It Runs in the Family (2003)

Family Movie

A great family movie; inspiring, humorous, dramatic. It makes one to reflect at himself/herself, life, past memories, and choices made. December 18, 2007

More than just a film about I.B.S.

I watched "Spartacus," and I thought, if Spartacus were transported to 1960s America, what kind of kid would he have. I figured he'd be like Michael Douglas' Gordon Gekko in "Wall Street." So, I watched that film. Then I noticed Martin Sheen's Union rep is a lot like Spartacus -- he even says the only difference between slaves who built the pyramids and the guys who build skyscrapers is the skyscraper builders had unions. Both films end on a sour note. Afterwards, I thought, Michael D. and his father need to make up or something bad is going to happen. So I checked out "It Runs in the Family" to see if there was anything I could do. In this context -- watching two generations of Douglases work out their differences so the third generation of Douglases wouldn't be as screwed up -- my interest was held. The film runs a little long, and I wouldn't recommend it to people not actively trying to deal with their own family issues -- they'll probably get bored. November 12, 2006

Not worth seeing

This is the worst Micheal Douglas Movie I saw so far. It is about a dysfunctional Famliy. it has little comedy in it un like others that have dysfunctional families. it is downright boring. November 17, 2005

Boring and shallow

There is nothing funny and entertaining about this movie. It is about three generations of a dysfunctional family. Kirk Douglas is extremely unlikable and Michael Douglas is no more appealing. The movie drags on and on about family problems that are purely depressing. May 5, 2005

Drivel

Have you ever wondered why high-priced, high roller and powerful actors take on roles in bad movies? That's the question you'll ask yourself if you watch this drivel.

Perhaps the answer is three generations of Douglases -- Kirk, Michael and Cameron -- appear in "It Runs in the Family". The two older Douglases play Jewish (Gromberg) lawyers (Kirk a retired former partner now overcoming a stroke) while son Asher (Cameron) is a slacker attending college. The cast includes Bernadette Peters as Michael's wife and Rory Culkin and their younger son.

My onscreen guide said the movie was taken from a short story by the guy that wrote "Christmas Story" and was supposed to be a followup on that success based on memories of the pre-teen son, which would be Culkin. Whomever wrote that never saw this movie!

This script was apparently about family dysfunction, since the dad wants to do the nasty with a woman he knows from a soup kitchen, the college boy can't keep his pants on and ends up in trouble with the cops over drugs, and the younger son also has a romantic entanglement with a skag he knows from school. The old man's wife dies, too, pushing him into Michael's disheveled household.

This sounds formulaic except the formula doesn't work. Instead of being drawn into the lives of these losers, you laugh at the silly predicaments created for them by the awkward script. There is hardly a moment in the entire film that represents anything remotely close to real family life. Every moment seems to be taken over by one calamity or another, usually of the male Douglases creation.

For me, this was a memorable film in a negative way. If Michael Douglas made $20 million for this movie, the people that bankrolled this turkey should ask for a 95 percent refund. For, in addition to the movie being a loser, Michael Douglas is badly out of shape in it with a big gut that sticks out. So much for the beautiful people, eh?

Unless you are a Douglas film completist or totally dedicated to seeing something starring a bunch of family members, steer clear of this bomb. It is funny, agreed, but not in positive ways. March 7, 2005

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