The Family Tree

Black comedy time! This one, presented at the 2010 Seattle International Film Festival and first reviewed by Yours Truly in June of that year, features a classically dysfunctional family: the father, a mildly frustrated mid-level manager, living in a house he can't afford; the mother, a bored do-gooder using her mother's wealth to provide her with a home and charitable projects; the daughter, a Goth teenager who talks a good game but may not be quite as tough as she sounds; the son, a gun enthusiast entertaining thoughts of suicide. This family has actually been fired by a family counselor.

Here's a roster of the actors:

• Dermot Mulroney ("Flash of Genius") is Dad, disheartened by his wife, confused by his daughter, and alarmed by his son's propensity for guns.
• Hope Davis ("Charlie Bartlett") is Mom, nursing an active hatred for her OWN mother, and having a wild fling with a neighbor.
• Brittany Robertson ("Cherry") is the daughter; does that class- mate's Mohawk have to be quite so purple and quite so tall?
• Max Thieriot ("Chloe") is the son, trying to be a tough guy for the Lord.
• Keith Carradine ("Nashville") is their minister, who sees their son's marksmanship as a God-given talent.
• Chi McBride ("Pushing Daisies") is the randy neighbor whose enthusiastic lovemaking causes a life-changing accident.
• Jane Seymour ("Wedding Crashers") the world's worst mother/ mother-in-law/grandmother.

Mom suffers a brain injury during a zesty tryst with a neighbor. When she awakens from her coma, she can only remember her husband and their early happy courtship and marriage. As family members try to adjust, they slowly come to realize that there just might be a second chance here.

This R-rated romp has fun situations, dark, dark humor, and people to care about. I really enjoyed it!

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The lead-in ad before the preview is very short!
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1931582489/
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