Familiar Strangers poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Shawn Hatosy, D.J. Qualls, Ann Dowd, Cameron Richardson, Georgia Mae Lively ... see more see more... , Nikki Reed , Tom Bower

A dysfunctional family from rural Virginia contends with conflict, ritual, and communication as the grown-up son who has moved away and kept his distance returns home to spend Thanksgiving weekend wit... read more read more...h the parents and siblings he once left behind in director Zackary Adler's offbeat comedy. When Brian Worthington (Shawn Hatosy) left home some years ago, he and his father, Frank (Tom Bower), weren't exactly on the best of terms. Time doesn't necessarily heal all wounds, and when Frank lost the ability to connect with his maturing children, he began replacing them with pets that would never "grow up" and always remain loyal. Now that Brian has returned, it doesn't take him long to realize not much has changed: his mother, Dottie (Ann Dowd), is still the glue that holds them together, his twentysomething brother, Kenny (DJ Qualls), still hasn't struck out on his own, and his sister, Erin (Cameron Richardson), is struggling to recover from a messy divorce while raising her young daughter, Maddy (Georgia Mae Lively), who seems to possess an unusual wisdom for her age. As the big donkey basketball game draws near, Brian reconnects with pretty family friend Allison (Nikki Reed) and gets pressured into killing the one member of the family that his father seems to love more than his own flesh and blood -- the family dog Argus. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Flixster Users

46% liked it

379 ratings

Critics

40% liked it

5 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 26 min.

Directed by: Zackary Adler

Release Date: December 1, 2008

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: November 17, 2009

Get It:

Stats: 40 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

Familiar Strangers
Upload a Photo | View All Familiar Strangers Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (40)

  • hunterjt13
    November 9, 2010
    hunterjt13
    The end of this film is rather effective, and during the last few scenes, I admit that I almost felt something for the characters. But these few moments of pathos do nothing to make up for the sheer boredom (a word I try not to use) of the first hour and fifteen minutes. The ch... read morearacters are remarkably uninteresting with few definable aspects - drawn, one might say, with a blurry pen. The situations are contrived - made up out of cliches. And if this attempts to be a comedy, I can find no discernibly amusing moment. More to the point, whatever happened with the Brian/Allison plot? The only mildly charming character disappears, and the movie sorely misses her and its overall point.
  • LWOODS04
    May 27, 2010
    LWOODS04
    CAST: Shawn Hatosy, D.J. Qualls, Ann Dowd, Tom Bower, Cameron Richardson, Georgia Mae Lively, Nikkie Reed

    DIRECTED BY: Zackary Adler

    SUMMARY: Brian, who has moved away from his family and kept his distance for the past several years, is reluctantly returning for Thanksgivin... read moreg despite having an unresolved conflict with his father, Frank. Frank feels he has failed as a father, having lost the ability to connect with his maturing children. The rest of the family includes mother Dottie who holds the reins of the family beneath the surface, brother Kenny who is a twenty-something that has not yet found his path, sister Erin who is struggling to find herself after a painful divorce, and Erin's young daughter Maddy, truly wise beyond her years.

    MY THOUGHTS: "Indie Comedy Drama that takes some time to really get rolling as you get to know the characters, and then gets really interesting. I personally liked Kenny. He really brings the laughs. Well I find him funny and most relatable since that is the kind of things I do in my family. I kid the most and make a joke out of every situation. It is a film some can relate to including myself. Some parents really don't know how to make the transition from being a parent to a child to being the parent to an adult. Good story. If you have the patience for the slow start it gives."

    (DONKEYBALL HAS TO BE THE BEST REDNECK GAME EVER....LOL..)
  • dreamfaeries
    January 31, 2010
    dreamfaeries
    My type of film... a little nutty, a little real, and a whole lot of funny weirdness. Cute!
  • edmeyer83
    February 7, 2011
    edmeyer83
    Interesting indie film about the struggles of a family. Hatosy is good as the son who had moved away and Qualls is good as the other son. Their issues with their dad (parents) play out well on screen. Nikki Reed has a small role as a grocery clerk if I recall correctly.
  • davedaught
    November 17, 2009
    davedaught
    I really liked this movie. It is not your edgy indie - but a indie take on a family film. Very real and moving. Well acted, well directed. It really worked for me. I note that it is now for sale on their website and all over the web. It is deserving and I am glad it made it t... read moreo the market.

View All Familiar Strangers Reviews

Critic Reviews

Cary Darling
March 6, 2009
Cary Darling, Dallas Morning News

Good intentions and huggable canines go only so far in the face of a predictable script and casting so random that everyone involved seems barely part of the same species, let alone the same family. Full Review

David Nusair
July 17, 2011
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews

Subdued yet entertaining... Full Review

Frank Swietek
March 8, 2009
Frank Swietek, One Guy's Opinion

Though admirably modest and understated...it has a lot to be modest about. Full Review

Jason Heck
November 26, 2008
Jason Heck, Kansas City Star

Familiar is right.

Pete Vonder Haar
July 1, 2008
Pete Vonder Haar, Film Threat

One assumes writer John Bell isn't plagued with a family full of neurotics like, say, Noah Baumbach, so while his movie manages to rise above cliche, it doesn't have very far to go beyond that. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

This list looks lonely.
Add a suggestion!

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

Familiar Stranger... : Watch Free on TV

Movie Quizzes

No quizzes for Familiar Strangers. Want to create one?

Video Clips

No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Meet Other Fans

Add Familiar Strangers to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?