By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs
CHAOS, LOVE AND LAUGHS MAKE "ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY"
In the scattershot dramedy
"One Big Happy Family," directed by
Matt Sohn (TV's "The Office"), family dynamics take center stage in a story that's chaotic, quirky, and at times heartfelt. Loosely inspired by the real-life experiences of screenwriter and co-producer
Lisa Brenner (TV's "Almost Paradise"), the film dives headfirst into the messiness of mid-life revelations and multi-generational mayhem.
Brenner stars as Rachel Torres, a woman on the verge of turning 40 of a nervous breakdown, and of a Bat Mitzvah speech she just can't seem to write for her daughter Sammie (Lumi Pollack, TV's "Electric Bloom"). Rachel's acting career is on life support, and while she's technically the birthday girl, the celebration feels more like a midlife crisis wrapped in balloons and guilt.
Thankfully, her husband Marcus (Dante Basco, "Asian Persuasion") is a rock. He is supportive, grounded, and surprisingly adept at handling their two daughters, especially precocious little Amanda (Dylan Chance, "Death Merchant: City of Insurrection"), who delivers grown-up zingers like she's channeling a pint-sized therapist.
Meanwhile, Rachel's mother Lenore, played by the incomparable Linda Lavin (TV's "Mid-Century Modern”) --in what is sadly her final screen performance--offers unsolicited advice with the precision of a heat-seeking missile. She's meddling, opinionated, and somehow endearing through it all.
The turning point comes when Rachel takes a DNA test on a whim and discovers not only that she's half-Jewish, but that the man she thought was her father… isn't. Suddenly, the family secrets start spilling and send Rachel and Lenore on a cross-country quest for answers and healing. Their road trip leads to a string of bizarre encounters, each one odder and a bit funnier than the last.
"One Big Happy Family" has its moments, but it's also a bit overstuffed with too many characters and detours. Still, Brenner and Lavin's chemistry keep it afloat, even when the script leans into sugary sitcom territory.
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Look At This Trailer For
"ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY"
Lana K. Wilson-Combs is a member of the Critics Choice Association (CCA), American Film Institute (AFI), and a Nominating Committee Voting Member for the NAACP Image Awards).
