Kathleen Turner is A Perfect Fit For Suburban Saga

At the Tribeca Film Festival in that Hollywood reporter Kathleen Turner has got best screen roles in years in "The Perfect Family," what recently world-premiered In the comedy/drama
In the drama She delivers a complex, sympathetic portrayal that unlike so many
cinematic depictions of religious faith .She is Playing a devout
Catholic and suburban mom.

The opening moments immediately establish Eileen Cleary (Turner) as a
mainstay at her local parish and a particular favorite of Monsignor
Murphy (Richard Chamberlain), who informs her that she's the front
runner for the "Catholic Woman of the Year" award. Unfortunately,
he's also nominated Eileen's arch rival, Agnes Dunn (Sharon Lawrence),
who will clearly go to any ends to snare the coveted prize.

Among the qualifications for the title is a family life that conforms
to traditional Catholic beliefs, but Eileen's comes up a bit short on
that count. Her firefighter husband Frank (Michael McGrady) is a
recovering alcoholic; her lesbian daughter Shannon (Emily Deschanel)
is about to have a baby with her longtime partner Angela (Angelique
Cabral); and her son Frank Jr. (Jason Ritter) has recently left his
wife and is romantically involved with an older woman.

At first, the film seems to be aiming for dark satire, perhaps
something on the order of "Serial Mom," Turner's collaboration
with John Waters. The notion is reinforced by the casting of
Chamberlain, who famously played the randy priest in TV's
"The Thorn Birds," and by the suggestion that Eileen's competition
with Agnes may lapse into extremes.

But screenwriters Claire V. Riley and Paula Goldberg have more
sincere intentions, which is to depict their main character's gradual
acceptance of her loved ones' lifestyle choices and personal flaws,
as well as having to come to terms with her own not unblemished past.

The dialogue features the occasional comic zinger -- "I don't have to
think, I'm Catholic," Eileen insists at one point -- but mostly the
film aims for a blend of dysfunctional family drama and light comedy
that never quite jells.

Fortunately, the well-drawn performances provide some compensation.
Turner is deeply sympathetic as the religious matriarch even while
providing subtle comic grace notes to the role. The low-key McGrady is highly appealing as the endlessly patient, loving husband, while Ritter and Deschanel are thoroughly believable as the grown children who love their mother despite her oft-expressed disapproval of their actions.

But for all its good intentions, "The Perfect Family" displays a
Lifetime television movie-style tidiness that is ultimately all
too predictable. It's hard not to wish that it had taken a few more
chances and explored its certainly relevant themes a little more
deeply.

Interview of Kathleen Turner