“Difficult topic, but well done.”
“A week in rehab and a session with a good therapist wouldn’t hurt this film. Had I known I would have brought a present and I would have liked a slice of the blue cake.”
“The emotional story was powerful and efforts to show some healing was meaningful.”
“Riveting and poignant. A fantastic film.”
“This was almost as boring as actually going to a wedding! Dysfunction is getting old.”
“Tedious, like watching bad home movies.”
“Stop with the jittery camera in the face! A wedding like no other.”
“Demme always succeeds in powerful, emotional scenes, but also proved he can direct a wedding.”
“An international hodgepodge and enough of the violins! Questions raised regarding relationships were good, but in the end it was just too much of nothing.”
“A fascinating movie, with many subtle and not-so subtle layers of emotions and dialogue. The aftermath of family tragedies linger on and affect us all.”
“Interesting subject. Not pleased with camera work. Too amateurish. Missed Jewish dance music. I liked the actors and their abilities.”
“Poor editing and too long. The film was not enhanced by the music which went on too long, especially in the wedding reception scene and did not add to the dramatic aspect of the film.”
“ I didn’t feel connected to the story. Too dysfunctional. Too many unresolved issues.”
“A story (dragged out) of a dysfunctional family with no resolution. A downer that I wouldn’t really recommend.”
“Too long.”
“Heart rendering and highly emotional, it had my heart pounding. It felt very real and didn’t go for a pretty ending.”
“I really liked this film and the documentary camera style made me feel like a fly on the wall observing the wedding story. I like being thrown into the story without a life vest. Only indicated bits of the characters’ stories surfacing. Very provocative themes. This is a family typically called dysfunctional, but it was very much a functioning family, just not in an Ozzie/Harriet model. Loved the dishwasher contest, it was loaded.”
“I am so very tired of yet another dysfunctional family. Also the hand-held camera drove me nuts.”
“At the core of this film there was an interesting story, but it seemed to go off in directions away from the central issue. An interesting question raised by Kym as to why her mother would trust a strung-out teenager with the care of a young child. Was this a drama or a home movie about a wedding? There are times when I am glad that I was an only child.”
“The hand held camera has got to go!”
“Like watching a wedding video at home. I wanted to fast forward past many of the music and dance scenes.”
“Fine acting, tough subject. I did not like the camera techniques.”
“Too much, everything too much!
“Now that’s a family!”
“Another dysfunctional wedding family. Great music. I felt like the Labor Day Caribbean Parade moved up to Connecticut from Brooklyn.”
“I loved this film because of its creative camerawork and the effective portrayal of a complex family drama.”
“The movie was very intense, too intense for me to recommend to someone. I definitely sucked into the emotion of the movie. The shaky camera, the dysfunctional family, Kym’s issues with dealing with her brother’s death...”
“While a very well acted poignant film, I found it depressing and tedious at times. I felt for the main character, her suffering and pain. The family scenario was very realistic, the happiness and sadness. The wedding was bizarre, yet interesting and entertaining. I really felt Kym’s pain amidst all the confusion surrounding here.”
“I doubt that I could be so forgiving. Glad my family was not dysfunctional.”
“Perhaps 20 minutes shorter?”
“For intelligent, patient film goers. This movie is that kind of event that drawers you in and you’re not sure why. It was fascinating, simply fascinating. It was almost like watching real life; extremely well shot, well told and well acted. The film presents family dynamics in a very frank manner and it is far more extraordinary than ‘ORDINARY PEOPLE.’ I hope this gets nominated for an Oscar too. John, I felt your concentration of the multi cultural cast speaks more to your personal pre-occupation than anything else. I think it was as it was; these were people, that’s all, just people and in the context of this story…this movie…the important thing was race and culture were not the issues. The soundtrack was great! The only item that could challenge the music is the wedding cake, wow, what a cake! There were so many avenues this film could have traveled, however, I am glad it remains on its own road and allows the audience the opportunity to travel to those unexplained regions on it own.”
“No one’s to blame, but there’s plenty to go around in this ‘reality’ style Robert Altman type film. Always blame the parents. Anyway, the film occurred to me as boring from the word go, like forcing people to watch your home movies for 2 hours! Two thumbs down!”
“Film needs editing. The use of the camera was annoying. Seems like pop psychology ala Oprah!”
“Reception scenes dragged on too long. Loved the storyline. Great acting, but camera was shaking was too much. Dishes scene was strange…”
“A raw film dealing with the heartbreaking illness of a addiction, in a dysfunctional family. No one does ‘important figurehead’ better than Bill Irwin. Ann Hathaway was amazing; the relationship between her and her sister broke my heart. However, the cinematography made me crazy and the lack of structure and meandering added to the boredom. Plus, no ending made this pix unrecommendable. What I did like was the complete lack of notice of the reference to anything interracial.”
“To anyone who thinks their family is dysfunctional, I’d tell them to see this film. They might not think so after viewing it.”
“Felt like the film was equivalent of a Chekhov play of which it was often said nothing happened and what did was a little on the melodramatic side.”
“Too long. Needs editing in toasting scenes and wedding scenes.”
“Well the music is wonderful. Indulgent, predictable and boring.”
“A beautiful fairytale with some complications and a happy ending. It was great fun and often moving.”