There are a lot of television series and films about what is commonly called the dysfunctional family. I guess it would be boring if everybody got alone well and there was no disharmony in a family. The Stepford ideal seems great but would be impossible too achieve. The problem is families are composed of individual people and they will always find some point of contention or another. One film that revisits this often trod road is ‘Birds of America’ by Craig Lucas. It was premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year and is now getting a wider distribution through DVD. This is an odd, quirky little film that in many ways is nondescript but it is also not without its moments. This is a lot here that will be very familiar to the audience and just enough to allow the movie to stand on its own. A film like this is exactly why there is such an urgent need in the movie community for the independent film makers. You take a group of highly creative people with a vision and a story to tell and with a budget that wouldn’t pay for restroom facilities on most sets and a shooting schedule of a couple of weeks and they provide a movie. In many cases it is a very personal project for the cast and crew and this has to be respected. While this is not a great movie it is an honest try at doing something right. There were times that I could predict what was going to happen or be said long before it was on the screen. For originality this film doesn’t make much of a mark but it gives you one solid ride along the way. It has an exceptional cast and more than reasonable direction which adds up to an entertaining time. After you watch this you might even appreciate your own family just a little bit more. The DVD is available through First Look Studios and as usual they manage to uncover little Indy gems like this one.

Elyse Friedman is a well respected novelist and playwright hailing from our neighbor to the north, Canada. Her first script ‘Suddenly Naked’ was a melodramatic romance. She now moves on to the difficult combined genre of comedy drama. While she is extremely accomplished in her literary works Friedman is still on the learning curve when it comes to screenplays. She stakes the thin line between drama and comedy with some care but overall missed creating anything too interesting in either genre. The characters are painted with a broad brush reducing some of them to a one dimensional caricature instead of believable people. This is saved to some point by the excellent performances. A few of the plot points come across as too puerile. One example is the fecal war between one of the leads and the neighbor’s dog. I suppose that it works considering the circumstances that Friedman lays out. This family is stuck in juvenile behavior and is a major theme in the work. The ultimate resolution to the numerous conflicts is predictable and offers too pat an ending. It would also have helped considerably if the setting was changed from the hackney upper middle class family. This is well covered ground and it is about time out social circumstances should be explored. It is not just the financially sound families that are dysfunctional; lets see a messed up working class group reuniting in a three floor walk up apartment for a change. This point is salient since it goes to the ability of the audience to identify with the characters. While Indy films do tend to appeal to the more upwardly mobile segment of our population other types of people might enjoy a film like this.

This is the sophomore time directing for Craig Lucas. He does a very good job in holding things together and giving the audience a visual interesting movie. This is a character driven movie that is better at showing off the situations than the people. While the characters themselves are not novel or in most cases likeable the way Lucas lets them get into the circumstances they find themselves is what makes the film. He manages to maintain the correct amount of tension between the characters. This allows the cast to cut loose at the proper moment for some amazing scenes. Lucas has an excellent style when it comes to framing a scene. He places details in each frame that helps to set the mood whether comic or dramatic. That brings us to how he handles the contrast between the two genres of the film. Lucas is able to transition from the humorous to the poignant with a skill far beyond other directors on their second film. He also seems to be the kind of director who realizes the talent that he has in front of the camera and lets them takes on the task of telling the story. These are all people that most of us know. You might have a dinner party with them and then have a lively discussion about them on your way home. We known them and are very happy we are not them. One fact that nags you as you watch is these topics have been covered by several recent, better constructed films. What this movie offers is the exuberance that the cast and crew bring to the table. It runs off on the audience making a good time possible.

Morrie Tananger (Matthew Perry) is a college professor who lives in the home he shared with his parents and siblings as a child. His father committed suicide and his mother succumbed to cancer so he is back at home. His wife, Betty (Lauren Graham) is anxious to start a family but this sentiment is not shared by Morrie. He is not making a lot at the college and wants to wait until his position there is more established and he is tenured. As it happens in stories like this his departmental superior, Paul (Gary Wilmes) and his wife Laura (Hilary Swank) live next door. Ostensibly Paul is Morrie’s best friend. Paul and Laura are all too perfect and happy especially when compared to Morrie’s family. After Morrie’s brother Jay (Ben Foster) is beaten and left in the proverbial ditch he experiences a change in in his world view and feels he is on a Christian mission. While recuperating he moves back in with Morrie and Betty. This also prompts a visit by their sister Ida (Ginnifer Goodwin). She aspires to be a photographer but is not able to make her mark in the field. Disappointed she resorts to copious quantities of alcohol and meaningless sex to numb her feelings. Betty and Morrie were better able to cope with the family when there was some distance between them but now that they are all under the same roof the nerves of all are fully exposed.

This is not a great film but it is a good one. The cast is great here especially Goodwin. I have been a fan of hers for years now and she always manages to provide the best possible performance for any given role. She has an understated way of getting into any character she takes on. It has been awhile since Swank has done a supporting role. This is the great thing about Indy flicks like this. Actors like Swank can stretch their ability by accepting quirky roles like this. Graham and Perry prove there is life after a long term television series. Both step out of the characters they are best known for and demonstrate that they are considerable talents. This is one that is pleasing and enjoyable. It is a good watch for a rainy Saturday night with friends.