Stuart sauve sa famille

This is probably the best of the SNL films simply because there is a back story behind the film. (Unlike the terrible "It's Pat!")

Those who watched SNL while Al Franken was on it saw the Smalley character. (His adage: I'm good enough, I'm smart enough and gosh darn it people like me!) In these skits, Smalley (who obviously had had a very difficult life) described his family. (On Halloween "I thought of going as a feeling but what does dread look like really? Other than my mother.") The skits would give the viewer images and makes us wonder how bad this family actually was. Now we know.

So many SNL films fail because they stretch a 2 minute skit into ninety minutes. One reviewer called it "Trying to stretch a piece of chewing gum across I-25, sometimes it makes it, most times it doesn't." This movie had great fully developed characters. There was no reason to stretch anything.

Al Franken plays the character with such sensitivity and such love and such heart that you can't help feeling for the poor guy. You can tell that this character is a sweet, kind human being who simply never got a decent start in life and is trying to do things right.

The scenes going back to Smalley's childhood complete the story. Including the funny scene about the family's trip to California.

To those who that this movie is as bad as "It's Pat" I beg to differ.

"It's Pat" never worked because it was never meant to work.

My only regret is that it failed so miserably box office wise and we'll never see a sequel. Al Franken is also no longer on SNL. I miss Stuart.

This movie gets an 8 out of 10. It's a great movie. A great movie to watch when you feel sorry for yourself or having a bad day.

I rented this movie expecting a movie like "A Night at the Roxbury", "Superstar", or "Coneheads" - not a great plot or great acting, but a lot of laugh-out-loud, tasteless jokes that will cause me to feel guilty for laughing later. Not very good movies critic-wise, but I need a good tasteless comedy every now and then.

However, "Stuart Saves His Family" is different. It had a bittersweet plot and some pretty good acting. It turned out to be a good movie. On the other hand, it wasn't tastelessly laugh-out-loud funny. In fact, I only remember laughing once in the whole movie.

So did "Stuart Saves His Family" accomplish its goal, or did it fail miserably? I'm not quite sure. I still don't know what to think of this movie. I'd say it's worth renting just for its uniqueness.

Movies inspired by SNL characters seem to have a consistently bad reputation. But that reputation is usually based on the fact that the films failed at the box office. The truth is, they are good solid comedies that were never meant to be blockbusters. 'Stuart Saves His Family' is just such a film.

This film has a cast of excellent actors who portray tragedy and comedy with sublime skill. The script is heartfelt and funny. There is no mockery of recovery programs or the self-help movement. Instead, 'Stuart Saves His Family' evokes the all too real humor amid the tragedy that comes from being part of a dysfunctional family (and world).

AL Franken's deadpan deliver of Stuart's ridiculous, but charming self is the the heart of the movie. But equally good are Piper Laurie, Vincent D'Onofrio, Lesley Boone & Harris Yulin. All four play characters who could easily descend into shrill, two-dimensional background support to the wacky lead character. Thankfully, the actors all bring out the human beings inside their characters.

The message about finding your own definition of happiness and family is another of the movie's strong points.

I also recommend "Superstar", another SNL character driven movie, starring Molly Shannon. She's an excellent actress with a wicked, silly streak.

I don't know how funny this movie is to people who aren't involved in 12-step programs or don't know anyone who is. But to this 12-stepper, the movie is hilarious. Al Franken and crew seem to walk the narrow line between poking fun at the 12-step movement while also appreciating its good points. Lots of in-jokes here, and some very funny ones. I bought the home video version and have watched it several times. Al Franken, Laura San Giacomo, Shirley Knight, Julia Sweeney are all very good.

This movie is so much better than anything you'd expect. Needless to say, most of the films based on SNL characters are pretty lame, and this one slipped under the radar so quickly, you might assume it's another "It's Pat". It's not! If you like the Stuart Smalley character, you'll of course be more disposed to liking the film. But even those previously unfamiliar with the 12-step junkie will find a sweet and surprisingly honest story here -- one that both pokes fun at self-help groups and acknowledges that they can work. There are plenty of laughs; and in its treatment of Stuart's highly dysfunctional family of origin, this film achieves something near-great. Watch and see. And "get yourself to a pound cake!"