I loved this movie. I wanted to say that first off. Shirley MacLaine...Azura Skye...Julia Stiles...Randy Quaid, with a wee dash of Jennifer Coolidge there at the end, what a wonderful cast. It's a small, quiet, sweet-natured, heartwarming film. There's even a really cute little dog in it. Watch it if you like feel-good movies.At the very end of the film there's a teeny continuity glitch. A scene between Julia Stiles and...well you'll see who it's with if you watch it...ANYway Ms. Stiles' left arm is adorned with a beautiful wrist cuff...then the cuff is gone...then it's back...then it's gone again...and etc. It's only obvious because her wrist is right up there on the screen throughout that bit of scene. This boo boo does not hurt the movie in any way at all, I'm just saying, as a kind aside, that I couldn't help noticing that.

This was an unexpected romantic movie…that I think was suppose to be a romantic comedy. I'm not exactly sure what went wrong in the comedy part, but the movie itself was good. I was frustrated with Carolina's view of her family…and how she didn't see the man who loved her so much right in front of her. I mean...she had a HOT guy best friend who clearly had feelings for her...but she keep looking for love everywhere else. Her friend already accepted her weird family...and loved Carolina for who she was inside and out. He confessed his love to her, and she abandoned him for...what seemed like in the movie, years. Then, she finally comes to her senses, and tells him she can't live without him, but it seems like it's too late...until he unexpectedly showed up at her family thanksgiving dinner like he always does, and takes her back. Oh...romance...I love it.For daily movie reviews visit: kimsmoak.com now!

Carolina (Julia Stiles) might be termed the sane one in an Addams-like family. Her grandmother (Shirley MacLaine) is notorious for doing and saying what she likes in their southern town. Sister Georgia is single and pregnant from a one night stand and sister Maine is a rocking horse-riding, lottery obsessed girl. The family's father is a semi-recovering alcoholic who turned to drink after the mother's death. Oh, and Aunt Marilyn is a madam. Only Carolina seems to be the white bread type, having a job in television and a British businessman for a boyfriend. However, Carolina has a long relationship with the handsome writer next door, Albert (Alessandro Nivola). It has been a friendship; could it ever be anything else? Amid the chaos of a very strange family situation, a nice love story emerges. Stiles is wonderful as the beautiful young lady who loves her family but hopes to live a more sedate life. MacLaine is really quite nice, also, as the eccentric grandmother and the other cast members are fine. However, the story is a stroll down life in extremes, careening from one bizarre incident to another. Maybe there are families like this one but, if you ever meet one, run for your life. That said, if you wish to locate another sorta-romcom for the evening, you might try this one, especially if you have seen most of the other light comedy-and-romance films that are out there.

Another magnificent film from Stiles, and another Film Festival movie. I waited and waited for this film to be released in Region 1 so that I could snag it, and then promptly bought it from Canada. Carolina (Stiles) is gloriously and comically oblivious to Albert's (Nivola) obvious love for her. You'll laugh at Grandma Mirabeau's (MacLaine) outrageous humor, you'll sigh with Albert each time Carolina doesn't see what's obviously there, and you'll rage with them when they lash out in anger for lack of a better defense. But, it's a movie after all, so you'll be smiling in the end. It's a wonderful film that had my attention from the very first scene. One of the best romantic comedies I've seen in years.