The Family Tree

The Family Tree r

In Theaters August 26th, 2011 | © 2011 Entertainment One U.S.
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The Family Tree
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In THE FAMILY TREE, life in suburban Serenity, Ohio is never quite as serene as it appears. The dysfunctional Burnett family - Bunnie (Hope Davis), Jack (Dermot Mulroney) and their twin 17 year olds Eric (Max Thieriot) and Kelly (Britt Robertson) - seems like a lost cause. When a freak accident leaves Bunnie with a case of amnesia, the Burnetts get an unexpected second chance at happiness. Meanwhile, next door neighbor Simon (Chi McBride) is relieved that his tryst gone wrong with Bunnie remains undetected, at least for the moment. Before long, a slew of past relationships, kids with guns, a suicidal teacher, a very zealous religious club, misinterpreted advances, corporate down-sizing, and one fateful squirrel combine to create enough mayhem to test the resolve, sanity and future of any family! This hilarious, touching, and offbeat comedy explores the frailties and complexities of the contemporary American family - and what it takes to survive in a suburban jungle. After all, every family has its hang-ups.

Director
Vivi Friedman
Actors
Dermot Mulroney, Hope Davis, Chi McBride, Max Thieriot, Britt Robertson, Selma Blair, Keith Carradine, Shad "Bow Wow" Moss, Gabrielle Anwar, John Patrick Amedori, Evan Ross, Madeline Zima, Christina Hendricks, Jane Seymour, Rachel Leigh Cook, Evan Handler
Genre
Comedy
Run Time
1 hour 35 minutes
10%
TOMATOMETER
Reviews
20
Fresh
2
Rotten
18
Average Rating
3/10
Read more at Rotten Tomatoes

Reviews from Rotten Tomatoes

  • The only reason I can think of to watch Vivi Friedman's flat, satirical farce "The Family Tree" - and it's not a good enough reason - is the opportunity to play a game of spot the semi-star.

    Stephen Holden, New York Times, 08.25.2011

  • Friedman's inability to successfully reconcile the film's duality undercuts an eclectic cast gamely committed to Mark Lisson's thematically ambitious, if scattered, script.

    Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times, 08.25.2011

  • [It makes] a small case for not succumbing to nostalgic malaise -- too bad it's in a genre as played-out as [the] lead characters' passion.

    Mark Holcomb, Village Voice, 08.23.2011

  • To judge from the talent she drew for her shaky debut, Vivi Friedman must either be very well connected or an awfully smooth talker.

    Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News, 08.26.2011