They say that you can’t choose your family. But maybe that’s only partially true.
In Chosen Family, Ann (Heather Graham) is a yoga teacher who carries the emotional scars of her own manic family. As she coaches her students to find inner peace, Ann takes on the role of a ‘fixer’ as she attempts to help everyone else with their problems without addressing her own. However, things begin to change when she meets Steve (John Brotherton), a single dad who seems like the distraction she needs. But, as the two begin a relationship, Ann’s inability to cope with family issues becomes more complicated by the response from Steve’s young daughter who wants to compete for her father’s affections.
Written and directed by Graham, Chosen Family is a light-hearted comedy that also has heavier implications. Although the film embraces the silliness of the situation, Graham’s script still seems interested in wrestling with the complexities of family relationships, especially negative ones. As a director, Graham does a good job of supporting her actors by allowing them to have moments to shine.
Despite being the film’s central character, Graham gives opportunity to her co-stars to show their skills. Perhaps the biggest benefactor of Graham’s care for her cast is Stiles who receives plenty of opportunity to show off her comedic skills. Having often been cast in either horror or dramatic fare, Stiles has had surprisingly limited comedic roles in her career. Here, she’s allowed to show some silliness as Graham’s troubled sister. (An angry yoga class is a great example of this as she encourages people to punch wildly into the air.)
Admittedly, Chosen Family ultimately wears its heart on its sleeve. This is a film that wants to find the healthy balance between the family we have and the family we choose. Coming from a highly Conservative home, Ann is made to feel as though her life doesn’t fit her parents’ expectations. Without a man in her life, they believe that she’s missing out on something and keep trying to push her into a relationship. What’s more, her sister’s addictions have created a sort of toxic co-dependency between them. Struggling to get by, Clio is held with protective gloves by her parents yet makes demands of her sister as well.
And, of course, Ann is expected to be the one to hold everything together.
Nevertheless, this is very much a story about support systems. Understandably, Ann’s journey takes a toll on her, creating unhealthy beliefs about herself. Yet her friends remain supportive throughout. Without giving any spoilers, their voices become the ones that keep her motivated, particularly in her hard moments. These are friends who remain committed to her at all times, fighting for her when she won’t fight for herself. The concept of ‘chosen family’ has become a popular concept in films today as our world wrestles with the psychological problems that have been handed down to us. (You can laugh at The Fast and the Furious films but they understand the power of creating a new ‘family’.) In this Family, Ann is placed in that same position. She must choose between the indelible marks left by a toxic home life with the joy of people outside her biological family tree. For her, hope can’t be found from those who share her DNA.
Instead, she’s got to choose something healthier.
However, if there are bumps in this Family though, it may come from the script. While Graham has the set-up and the talent to pull off the film’s wilder moments, there are times when the script feels uneven. Given subject matters such as addiction or mental health can be difficult to mine light-hearted comedy from and Family has moments that feel like it should turn down the dial. While not distracting, it is noticeable when the film wants to be serious but isn’t entirely sure how to do so.
In the end, Chosen Family remains a delightfully silly film for those looking for a night of escapist fun. Graham, Stile and the rest have the necessary energy to bring the film to life, even in moments when the script falters. So, for those looking for some light-hearted laughs, this will likely be a film worth choosing.
Chosen Family is available in theatres on Friday, October 11th, 2024.
