5/5 Representation of the typical NORMAL American family.
  by
Watching this movie was like visiting old friends that one sees on the holidays or goes on vacations with. I simply loved this movie and all of the little quirks in each of the characters: Mag's classical music stress relievers, Patrick's blindness, Alfred's compulsive neatness, Izzy's annoying observations, Percival's rebelliousness, Gideon's guilt, Merle's and Darren's twinness, and finally, Simon's hair. The fact that each character has something different about him or herself shows that this "dysfunctional" American family is just about as normal a family as I've ever met. One of the best qualities of this movie is that the issues and the family roles that are portrayed by and between each character are very realistic. My mother and I, as we watched the film, could relate to many of the scenes. My mother continually nodded her head as Mag went from scene to scene with a motherly presence so dominating it simply defined her as the representation of every mothers' unconditional love. My favorite moments in the movie occurred between Mag and her youngest son, Simon. Right from the get-go, there is just some unexplainable bond between the two of them that permeates the screen when only the two are involved, even when they scream at each other. Their relationship is a very special one that I can relate to. Izzy's devoted relationship to his father is one that I can relate to as well. Considering this family as "dysfunctional" is like considering the Pope a Hindu, which brings me to my next best quality about the movie. I love the relationships in the film and the honesty that each character shares with one another. For example, the scene near the beginning of the movie where Izzy is greeted by Alfred and the two go on to joke about Mag and her "Mussorgsky-mode" stress relief is pure magic. A scene between two brothers such as this one shows how much the two brothers love and respect one another. It also shows how in-tune to the family they are because they know the goings-on that occur with their mother, the sporatic blindness that occurs with their father, and just about everything that occurs with their other brothers. The relationships in the film are what holds the film together so well. Each character is forced to reevaluate how he or she feels about every other family member and how those relationships will either improve or grow stronger from the hardships placed before them. Susan Sarandon's portrayal of Margaret Singer was absolutely golden, Nick Stahl's portrayal of Simon was both poignant and hilarious at the same time. Over the course of an hour and thirty-eight minutes, I absolutely fell in love with this family, I felt like I've known them for years. Wonderful feel-good film.

5/5 A beautiful movie about togetherness.
  by Charlette Kopko (bayhead1@gateway.net) (Florida)
I thought that Susan Sarndon's character was incerdibly moving as well as Sam Shepard,Sean Aston and of course the young actor that always has my respect, Nick Stahl.A movie about family closeness and not missing a thing.

5/5 great stuff
  by michael spinelli (Denver, CO USA)
This is one of my favorite movies. As a 40 year male with no children I don't think I'll ever be able to get closer to understanding the feeling a mother has about her children than when I watched this moovie. Great ensemble cast. You'll defiantly laugh and cry in this movie. Sarandon and Shepard were great. I don't know the name of any of the children but it included the guy from swing kids and the guy from Mall Rats. The kid that figured out teh alergy situation has been around to and they all do a good job. Lots of realism in Surandans neurosis. There is a great piece of acting by the actress who played the wife of the "swing kids guy" in the kitchen scene with Sarandon. I call it the tequila and meatloaf sceen. That's the best scene in the movie mostly due to some dynamite dialogue. Other great scenes include the scene at the creek, the post dog attack, the fire in the driveway scene, the reporter confrentation, and the morning bunk bed sceen when the young kid says today's the day we'll find out.

3/5 Give this to your mother.
  by (Riverside, IL United States)
I watched this the week before Mother's Day and couldn't help thinking what a good gift it would make for a strong, passionate sort of mother. There is one scene with a savage dog that I will remember for a long time because of what it says about a mother's love. It's an interesting, offbeat film about love, families, and mothers. I will also continue to think some about the scene where the mother reacts to the son's smoking dope and he let's her know she can't knock something she hasn't tried. Again, the depth of her passionate mothering is inspirational.

5/5 A forgotten gem!
  by Hiram Gomez Pardo (Valencia, Venezuela)
An overprotective mother crosses over the boundary of the emotional barriers when she fears her son's death in a military explosion and must wait for the official notice. On the other hand a desperate man who want to be redeemed, and the eldest son who tries to keep the family together will be the dramatic coordinates of this unusual film, of notorious level and high artistic virtues.

Consider the year: 1994; and two futures Oscar winners: Marcia Gay Harden and Susan Sarandon; besides add the presence of Sam Shepard and Robert Sean Leonard and the fine direction of Robert Allen Ackerman.