't, after seeing the film you may still wind up with a new approach to life.

Al Franken scores with "Stuart Saves His Family". Expanding on his SNL character, Franken paints Stuart's wildly dysfunctional family with broad, knowing brushstrokes. Humor and honesty take the audience inside the world of 12-step recovery. I'm buying second and third copies of the movie to use in counseling with families. "Denial isn't just a river in Egypt!" This movie slyly slices through the excuses and gently reveals the healing hearts of folks with the courage to take that first "step". Thanks, Al--this unpretentious gem of a movie not only entertains but shares hope.

Stuart Saves His Family is not your typical SNL movie. It's not packed with laugh-a-minute jokes or high strung humor. It's more of a drama where Stuart tries to save the people he loves the least: members of his family. In the skits, he is irratating and annoying. But in this movie, the viewer will respect him more as a sensitive human being who needs a friend like anyone else. And we find out that he has friends that you can't just find in any old 12 step program. They are loyal and understand him. Especially Julia. She doesn't pre-judge him. Everything Stuart goes through, she goes through it with him. Everyone deserves a soulmate like that. You also feel for what Stuart is being put through by his family. Stuart is human (with some minor considerations) just like the rest of us. This movie helped me get through the rough times I had in my family. It is also probably the first SNL movie with an ending that can bring one to tears. It's okay though. The mark of a good movie is in the the ending. Stick around during the credits to listen to the music. There is a song on there called "What Makes A Family". It's quite good.

I thoroughly enjoyed this spoof of the recovery movement, especially because it blended the serious aspects of addiction and dysfunctional families with the often morbid humor that is also within these topics. As a social worker who has worked with many who have "walked the walk", I have tremendous respect for them but also know that humor is one of the key ways they chose to cope with their situation. Al Franken does a wonderful job of reminding us that, indeed, you can't just "talk the talk", you do have to put your money where your mouth is and eventually step out of the cliches and twelve step mumbo jumbo and just be who you are. Very appropriate for most ages, this is actually important viewing for children or adolescents who might be growing up in an alcoholic home. Thanks, Al Franken.

The absolute best SNL film ever made. And if you think they can't do drama, think again. I think Al Franken and Harold Ramis should be very proud of this superb film. It stores the best acting, directing, and writing of any SNL film to date. To get a good idea of the film, it's about 40% comedy and 60% drama. So if you wanna have a few good laughs and a pleasant feeling when rewinding(or going back to the menu you DVD freaks), this is the flick for you. How Al Franken isn't hugely famous yet is beyond me.

Stuart Saves His Family is an underated movie that had so much to say, and said it very well.

While I dislike Al Franken's politics, this movie really hits the nail on the head in regards to dysfunctional family relations.

Frankly, I was curious if the cute recurring skit could last as a movie. While it got rave reviews, fans stayed away. Too bad.

Stuart Smalley (Franken) struggles to keep his Daily Affirmations show on Chicago's Public Access Television. He is a member of several 12-step groups, but not a licensed therapist. When he loses his show, we meet all his sponsors for the various 12-Step Groups. They are people who provide support, love, and listening ears.

Juxtaposed is his dysfunctional family who he tries patiently to love--and even change. As we meet his alcoholic father, overbearing mother, wasted brother, and ditzy sister, we understand how Stuart got the way he did.

In the end, Stuart realizes that he cannot change his family, but only himself. Once he does that, it leads to mending fences with his brother.

This movie is not a typical SNL movie. It lacks the slapstick violence of the Blues Brothers, the quirky one-liners of Tommy Boy, and the humor and homage of Wayne's World.

What it does, though, is deliver a very good movie. Cinematically, the acting, directing, and writing are top-notch. This is a mainstream comedy, that everyone can identify with. We all want to fix the shortcomings and sins of our families.

At the same time, it makes us laugh at the dirty laundry. One of the best parts is when Stuart explains that the Smalley family is not good with resolving conflict--because of the alcohol. In another scene, he resists drinking a beer with a couple of hot heads, then tries to tell them to reach for their "inner child."

The best scene is when he does his opening statement on his show. "All my life I heard 'Stuart you're not smart enough. You're not good enough. And by the way, nobody likes you.'"

"Do you know who said those things? My mother? Yeah. My Father? Well, him, too."

It's too bad this movie flopped--but all the true fans have made it a box-office smash in their hearts.

Stuart is an example of a typical family....Dysfunctional to the core. Yet he and the characters in it are as human as anyone around you. This is a very funny movie but has a strong serious side to it. If you have ever been a 12 stepper or in therapy, Stuart is a must.

There is something special about this movie. I rented it after reading something positive about it in the paper (I had never heard of it). During the first ten minutes I thought, "I can't spend an entire movie with this character" (I had stopped watching SNL years before, and didn't know the Stuart skits). And then Stuart started to grow on me. He's such a sweet, ordinary, messed-up person who keeps on trying. The best movies have drama and comedy in them, and this film balances them beautifully...like the best Preston Sturges movies. It has real heart and warmth, and it is very funny. I watch it every couple months, and it warms me like visiting an old friend. It's not for everybody, but it has goodness in it and that's a tricky thing to have in a movie, especially these days.

Al Franken brings Stuart Smalley to life in this movie. Stuart is struggling with his own self-destructive tendencies, and is an unlikely hero in the perils of his own dysfunctional family. Laura San Giacomo is convincing in her role as Julia, Stuart's al-anon sponsor and friend. Stuart's dysfunctional family includes an alcoholic dad, 30-something pot-smoking brother who hasn't left home, enabling mother and a codependent, over-eating sister. He struggles from situation to situation. He is crushed by the loss of his public access television show, and humiliated by his boss, but he keeps on trying.

It was clear that Al Franken and director Harold Ramis did research on 12-step groups rather than have a shallow spoof of them. He enlisted the help of best-selling self-help author Melody Beattie (Codependent No More). This movie is much more than a very funny comedy. It is a drama filled with tried-and-true values: friendship, perseverance, and integrity. When I am feeling low I can watch this movie and am genuinely built-up. I have told myself more than a few times, echoing Stuart's words, "I'm good enough, smart enough, and doggone it, people like me!" Another quotable saying from the movie is "It is easier to put on slippers than to carpet the whole world."

This is a movie that I decided to buy rather than just rent. Although I agree that the SNL character might have been grating, this movie's Stuart is not annoying and can be watched over and over again.