Surviving Family (2012) User Reviews (11)

Ghosts of Family past

[kosmasp · 6/10 · 27 May 2021]

Not literal ghosts ... although I reckon some may feel that way. Our own family may seem crazy to us, but sometimes if we compare it to other families ... they might be quite sane in comparison. That being said, this is a low budget effort and I am quite surprised it gathered so much festival love (I reckon the prizes and nominations are from that - I might be wrong).

That being said, the movie is really well done. Interesting relationships and well performed (good) dialog too. Something that is not really a given in low budget movies, but usually I try to give/cut them slack if that happens. Pacing is good, but may be too slow for some. Depending on where you come from, you may cherish this or be annoyed by it. Just be sure to know what this is (about) and if it is something you want to see in general.

Surviving the real qualities of Surviving Family

[danielwesthoff511 · 8/10 · 7 December 2012]

I saw "Surviving Family," at the Golden Door International Film Festival of Jersey City in a beautifully restored movie palace and the entire evening was a great one, where independent film is concerned.

The ambiance of watching a movie in grand movie palace once owned by MGM blended with a very hard-edged yet enjoyable independent film such as Surviving Family. Beautifully shot by Laura Thies from a brilliant screenplay by Mara Lesemann, the film has an odd mix of sweetness and tragedy. It's got moments of comedy blended in with the heavy drama.

Buoyed by a strong performance from Sarah Wilson, who plays Terry Malone a young woman returning home to get married at her family's home. However, it's not all wine and roses, as Terry has several ghosts from her past that are still haunting her. Tragedy, alcoholism and other obstacles threaten to ruin the very marriage she came to start here.

There are also tremendous supporting performances from Phyllis Somerville and Tara Westwood and a very nice cameo by Vincent Pastore of "The Sopranos," fame.

See this movie either at a film festival or hopefully one day soon in theatrical release. It doesn't quite have a Hollywood ending, but it will make you think, and that's always a good thing.

It's a great movie. I found it to be very touching.

[cwonka99 · 10/10 · 19 July 2012]

I found this to be a very touching movie. I would give it a ten out of ten. When you watch it you just get this feeling of sympathy for all of the characters and can completely relate to some parts. I found some of the acting and connection between certain characters to be phenomenal, especially the connection between Tara and Phyllis, their chemistry was very touching.I defiantly had to fight some tears back during the movie. After seeing the movie i went out to get some dinner with some close friends who had also seen it and sure enough the only thing we talked about was the movie.Though it is not the best movie I have seen, I was definitely left in awe when the the screen went blank.

Wonderful Movie with Subject Matter that Needs to be Discussed

[mariefilippino · 9/10 · 28 February 2016]

The subject matter in "Surviving Family" was so relate-able right from the start, and I immediately connected with Terry. Her conceptions and beliefs about her family relationships were without question. But as the movie develops and secrets revealed, the transformation of each character's vulnerability is unveiled and changes your first impression of each family member. The subject matter is sensitive and everyone can relate to at least one of the issues that families tend to sweep under the rug.

The movie is well written and directed, has the right balance of humor, anger, communication and lack thereof, and the actors perfectly cast to their characters. And I must say, the final scene blew me away - totally was not expecting it! Well done!!

Odd, Female Centric Film

[ShippedCutOut · 4/10 · 17 October 2016]

About halfway through this film, as we were continuing to unravel the mysteries of Tara, her family, and her past, it occurred to me that the script had to have been written by a woman. Nothing wrong with that, but the men seemed to pop in for a few minutes and then disappear. The father, literally. The brother, most of the time, except for his reappearance at the wedding. An old boyfriend at the bar, her sister's first husband "for about six weeks."

Not sure why Aunt Mary's role had her heading to Atlantic City with the senior citizens, rather than making the wedding, but her disappearance seemed odd as well.

Okay, I get it. Families are hard, esp. when mom is bipolar. Oh, and now the niece is too. Will this same malady be visited on the newborn?

Then there were the actors: easy on the eyes but somehow missing the touch of reality that comes from better acting. The sister in particular looked like her face was pinched. The Say Yes to the Dress scene added very little to the film, and the wedding cake bit didn't provide much either.

The entire film felt like someone had a bipolar member in the family, it hit hard, led to years of therapy, and was turned into a film.

Thumbs down.

Surviving Family (No spoilers)

[preflight-92358 · 10/10 · 29 November 2015]

Surviving Family, is as good as a movie comes for indie productions, I thoroughly enjoyed watching, it was well written, well shot and well acted, a breath of fresh air compared to the Hollywood factory. With actors portraying family members we can all relate to, it draws us into the movie with compelling performances scene after scene. The good reviews it has received so far are purely fair comment on a deserving piece of work. I especially found the actors believable, which is often lacking on low budget films where casting is often an afterthought. Unsurprisingly it has had it's fair share of prizes and awards. If you haven't watched an indie film before then this will be a revelation to see what can be done without big names and even bigger budgets.

This is an excellent film -sheds light on mental health in a very powerful way

[NicoleAmelioCasper · 10/10 · 5 June 2021]

This film is a must see- it sheds light mental health and how vital it is to get help- written and produced by Mara Leseman- excellent film!

A very well-written film on a very critical topic - as a mental health advocate and film maker, I know first hand how mental health affects every family, every community. Casting was impeccable and the chemistry between key actors was right on point!

There is dramatic scenes as well as some comedic scenes sprinkled in as well.

Great Indie movie

[hdifontaine-83232 · 10/10 · 6 June 2020]

Lovely movie exploring the effects of alcoholism and mental illness in a somewhat dysfunctional family. Great cast and good moments of comedy and drama throughout. Definitely worth watching.

This is a great movie

[boblevoy · 10/10 · 10 June 2013]

This film is a great film from Writer/Producer Mara Lesemann and Director Laura Thies. This film kept my interest from start to finished. It was well written and well filmed almost like it was done by a major studio. I love the story of how Terry found happiness with a new husband even with all the bad things in her life. I am looking forward to seeing more films done by this writer and director. I found out about this movie through another writer/director that referred me to Mara and love having a good friendship with many actors,directors, writers and producers. I strongly feel that films done by independent film companies can be just as good as ones done by major studios. I highly recommend everyone to watch this film. You will love it as much as I do.

Great Movie--Makes you think

[allstarrpi · 10/10 · 2 February 2015]

Surviving Family paints a realistic view of a dysfunctional family and the resultant baggage each member carries. It demonstrates how children can be affected by tragedies especially when their "whys?" go unanswered and how the consequences of family secrets can distort the truth and affect their relationships as they grow up. Every once in a while a movie challenges you to think.This is that kind of movie. The actors are great. Phyllis Somerville, a veteran actress finally clears the air about the Malone family for niece Terry played by talented Sarah Wilson. Her fiancée is played by Billy Magnussen who went from this movie on to Broadway and is now debuting in Steven Spielberg's INTO THE WOODS.Incidentally, he's a hunk. For those of you who are Soprano fans Vincent Pastore plays the mayor of the town. This is a well written, well acted, well photographed unpretentious movie that makes you think.See it. You'll like it.

Celebrating Family

[rjohnson-52 · 19 July 2017]

Dear Mara Lesemann, Thanks so much for sharing "Surviving Family" with us! We loved it. We laughed and cried. The characters are so real and believable. I love getting absorbed in a film like yours, and feeling empathy for the characters, and really wanting them to fight through the pain of the past to get back to the joys of living. The interaction between the siblings rings so true -- love and annoyance and familiarity and clinging to past impressions. It makes me want to reach out to my siblings, and reminds me that we all go through the whole range of good and bad, but that our families are our permanent past of which we must make the best, for the sake of our future. Keeping creating and sending out your messages of art to the world, because it is stuff we all need to hear. And tell Carlo Fiorletta that his performance reminded me of the time that he was my supervisor at BT (just kidding, there were no nuns there...)