Review of Stuart Saves His Family (1995) by J D — 10 Feb 2008

One of my favorite movies. When I saw it way back when, I figured it would just be a throw-away movie, a too-long SNL sketch padded out for 90 minutes like "A Night at the Roxbury" or "It's Pat!" But Al Franken took a mildly humorous, mildly annoying character and made both him and his life three-dimensional and even more shockingly, relatable.

Really an adaptation of Franken's "I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like Me!" (again, a surprisingly good read), rather than ridicule Stuart's addiction to twelve-step programs, the movie actually takes a look at some serious issues like alcoholism, child abuse, and depression and presents them in a funny yet serious light.

If the movie hinged completely on Franken's Smalley, it might not have worked, but his family members, played by great actors like Harris Yulin, Vincent D'Onofrio, and Shirley Knight, anchors this in enough reality that you can actually relate to Stuart.

Relate to Stuart Smalley. That is no small feat. A funny, surprisingly touching movie. I still cry when Donny shows up (you'll know what I'm talking about).