“Home for the Holidays ” (1995)
Film Review by Julia Dudnik-Stern

Claire Danes (left) and Holly Hunter are daughter and mother about to part for Thanksgiving.

All of the characters are crafted with precision and just the right degree of eccentricity. The not-as-clueless-as-he-appears Henry (Charles Durning)

Charles Durning and Anne Bancroft as Henry and Adele Larson.

Geraldine Chaplin as crazy Aunt Glady.

Robert Downey Jr. as Tommy Larson.

and the wig-wearing-chain-smoking-always-criticizing Adele Larson (Anne Bancroft) are the epidemy of aging parents; they've still got that something that binds them to each other after their children have flown the coop. In an homage to relativity, Clyde's two siblings place her somewhere in the middle of the normalcy spectrum - above her flamboyant, acerbic gay brother and best friend Tommy (Robert Downey Jr.) and below the stereotypical small-town do-gooder sister Joanne (Cynthia Stevenson). Joanne, envious of Tommy and Clyde for daring to have their "exciting, big-city lives" and leaving her to hold down the fort of propriety, is complemented by the expected two children and banker husband (Steve Guttenberg). Tommy arrives with a mysterious companion named Leo Fish (Dylan McDermott), the wild card whose very presence at this gathering is curious at best. Rounding up the party is Aunt Glady, Adele's senile and flatulent sister.

With her Fruit Loops necklace and sporadic moments of all-too-honest verbal diarrhea, it is old maid Glady who puts the Thanksgiving dinner conversation on the right track by confessing her unrequited love for her sister's husband after a half a century of silence. Clyde, despite her previous protests, also ends up spilling all about her troubles. Tommy's big news is his recent and all-too-public-for-Joanne gay wedding. For good measure, he also dumps a turkey into Joanne's lap and takes a picture.

Foster directs the actors to strong performances, although most fall short of award caliber by varying degrees. While I'm a big fan of Hunter and Bancroft, both are simply competent here, as is everyone else. On second thought, perhaps that's what one should expect of star-studded ensemble casts. The most surprising turn comes from Cynthia Stevenson, known mostly for comedic and television work (e.g., the Lifetime sitcom "Oh Baby," 1998-2000), as the tortured Joanne, the one truly miserable character in the Larson clan.

Cynthia Stevenson and Steve Guttenberg as Clyde's sister Joanne and her husband.

Tommy and Clyde (Downey Jr., Hunter) catch up on old times in Adele's kitchen.

"Home for the Holidays" is clearly not without fault, but it is still a high-caliber production. All its aspects support the film's premise, from cinematography and lighting (note the relatively photophobic atmosphere of the Larson household contrasting with brighter scenes from Clyde's and Tommy's lives) to special effects, or, rather, lack thereof. Costumes, seemingly unremarkable, are quite a nice touch, from Clyde's ever-present wool hat to Adele's hideous coat Clyde is forced to wear while visiting — and of course, that is what she is wearing when she bumps into some old fur-clad high-school "friends." The script respects the staples of family tradition; there are trips down memory lane in the form of pictures and videos; there is a customary fight on the front lawn which is hosed down. Clyde's interrupted attempt to smoke a joint in her childhood bedroom is comically absurd. Adele, just like every mother, knows things about her children without being told.

Leo Fish (McDermott, with Hunter) brings an element of mystery and — yes! — romance to the Larson gathering.

She and her husband accept Tommy's homosexuality without openly acknowledging it, which is quite realistic, as is Joanne's and Clyde's inability to come to terms with each other.

"Home for the Holidays" is witty, sad, funny, and life-affirming — without the degree of sap that normally passes for good holiday fun. After watching it, you might think your own family isn't so bad — or, as I did, realize exactly how insane they are and how much you love them despite it. Or because
of it.

Read more about the actors

Jodie Foster is one of the most enduring, talented, intelligent, and versatile people in Hollywood. During a career which began when she was only two, Foster has proven her worth time and again, with two Best Actress Oscars ("The Accused," 1988; "The Silence of the Lambs" and a host of other prestigious... Read more. It is amazing that Holly Hunter, who is among my very short list of favorite actors, was relatively unknown prior to receiving an Oscar for her portrayal of a mute bride in the 1993 hit "The Piano" (where she actually performed all of the music herself). Read more. Best known for the sex symbol that is Mrs. Robinson ("The Graduate," 1967), Anne Bancroft has seduced Dustin Hoffman, the Academy, and viewers alike for over a half a century. Since her debut in 1952 ("Don't Bother to Knock"), she has played an array of... Read more. Robert Downey Jr. is quite brilliant — if you are able to overlook his image of the ultimate Hollywood bad boy whose exploits (from drug use to jail time) are splashed all over tabloids on a regular basis. Downey Jr. began his career with several roles... Read more.

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