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The trials and tribulations of a dysfunctional family.
It Runs In The Family is part drama and part comedy. The first funny moment is unintended. With four members of the Douglas family in the picture you may well chuckle during the opening credits when they acknowledge the efforts of the casting agent. Most of the rest of the laughs are less subtle and derive their humour from the ongoing struggles the Gromberg family members face as they all try to get along. There are some truly funny moments.
The drama part of It Runs In The Family often hits the nose on the head. Dysfunction, contrary to the Ozzie & Harriet version of the American family, is closer to the norm for many, perhaps even the majority, of families. If you don't see yourself, your family or someone you know, in the Gromberg's you are either very lucky or not looking close enough. The portrayal of the estrangement between the generations is particularly perceptive. The source of the problem is the familiar career vs. family dilemma. Often, spurred on societal definitions of success, parental pursuit of the good life produces a Home & Garden version of family life that looks good on paper but lacks essential emotional connections. The irony, of course, is that having achieved the attributes of success failure cannot be contemplated, recognized or resolved without first redefining the definition of success.
This topic has been canvassed before in a variety of films. It Runs In The Family brings little new insight to the debate. The freshest aspect of the movie is the generational family gathering of the Douglas clan. Beyond that we are treading on pretty familiar ground. Add to that the fact that the story line involving the eldest son, in particular, is badly written clichés on top of badly written clichés and It Runs In The Family starts to lose its charm. Gotta blame screenwriter Jessie Wigutow, who rewrote the cliche filled script for the movie 8 Mile, for this.
That being said, It Runs In The Family must be given credit for two things. Decent performances from the rest of the cast, especially Kirk Douglas and Bernadette Peters, and leaving loose-ends. While the family is clearly on the road to recovery we are not subjected to an unrealistic quick and happy ending. Its this final aspects that saves the movie in my opinion.
It Runs In The Family is decent enough to be a film worth seeing but not so good that if don't catch it you'll feel deprived.
Running time - 101 minutes
Alternative Reviews:
Roger Ebert's Review
Rotten Tomatoes Review
IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY OFFICIAL WEBSITE
