Review Date 6/27/2019

I have Reviewed OVER 500 "Christmas Films and Specials". Please BEWARE Of films and specials with just one review! For instance When "It's a POSITIVE" chances are that the reviewer was involved with the production. "If its Negative" then they may have a grudge against the film for whatever reason. I am fare about these films.

All families go through transitions. Parents are getting older. Siblings resentment and how we all kind go through the motions of life without realizing seeing what is front of our own eyes.

In this film every year, Claudia (Holly Hunter) dreads her trip home for Thanksgiving. Between her parents (Charles Durning and Anne Bancroft),her sardonic brother (Robert Downey Jr.) and her overdramatic sister (Cynthia Stevenson),things are bad enough. But this year, Claudia has more reason for angst. She's lost her job and is dealing with her daughter's (Claire Danes) revelation about her sexual activities. Claudia's sister seems to think her brother and sister ran out of town leaving her stuck to take care of their aging parents.

Lots of laughs and a reality check for everyone.

Winning two Best Actress Oscars and having a lot of friends among her peers probably allowed director Jodie Foster to assemble a great ensemble cast for her film Home For The Holidays. The whole cast clicks well individually as well as a team to bring us Thanksgiving Day at the Larson household.

This is not promising to be a good Thanksgiving for Holly Hunter. She's been laid off and her daughter Claire Danes has told her in so many words she's losing her virginity to the high school hunk. So by herself she's off to spend Thanksgiving with her parents and siblings and spouses of same.

The Larsons aren't exactly the Cleavers. Charles Durning and Anne Bancroft are the parents, Durning is old enough to be called eccentric rather than crazy and Bancroft is a walking bundle of neuroses. Brother Robert Downey,Jr. is gay and most irreverent. The worst is Cynthia Stevenson who makes a total fetish out of being normal and is forever acting like a martyr just for being born with this family. Her husband is Steve Guttenberg who just tries to take it with a smile.

Although this has far more laughs, with a few more characters the main body of the film is structured like that Eugene O'Neill dysfunctional family the Tyrones. Characters are drawn deep though the plot is minimal. You'll end up liking the Larsons far more than the Tyrones.

It's not Long Day's Journey Into Night, but Home For The Holidays is a good piece of work from Jodie Foster and her cast.

Claudia Larson (Holly Hunter) loses her art restorer job due to budget cuts. Her 16 year old daughter Kitt (Claire Danes) shocks her with her intention to lose her virginity. Then she has to go back home to her parents (Anne Bancroft, Charles Durning) for Thanksgiving. Her sister Joanne (Cynthia Stevenson) and brother-in-law Walter Wedman (Steve Guttenberg) are uptight conservatives. Her irreverent gay brother Tommy (Robert Downey Jr.) shows up with Leo Fish (Dylan McDermott). Aunt Glady (Geraldine Chaplin) is an eccentric plant lady. Sad sack Russell Terziak (David Strathairn) is infatuated with Claudia.

It's Holly Hunter suffering under various family members. I wish Claire Danes could stay in the heart of the movie. Downey tries to steal the movie with his antics. Claudia embodies how I feel about this movie. I love the people here but some of them annoy me. I watch this with detached bemusement. The wacky energy from Downey energizes a rather simple family dysfunction chaos. Director Jodie Foster maintains control of the manic wackiness but she isn't able to maximize the comedy.