Stuart Saves His Family

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.

As far as SNL movies go it's definately above average, of course, that's comparing it to "It's Pat", "A Night at the Roxbury" and "Ladies Man"...

Still... this one hits more than it misses. If you have a dysfunctional family or can identify with any of Stuart's relatives, it's worth the hour and a half....

While it won't win any awards, it should be worth an hour and a half of your time... I give it 6/10 for the average person.... 8/10 if you have a highly diversified and dysfunctional family.

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!"

That doesn't sound like an accomplishment, since the best SNL movies are probably "Blues Brothers" and "Wayne's World," and both are uneven. Furthermore, Stuart Smalley seems at first glance like one of the most obnoxious characters to base a movie around. He has characteristics that turn a lot of people off (effeminate, new agey, "caring"), but Franken shows that this veneer is painfully constructed over anger and hurt, and you end up actually liking him better the more time you spend with him. (The TV skits tend to just make fun of him.) One of the movie's most interesting scenes is between Franken and Laura San Giacomo when he tells her "I love you." In any other Hollywood movie, this would be a romantic-interest scene, because everyone knows you can't have a male and female star in a movie without their getting together. Well, here it's that incredibly rare thing: a scene of genuine friendship and support, with Stuart's sexuality left out of the question. To me, that's more impressive than if they got into a liplock.

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.