5/5 I'm glad I watched it to the end.
  by Fred Shigelbort
I just watched this movie for the first time. I have to admit that I thought a couple of times about stopping it in the middle, and not watching the whole thing. I was thinking to myself, "What is it that people like about movies about dysfunctional families?" Well, it kind of all comes together in the end. Or, maybe it is just that by the end you finally get the point of the movie. (In fact, the chapters of the movie are separated by titles that appear on the screen, and the last chapter is entitled: "The Point." But I didn't think about it so much when I was watching it the first time.)

Something rare happens in this movie that doesn't often happen in ensemble cast movies. Holly Hunter's character at one point says, "When you go home, do you look around and wonder, 'Who ARE these people?'" In fact, each and every member of the cast has their character's story told in depth, and we the viewers get to know "who they are." The acting is fantastic!

Indeed, I think this is what helped me get through the movie. While at points I thought it was a bit torturous to watch a dysfunctional family go through the motions of trying to get along for the holidays, it really made me think about my own life and my own family. Isn't that one of the main reasons you might enjoy a movie? There were funny moments, sad moments, contemplative moments, crazy moments, and all the other kinds of moments that make up real life.

Anyway, at the end of the movie, when it gets to people thinking about their lives, it really made me think about my own life and my own family. I believe that this is why I really liked the movie. And I will definitely watch it again.

Watching the movie a second time with the commentary by Jodie Foster was as much fun, if not funner, than watching the movie the first time. She explains many of the parts of the movie that I didn't stop and think about the first time I watched it. I wonder exactly how autobiographical the movie really is for her.

5/5 Home for the Holidays
  by D. Miller (greenville, sc)
A thanksgiving movie with just enough dysfunction most of us can relate. Great cast and script. A favorite of my family.

4/5 Dysfunctional Family at its best
  by Amy W. Sucherman (Ashburn, VA USA)
C'mon, your family's Thanksgiving couldn't possibly be this bad, could it? It's a poignent look at the pain and love families commit on and to one another. Laughter and tears almost guarenteed.

4/5 Love it
  by C. Needham (Denver, CO United States)
I absolutely love this movie and was so glad I was finally able to find it.

5/5 ANOTHER MUST-BUY
  by k whitlock (tennessee)
This is my ALL-TIME FAVORITE FILM, and one which has never been given the accolades it deserves. On the surface, it's about a dysfunctional family at Thanksgiving, but upon closer examination it's Everyman's story. For anyone who has ever gone home for the holidays after having moved away, this film will bring back all the craziness and emotion associated with such a visit. I have given it to countless friends as a gift and watch it more than once during the year (especially at Thanksgiving). It never ceases to please, and I often catch some subtle bit of humor I've managed to miss in previous viewings. It's written, acted and directed flawlessly. The cast reads like a Hollywood Who's Who. Directed by Jodi Foster, it stars Holly Hunter, Claire Danes, Anne Bancroft, Charles Durning, Robert Downey Jr, Dylan McDermott, Steve Guttenberg and Cynthia Stevenson (as well as Geraldine Chaplin, whose work I had not previously seen). Each of them deserves a medal for this film.

Watching it before Thanksgiving sets the mood for the remainder of the holiday season. I highly recommend it for repeated viewing.