Chosen Family

I did not get through the whole movie. I loved the premise, but the execution was bad. It is not okay to call a little girl a b***ch word and compete with her to get her father's attention. It was clear that the little girl was going through a separation trauma and needed help, she did not need a grown woman-baby taunting her and throwing tantrums.

Initially, I was mesmerized by the main character and could relate to the struggle of having to put up with unreasonable relatives. However, as the movie progressed, it just turned into something completely weird where a grown woman was behaving like a five year old.

I love Julia Stiles in most of her movies but this was not her best role. This whole movie was not impressive. The actors did not contribute much to a good story line and the ending was so disappointing. I'm just glad I didn't watch this in theatre and pay more than I did. They did not put much effort into building the love story which is what the movie seemed to be about. The beginning was a lot of build up of the main character's love life and how disastrous it has been, which would make you think the ending would end with a love story that ended in a happy ending but instead it ends Completely opposite and random. It was overall disappointing and wouldn't recommend.

In charmless cheap drama "Chosen Family" Heather Graham's an upper-class US East coast community's yoga teacher with awful parents, addict sister Julia Stiles (the best aspect of this tripe) who blames her for her woes, and dire taste in men til she meets John Brotherton who seems perfect (to her & her pals anyway - to any ordinary person he'd surely seem a smug dweeb) though he too has issues - with obnoxious 7yr old daughter Ella Grace Helton. It is cringe-worthily abysmal. Graham screwed up SO badly in her second film as writer / director (after 2018's "Half Magic"). For a WAY better movie with a similar theme try "I'll Be Right There", cos this turd stinks.

"Chosen Family," written and directed by Heather Graham, felt to me like a very personal story that took courage to reveal & tell. But that risk of vulnerability she undertakes makes it very relatable. I was rooting for Anne (Heather's character) all the way.

Moments of self-baring, discomfort, heartbreak and even dread are handled with directness. However, the light comedic tone underpinning Anne's experiences helps keep her -- and our -- head above water. More than that, it leads to self-empowerment as well as a realization of what exactly the word "family" -- or what constitutes a healthy support structure in one's life -- should mean.

I was both moved and entertained by Heather Graham's story & film.

Set against the charming backdrop of East Greenwich, Rhode Island, Chosen Family delivers a heartwarming blend of romance, comedy, and drama. Heather Graham stars as Ann, a yoga teacher struggling to balance the chaos of her demanding biological family with her search for romantic fulfillment. Ann's well-intentioned nature often leads her to try and fix everyone's problems, particularly those of her sister Clio (Julia Stiles), who is dealing with addiction.

Ann finds support in her close friends, who encourage her to pursue a relationship with Steve, a divorced father. While Ann is immediately drawn to Steve and his daughter, Lily, she soon finds herself navigating the unexpected challenges of winning over a jealous and competitive seven-year-old.

Chosen Family explores the complexities of family dynamics, both those we're born into and those we create. The film highlights the importance of supportive friendships and the challenges of finding love and building a blended family. While it embraces familiar romantic comedy tropes, it's grounded in relatable situations and genuine emotional struggles. This film is recommended for those who enjoy character-driven stories that celebrate the power of friendship and the possibility of finding love amidst life's messy realities. It's a feel-good movie with a good balance of humor and heart.