The Perfect Family Movie Review

movie review rating guide for parents and families

MPAA Rating
PG-13

for mature thematic material

Genre
Drama, Comedy

Director
Anne Renton

Starring
Kathleen Turner, Emily Deschanel, Jason Ritter, Richard Chamberlain, Elizabeth Peña

Studio
Variance Films

Release Date/In Theaters
5/4/2012

The Perfect Family Movie Summary

Eileen Cleary (Kathleen Turner) is a devout Catholic who is always worried about appearances and what others think. When she decides to run for the coveted Catholic Woman of the Year award at her parish her real world comes crashing in. Eileen must introduce her family to the board for their approval and they do not fit into her perfect family mold. Eileen's strained marriage to a recovering alcoholic is compounded by her daughter, Shannon, a gay attorney getting ready to marry her partner and her son is cheating on his wife with the local manicurist.

The Perfect Family Movie Review for Parents

-by Ginger

      The Perfect Family tells the story of a family that is not so perfect, at least by Catholic standards. The Cleary family is in for a few surprises when Eileen, the mother and primary matriarch of the family is nominated for the Catholic Woman of the Year award. She tries desperately to hide the skeletons in the family closet so that she portrays the epitome of the Perfect Family. This family movie guide agrees with the MPAA on this one. This move is a film for mature audiences due to thematic material contained in the plot. The Perfect Family might not be the perfect movie for your family.

      When Eileen is nominated for this prestigious award, she finds that her family is not as perfect as it seems. Over the dinner table, she is told that her son is leaving his wife and children for a local beautician. Her daughter is five months pregnant and intends to marry her girlfriend. Eileen tries desperately to hide her family secrets so that she can get the coveted award. Of course The Perfect Family movie has its share of Catholic jokes and insults.

      The family begins to split, as Eileen is torn between shame and support for her broken family. By the end of The Perfect Family movie, even her husband is threatening to leave. In the end, all of the loose ends are resolved and Eileen gets everything she wants. She gets the award and she saves her family in the process. The end of the movie is happy and leaves you with a good feeling. It also makes the audience examine these issues within themselves through the characters.

      The Perfect Family movie is about real life, but you might not be ready to discuss all of the issues that arise in the movie with your preteen or younger children. The target audience for this movie is not children. It addresses issues that only a mother would understand. The Perfect Family is not a real “steer clear” for families, but it is probably not the best choice either. It is made for an older audience, not children. It is a drama with some humor thrown in for flavor. The Perfect Family movie would be a better date night film than a family movie to see with the kids.

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